Restaurante De tapas Paella Bar cóctel ENCERCLE

Eixample is a neighborhood that can easily break your heart. It’s beautiful, sure—all those grand octagonal blocks and Modernista facades—but it’s also a minefield of soul-crushing tourist traps and overpriced dining rooms where the decor is better than the food. You walk past Casa Milà, dodging selfie sticks, and you wonder if there’s anywhere left that hasn't been sterilized for the masses. Then you find ENCERCLE, tucked into the ground floor of Margot House on Carrer de Còrsega, and suddenly, the city feels right again.

The name isn't just a branding exercise; it’s the philosophy. The bar is a great, sweeping circle—a literal 'encercle'—that acts as the gravitational center of the room. It’s the engine room. You don’t just sit here; you’re part of the theater. And in a city that often feels like it’s forgotten how to be cool without being pretentious, this place manages to be a genuine piano bar that doesn't feel like a dusty relic or a cruise ship lounge. When the pianist starts hitting those keys in the evening, the room transforms from a bright Mediterranean eatery into something moodier, something more visceral. It’s the kind of place where you can actually hear yourself think, or better yet, stop thinking altogether.

Let’s talk about the food, because in Barcelona, if the rice isn't right, nothing else matters. This is a paella bar that actually respects the craft. We’re talking about real saffron, proper sofrito, and that elusive, crunchy socarrat at the bottom of the pan that locals will fight you for. Whether it’s the seafood version or the deep, earthy vegetable paella, it’s served with a lack of ceremony that proves they know it’s good. But before the rice arrives, you have to deal with the tapas. The patatas bravas here are a revelation in a city drowning in frozen spuds. They are hand-cut, crispy-edged monuments to the potato, draped in a sauce that actually has a kick—not that pink, mayo-heavy tragedy you find on La Rambla. The croquetas are another litmus test they pass with flying colors: creamy, molten centers encased in a breading so thin it’s almost an afterthought.

Then there are the cocktails. This isn't a place for neon-colored sugar bombs. The bartenders here treat a Negroni or a Gin and Tonic with the kind of quiet reverence usually reserved for religious icons. They understand balance. They understand that a cocktail bar near Casa Milà should offer a drink that matches the architectural sophistication outside. It’s a reliable anchor for a late-night 'copa' while the piano player drifts through a set that makes you want to stay for just one more—and then another.

The beauty of ENCERCLE is its duality. By day, it’s an airy, light-filled spot for a civilized lunch. By night, it’s a dimly lit refuge for the weary traveler and the local who knows better. It’s connected to a boutique hotel, yes, but it doesn't feel like a 'hotel restaurant.' It feels like a neighborhood secret that just happens to have better service and a nicer bathroom than the dive bar down the street. It’s honest, it’s sharp, and it’s one of the best tapas bars in Eixample for anyone who values substance over spectacle. It delivers the best paella Barcelona has to offer without the seaside clichés—a place to hide from the crowds with a stiff drink and some live jazz. It’s the kind of place that reminds you why you came to this city in the first place.