Bar Celona

Music is perfect. Where are the people? It’s 12:40!!! I just wish it was a little more hopping this night.

The place isn’t open right now… Apparently they are waiting for a liquor license…

Came here for a friends birthday with 7 people. We had reservations and purchased 2 bottles of grey goose on top of many other drinks. We weren’t even half way finished with the bottle when Cynthia (the owner) came to us and said we needed to move because someone else requested our table. The place was already packed and the only thing available was 2 small tables which the 7 of us had to squueze into. The group she gave our table to was a party of 5 and only ordered a bucket of beer.
Never going back here again, Cynthia is the rudest person I’ve ever encountered. Don’t waste your time or your money.

My son took my daughter and I to celebrate our birthday here today. We had the place to ourselves. which was awesome! The sangria was very good! Every tapas the waiter brought us was very tasty. I would definitely go back with more friends!!!

I celebrated my birthday at Bar Celona 2 weeks ago and may I say that my friends and I had a blast. Cynthia the owner is a sweetheart she did everything she could to make my guest and I feel welcomed. The bartender and her were amazing to us. I must also say that Cynthia was amazing communicating with me in regards to my needs and wants. I would definitely recommend this lounge to anyone I will be going back for a great time. Cynthia should be very proud of herself for opening up her bar and being a great hostess. Thank you for everything!!!
Service= Awesome
Food=Great loved the tapas
Atmosphere= Wonderful including the live salsa band.
Décor= Fabulous and Chic
Music= needs a little work but she did the best she could
Drinks= I recommend the Fashionista cocktail
Hookah= good

THE WORST PLACE EVER! NONE OF THE OTHER REVIEWS ARE EXAGGERATING. I am writing this review because I hope management sees it.
My friend bought the living social deal because he wanted to support a woman owned local buisness. Before going I decided to read the Unilocal reviews. As you can see majority of the reviews are negative but we still decided to go because we already bought the deal.
My friend and I (2 females) entered the restaurant first and was expecting our male friend to join us. The place was COMPLETELY empty, 2 employees were leaning on the bar looking bored and made us walk all the way to the bar before greeting us.
I went straight to the restroom, as my friend asked if we could sit anywhere and the man replied with a yeah. He asked her if she wanted a drink and she replied that we had a living social deal. He rolled his eyes and asked did you call ahead? She responded with «there’s no one here» as she looked around. He said that dosent matter giving so much attitude and my friend replied yeah it does. He then said fine ill take it and brought out the the «special» voucher and the drink menu. He then told her that the voucher was for 2 drinks and 2 tapas. As I came out of the bathroom my male friend walked in. The waiter approached immediately as he entered and stood there hoovering until we ordered even though we had JUST sat down. I got the mussels because every other reviews said it was the only thing worth getting. My friend ordered the croquettes. My other friend ordered the el Matador and then the waited stared him down until he ordered a second drink (the williamsburg). He then snatched the menus away
The food and drinks came at the same time and the tapas were the smallest things EVER. After dropping off our order, the waiter leaned on the bar and was staring us down the ENTIRE time like he had spit in our food or something. I tried some of the Matador and it tasted like pure POISON. The nastiest thing ever. You could even smell some kind of chemical eminating from it! The mussels were good but nothing to write home about. The 4 pieces (yes, 4 tiny pieces) of croquettes were gross and soggy like they had been cooked a week ago and then refried for us.
A group of 6 or so young ladies walked in and they changed the music to DJ techno LMFAO remixes that were crap. After being stared down enough we decided to leave. We left $ 5 (a 15% tip on the non-​voucher price) on the table as tip and walked out while my male friend went used the restroom. While standing in front of Bar-​Celona the waiter had the nerve to come outside with the bill and say, who is paying the bill? Living Social dosent include tax. Granted yes, living social does not include tax but you had amble opportunity to give up a billl. Besides it’s not that he asked but it’s how he asked. My friend responded that we had left five dollars on the table and that he should take the tax from it. He looked shocked that we asked his rude self to take it out of the tip we had left him even though he deserved nothing. He was so lucky I didn’t ask for change from that $ 5. Note to management/​owner: if everyone is telling you that your staff sucks; guess what, THEY SUCKS!!! I would highly recommend making some changes if you plan on staying in business.
Final Verdict:
Food– Bland expect for the Mussels
Drinks-​Pure Poision
Service-​THE WORST SERVICE EVER OF LIFE. THIS ALONE IS REASON NOT TO GO
Décor– Fairly Nice. The one star is for the décor.

