NOW - Not Only Wine

Sarrià-Sant Gervasi is the part of Barcelona where the frantic, neon-soaked fever dream of the city center finally decides to take a breath. It’s a neighborhood of wide boulevards, quiet squares, and people who actually live here—people who don’t need a map to find their way home. This is where you find NOW - Not Only Wine. It’s not a tourist trap, it’s not a 'concept,' and it’s definitely not trying to sell you a souvenir t-shirt. It’s a wine shop that realized it had too much soul to just be a retail space, so it opened a kitchen.

Walking into NOW feels like stepping into the private cellar of a friend who has significantly better taste than you. The walls are lined with bottles that tell stories of the rugged, slate-heavy slopes of Priorat and the salty breeze of the Empordà. It’s a space that commands respect without being precious about it. You aren't here for a 'gastronomic journey'—you’re here to eat, drink, and remember why you liked people in the first place. The atmosphere is thick with the sound of real conversation, the clinking of glasses, and the occasional hiss from the kitchen.

Let’s talk about the food, because the 'Not Only' part of the name is doing a lot of heavy lifting. The croquettes here are the real deal. In a city where every second bar serves frozen breaded disappointment, these are a revelation. They are molten, creamy, and packed with the kind of jamón or mushroom flavor that hits you right in the lizard brain. Then there’s the octopus—pulpo—charred on the outside to provide that essential resistance before giving way to a tender, buttery interior. It’s simple, honest, and devastatingly effective. If you’re looking for the best tapas in Sarrià-Sant Gervasi, you’ve found the epicenter.

The wine selection is, as expected, the backbone of the operation. This isn't a place where they hand you a list of the usual suspects. The staff actually know what’s behind the cork. They’ll steer you toward a bottle you’ve never heard of, something from a small producer who probably spends more time talking to his grapes than his neighbors. It’s a protein-and-tannin rush that reminds you why Mediterranean food in Barcelona is a global benchmark. Whether it’s a sharp white to cut through the richness of a tuna tataki or a deep, brooding red to stand up to a steak tartare, they don’t miss.

The terrace is the real prize, especially when the Barcelona sun starts to lose its teeth in the late afternoon. It’s a place to linger, to watch the neighborhood go by, and to realize that the best things in life usually involve a corkscrew and a plate of something fried. Is the service fast? Not always. But why are you in a rush? If you’re looking for a place to tick off a bucket list, go somewhere else. If you want to sit in a corner of a real neighborhood, drink something that tastes like the earth, and eat food that hasn't been over-engineered by a marketing team, then sit down.

NOW - Not Only Wine is a reminder that good eating is about the basics: quality ingredients, a deep knowledge of the grape, and a refusal to pander to the lowest common denominator. It’s a local haunt that deserves your attention, provided you’re willing to leave the Gothic Quarter behind and see how the other half lives—and more importantly, how they eat.