Cocktails and Tapas at Barca Bar

[AD] Despite being literally down the road from where I live, I’ve never really considered going to the Casa Hotel in Chesterfield for a meal or drinks. Well, more fool me, because Barca Bar is the perfect place for cocktails and tapas, and I imagine will become a regular haunt for both date night with my husband and catch ups with the girls.

Inside Barca Bar at Casa Chesterfield

Firstly, the décor is beautiful. There’s a laid back Mediterranean feel, an olive tree festooned with lights and colourful upholstery. The whole room has been cleverly designed so that you feel you’re in an intimate corner of the room, and there’s plenty of comfy booth seating.

We visited on a summery Wednesday evening. There were plenty of people enjoying drinks outside when we arrived although inside was quieter as the evening progressed. I imagine it would be much busier at the weekend.

Cocktails at Barca Bar

Barca Bar has a great cocktail menu featuring all the classics (e.g. margarita, espresso martini, Long Island iced tea, passion fruit martini, Cosmopolitan and various flavours of frozen daiquiri) as well as some more unique choices. I ordered the ‘citrus and pear’ cocktail. This was a delicious blend of fresh lime juice with a hint of spiced pear with tequila. It was beautifully presented, as was my friend’s mojito. All of which adds up to Barca Bar being a brilliant place for cocktails, and there’s currently a 2 for 1 offer on all cocktails every Friday between 5-7pm!

Tapas at Barca Bar

The dinner menu at Barca Bar consists of a dozen or so authentically Spanish tapas choices. We ordered six tapas dishes to share between two of us which was ample. Everything was beautifully cooked with high quality ingredients and was really tasty. Our food all arrived together, which suited us perfectly.

For more formal dining at the Casa hotel, check out my review of Cocina restaurant.

Here’s what we ate:

Pan y Aceitunas – locally sourced bread with deliciously peppery extra virgin olive oil and marinated olives.

Chef’s Charcuterie Board – A selection of Spanish cured meats served with olives, sundried tomatoes, artichoke, toasted sourdough topped with tomato and dressed mixed leaves. I would definitely recommend ordering this if you fancy trying a bit of everything.

Chorizo – Spanish sausage with piquant roast red pepper.

Gambas Pil Pil – Big juicy prawns, pan fried with garlic, peppers and a hint of chilli.

Patatas Bravas – Fried potatoes topped with a spicy tomato sauce and aioli.

Muslos de Pollo – Chicken thighs cooked in red wine with sautéed baby onions.

To accompany the tapas, I ordered a glass of the Artesa Rioja Crianza. This had a beautiful bouquet and complimented the food wonderfully.

Most of these dishes were gluten free (only the bread and potato dish weren’t). Vegan and vegetarian options are clearly listed on the menu (although there’s not a huge selection of choice for veggies). The lunch menu is a more limited choice of tapas but also a choice of sandwiches and salads.

There’s a small dessert menu although we were far too full to even consider dessert. Instead we both had a coffee and a sample of the brand new cream liquer drinks being launched by Global Brands (also owned by the owner of the Casa Hotel). I’m not usually one for creamy drinks but these were so, so good. My favourites were the pineapple and the caffe latte. Uniquely, they are plant based as well as being utterly delicious. The perfect after dinner tipple.  

Service was great throughout – friendly, professional and really helpful without being intrusive.

Go for:

Fabulous cocktails and delicious, authentic tapas. A great place for a date or for a catch up with the girls.

Details:

Barca Bar at Casa Hotel, Lockoford Lane, Chesterfield, S41 7JB

Lots of free parking.

Air conditioned inside. Plenty of outside tables, some under shade.

No booking required – tables on a first come, first served basis.

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