This was a waste. We were excited to try this place and were disappointed. The décor is the ONLY reason it got 2 stars. That and the mussels. Thank goodness we were with a couple we could have fun with just standing outside a bodega or on a street corner chatting for hours. Oh yeah, did I mention, we were one of 3 small groups that was there yet it took 15 mins after we were seated for someone to realize we existed and bring us menus! The bar was empty and most of the room vacant the entire time we were there.
We had a groupon for this place for 10 tapas and a pitcher of sangria. If you have a groupon and haven’t used it yet, make sure when you go you only order the mussels. If you don’t like mussels, you’re pretty much out of luck. Everything else on the menu was like cheap party food you buy in packs of 100 from the freezer aisle at BJ’s and heat up in the oven. Not fresh and not made in-​site. The quantities were so small it literally came down to on bite each — 4 tiny bite-​sized pieces per small plate.
The «Sangria» that was more like fruit punch had no bite to it and we tried both the red and the white. I can’t believe they normally go for $ 30+ there! What an insane ripoff. I have had kick-​ass Sangria for $ 18 – 25. Outside of the groupon we ordered 1 pitcher of sangria, two orders of mussels and two dessert which came up to $ 90 plus.
The décor of the place is luxurious. Beautiful chandeliers, exposed brick walls, sexy old world charm. We just kept shaking our heads over the unrealized potential. Gordon Ramsey needs to pay is place a visit — they need a menu makeover for sure!
Later on a DJ showed up. He played several throwbacks from the 90’s that had us grooving in our seats. But unfortunately he forgot that it was a lounge and it got so loud it was impossible to talk without screaming. We got up and sadly, ended up standing outside chatting in front of the bodega down the street LOL.
Here’s what they need:
1. Freshly made tapas made from scratch. No exceptions.
2. Real Sangria also freshly made at a lower price
3. Better and prompt service.
4. Music volume to match the lounge atmosphere.
5. Candlelit tables.
6. A live music night (or even a pre-​recorded playlist) featuring traditional Spanish guitar and traditional or lounge music of Spain. Other nights, salsa, and other Latin-​style music. (Check out Putumayo world music for a great mix —
)

Came here with a groupon. Slightly disappointed because the groupon said nothing about having to order only from a limited menu. And the food from the menu they gave us was not authentic at all. Taste was ok, nothing to write home about. I wouldn’t be recommending this place. Service was ok but the place was also completely empty at almost 9pm!

It took 13 mins to get a menu.
There were only 4 customers there.
Let’s sum this up:
Food — Horrible
Drinks — Horrible
Service — The Worst
I had end my meal with another meal at Carino a block down south 4^th. Thank god for Carino.

Let’s start this off by saying, I have never written a one star review.
Me and my husband went in on a Saturday at 8pm. There were only 2 people in the place that were not employees. The waiter greets me saying «hello, do you have a coupon?» when I said yes. He huffed and said that they do not accept them on Saturdays. It says nothing of the like on my living social voucher. I said that very calmly and took a look around.
Really? When your establishment has 2 people in it at prime dinner time on Saturday? Waiter– take a class in customer service. Maybe if you were mildly busy I would have come back another night to use my voucher.
He begrudgingly sat us after I pointed out that there was nobody in the place.
So on the very limited ‘special’ menu for people who have coupons, we ordered the croquettes and some pollo dish. I ordered the fashionista and my husband, St. Lucia for our cocktails. The drinks were great. The food tasted like it was bought in the freezer aisle at BJs and thrown into a deep fryer. The chipotle aioli= mayonnaise +chipotle in adobo sauce. Not very innovative.
The waiter asked us if we wanted anything else yet he did not give us any other menu after taking away the ‘special’ menu. He also made sure to remind us to tip on the non discounted price of our orders. Like I did not know that already.
Summary– horrible service, good cocktails, lackluster food.
Do not post your business on living social if you do not want people to use the voucher.

