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When choosing a restaurant, especially if it’s new, what we see with our eyes plays a vital role. This is why an excellent meal isn’t enough; sometimes it’s not even necessary. A fun menu in a different kind of venue in a great location which draws your attention, with friendly people serving and a chef with a large dose of charisma and experience may well be a formula for success.

The venue we’re presenting today is fresh, direct and easily understandable and meets the minimum culinary ambition that we Miguelines require. It’s fun, and not just the food. It purveys little dishes, as masterfully announced on the menu, and everything is crafted in small kitchen visible to diners with fresh products and recipes that harbour just a tad of complication. A neon sign at the doorway to the kitchen with the name of the venue, Bar Omar, is a veritable statement of intentions as well as a draw to passers-by, as we watch them turn their heads and take a gander through the window at the entrance. Great marketing!

Bar Omar, which doesn’t refer to “mar” as in “sea” but to the name of the chef, Omar Díaz, is a small, youthful place decorated… hold on: we’re better at food than architecture… does it make sense if we say with youthful, restaurant-version of Ikea décor? In any case, as we said, it’s fun. Bar Omar is an attractive place where any up-and-coming restaurateur could draw inspiration if they want to learn how to “do business”. Open for just 4 months and in a great location on the bustling Carrer Amigó, you’ll probably want to reserve a table to be safe. It’s ideal for little groups, quick meals and even a date, especially a first date (because if it’s going well you can hang out a bit longer, but if not, you can finish quickly without being too obvious).

As always, we eat a slew of dishes, little dishes in this case. “Roasted free-range chicken croquettes”, very mild. “Perfect Russian salad”, flavourful but not too memorable. “Meatballs with wild mushrooms”, a dish that’s not on the menu but was the best of the evening thanks to a delicious sauce and outstanding meatballs made with Maldonado pork. We finish this first round with a “Pork cheek bun” which we devour in two bites.

Roasted free-range chicken croquettes

Russian salad

Meatballs with wild mushrooms

Pork cheek bun

Supposedly more impressive, but ultimately equally tentative as the dishes in the previous round, we sample “Free-range chicken cannelloni with fresh wild mushrooms and truffled béchamel”, “Steak tartare with a smoky touch”, afectuosament a ganivet, risky but delicious “Scallops with macadamia nut praline and wild mushrooms” and finally a good “Fillet with Café de Paris sauce”, the sauce rich, although we suggest being a bit more generous with it.

Steak tartare with a smoky touch

Scallops with macadamia nut praline with wild mushrooms 

Fillet with Café de Paris sauce

Bar Omar is just getting off the ground – 4 months is nothing! No doubt Omar will use what he learned in other venues like Arzak and Gresca to discover new creations and fine-tune existing ones. The place is pleasant, the food fun and it’s easy to see why it’s packed. What more could you ask?

Score
Food   Wines
63   62
Service   Venue
62   65
Price   Miguelín Stars
30€  
Per person: 5/6 tapes to share +1 desserts +1 glass of wine  

Where is Bar Omar?

Address: Carrer d'Amigó, 34, 08021 Barcelona

Telephone: 932 50 84 28

Timetable: Monday to Saturday 1 to 4 pm and 8:30 to 11 pm; Sunday 1 to 5 pm

Websitehttp://baromar.cat/