EL CARRO GROS (Poble Sec)

Unpretentious, friendly, and with a solid local clientele, El Carro Gros is a girl-next-door kind of wine bar. Add to this the fact that it’s located on Plaça Sortidor with outside seating in the sunshine and you’ve got one of the reasons I signed my rental contract.

Joking aside, the authentic charm of El Carro Gros lies in the little things.

It’s the vociferous gaggle of students with a post-lunch coffee and the pair of old Catalan men meeting for a beer and chinwag. It’s the passing dog-walkers and their three-legged dog who jumps up at customers like they’re old friends. It’s the crusty bread, rubbed with fresh tomato and topped with quality olive oil and salt, exactly how the classic Catalan snack “pa amb tomaquet” should be made.

The charm is these rituals. Simple rituals repeated every day which become an integral part of the fabric of the neighbourhood and connect us to something more than ourselves. El Carro Gros doesn’t offer fine wines or gourmet food, and that’s precisely why it’s worth seeking out. It merely offers honesty, a sense of community, and a moment to reflect as life passes us by.

While you’re taking time out, sample a glass or two from the bar’s selection of wines by the glass. With the exception of the many Latino and Arab residents, Poble Sec is still a proudly Catalan neighbourhood and so naturally El Carro Gros only serves Catalan wines.

In keeping with the unfussy vibe they’re all modest bottles at great prices, but the owner clearly has great taste. Our favourites were an incredibly good value 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon from the nearby Penedés wine region and an easy-going floral white from the little-known D.O. Pla de Bages. Paired with a ray of sunshine and some people-watching, there is no better way to get to know the real Barcelona.

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