DON’T COME HERE. I never write reviews, ever… The service in this place made me feel like I have a responsibility to leave one — that’s how terrible it was.
A friend and I bought a Groupon for 10 tapas and a pitcher of sangría at this place for $ 45. We went to cash it in yesterday for dinner. At first, we were greeted by a server that insisted that no Groupons are accepted on Saturdays (despite the fact that I called in advance to make sure they were, and got told «yes, come whenever»). He then proceeded to huff and puff and make it as though we were a massive inconvenience and he’s doing us a favor by letting us have dinner there — even though the place was empty.
First on the sangría: I’m from Valencia, Spain, so I know pretty well what sangría is. This wasn’t it. Of an unnaturally bright red colour and with so much lime it was acidic rather than sweet, it was drinkable but artificial and NOT sangría. When the tapas finally got there (which took for ever), they were extremely mediocre and not much like Spanish cuisine at all (pizza? fried chicken strips? as tapas? what’s wrong with this picture). The croquettes were dry and cold. They were also out of one of our orders. The music was something like LOUD techno-​reggaeton — not exactly the best ambience for dinner, and it made it impossible to maintain a conversation.
Finally, when we asked for the check, we were required to pay tax on the FULL value of the meal, not the discounted one (which amounted to over $ 100). When we left a $ 50 bill and asked for change, our server looked, again, extremely annoyed, and asked «um. could you just tell me how much tip you’re gonna leave now, so that I can bring exact change?» When we insisted that we wanted to get all our change and then tip, he made a very obvious disgust face, sighed and stormed off with our bill. We left a $ 6 tip (for a $ 45 bill — and it should have been a LOT less based on the service, my friend was just too kind!), and the server came to pick it up while we were still sitting, grabbed it whilst standing directly next to our table, counted the bills in front of us, looked at us with raised eyebrows and asked «Six dollars? That’s ALL you’re leaving me?». I’m not even joking. Simply unacceptable, UNBELIEVABLY RUDE service, terrible food, no ambience. I can’t believe someone would come here WITHOUT a groupon. Unsurprisingly, on this particular Saturday night, next to no one did…

I went to this place for a March for Dimes Fundraiser. Its not a «First Date» or «Business Dinner» kind of place. This is an after work, actually after Happy Hour (when youre giddy) place. The décor was very cool! It did kind of remind me of where Vampires would hang out if they were trying to be mainstream. A very seductive ambience. (maybe it is good for a first date?!)
Ok the food is not dinner food. They have tapas. I had the Shrimp Ajillo & Croquettes. They both were good but the shrimp was a bit salty so i guess just ask them to hold the salt. LOL! Couldve been because I was chasing it with the Red Sangria. The Sangria is really good! They put red peppers in it which gives it a little kick but nothing that will leave a sting. The Croquettes were delicous too!
The staff was really nice. The Bartender was great! He was the one who recommended the Sangria, and since I went with about 6 other people, we got a few pitchers. The pitchers are reasonably priced… although i cant recall the exact amount. We went on a Thursday night around 8 pm and stayed till midnight. They had a live Salsa band. It got a little loud at this point but overall I enjoyed myself.
It is smack in the middle of nowhere. if youre not driving here or cabbing it, expect to hike from the train.

Great atmosphere. Amazing and unique appetizers and drinks. The craft beers are good too.

Hookah, good drink prices, good bartenders, good-​looking, friendly, and mature crowd. (and by mature I don’t mean «old», just well behaved) The place is small to medium sized, but has a cozy look and feel.
This place gets good at about 1AM.
Great for friends, I would NOT bring a date here, too noisy.

Listen folks, if you’re a New Yorker and you simply can’t buy a plane ticket to fly to Barcelona for the evening, JFK-​BCN-​JFK, you might as well just go to «Bar Celona» in Williamsburg for some damn good drinks. The décor is somewhere between a cross of Spain meets Russia meets United States meets Iran meets France… all inside a place with a hint of a speakeasy feel. Just a hint though… Here’s what transpired from a liquid calorie perspective:
+ La Fashionista. Cucumber vodka, elderflower liquer, lemon lavender foam, egg white. This drink was by far my favorite. Lightly sweet, smooth, frothy up top and refreshing on the bottom and the egg white merengue foam with lavender up top was divine. I had 2 of these.
+ Toasted Caipirinha. Traditional Caipirinha caramelized with brown sugar and fire. This drink was quite good and if you know what a traditional Caipirinha is and was very tasty! Go for it!
+ St Lucia. Chairmans reserve rum, yellow chartreuse mint, honey syrup, lime and pineapple juice. This drink wasn’t as good as the other 2 but it was still good. It was savory with a bit of sweet (from the pineapple juice) but it also gave you that bite on your tongue that pineapples give :). They honey syrup I don’t think did very much for the drink but I’m sure it provided a good foundation for the hint of sweetness.
The ambiance for this place is really cool and the black chandeliers are awesome! I was 1 of only 3 people at the bar last night (the place is quite large) and apparently Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays are the nights to come. It’s loungey till 12am on those nights at which point some local talent starts spinning records and it becomes CLUB Bar Celona.
THIS has been a review by Gaurav

The cocktails are amazing, and priced very affordably for what one would expect.
All the tapas are charming, tasty and a delight to the senses. The croquettes were underwhelming, but the dates ARE NOT TO BE MISSED. Anything on a tostone is a winner.
A great place to impress the pants off of out of town visitors, or a special date.

Came here for late night tapas. We tried everything on the menu and nothing was memorable enough. There were some dishes with sun dried tomatoes overkill. The yellow rice paella was better than the black, but both were too mushy and a little bit sour. The best thing was the shrimp al ajillo. Everything else was just ok. The Fashionista drink was delicious.
The owner told us that we’d have to leave right after our meal or have to buy bottle service. Such BS, we stayed until about 1AM and the place was empty and without people ordering bottle service.
If you are not from Williamsburg, it is really a trek to get here. It isn’t close to the train or bus. BOOO
The décor is like a night club, fancy and luxurious.

Bar Celona was an like an island oasis in the middle of the hipsterville. The place is beautiful– dark, sexy, and romantic with beautiful chairs, sexy lighting, and funky music.
The drink menu is creative and all the cocktails we had were delicious but my favorite was the El Toro. We ordered a few tapas including the Patatas Bravas, Shrimp Ajillo, Bombas, Paella Negra, and Croquettes – all of which were very enjoyable. I really enjoyed the squid ink flavor in paella negra and the shrimp ajillo and bombas were a big hit amongst out group. The prices are pretty reasonable even though the cocktails are served in very small glasses.
It was surprisingly quite in there especially for Fri. night but we enjoyed the quite especially after the Brewery. The service was very friendly and everything came out quickly. Overall a great find and a nice place to visit if you’re in the area.

This place was a lovely surprise. It was my first time here and as i walked around the neighborhood to find Bar Celona, I definitely didn’t expect what I found inside. This bar, the furniture, the lighting, and the bartenders give Bar Celona a very sexy vibe. I was here with friends but this is a perfect date setting.
I had my food at the bar and the bartenders Kelvin and Bruce were extremely helpful trying to make me happy with the perfect drink :) I shared a few tapas: Shrimp al Ajillo, shredded rib steak on tostones (greasy), and i forgot the name but i had some delicious crispy yellow bread topped with a tomato paste that was sooooo good i had it twice. Obviously don’t come here too hungry.
The bar was pretty empty when i was where and the owner was really friendly and introduced herself. If i lived closer to Bar Celona I would probably stop by often.

Relatively new, upscale-​ish lounge serving up a small menu of tapas. On a nondescript street in WIlliamsburg (typical of many of the establishments here), you enter a dark, elegant space with a long row of tables on one side, a smaller on the other next to a large, classic bar. The low tables and assorted seating fits the bar/​lounge atmosphere but works less comfortably for eating.
Alcohol cravings can be satisfied from an inventive cocktail menu or a nice selection of Spanish wines. Tried one cocktail (excellent), one Spanish red wine (second excellent), and sampled a third Spanish red wine (quite good).
The tapas menu is small but covers good territory with many classics of the tapas scene (garlic shrimp, piquillo peppers, assortment of hams or cheeses, potatoes, and albondigas). We tried the cheese assortment, bombas, paella, albondigas, and steak. Portions are tapas sized, small-​ish and perfect for sharing with 2. Quality of foods were generally good to high. My favorites were the cheese assortment and albondigas, although everything was good, and most had an elegant twist to the preparation or presentation.
The owner (Cynthia Diaz) and another hostess were welcoming, friendly, and interested in what we thought of the foods and alcohol. They also gave assistance with choosing our reds. I definitely appreciate their attentiveness, and felt from both a genuine love for the foods and drinks they offer. I enjoyed the experience and overall recommend Bar Celona as a great place to spend an evening relaxing with friends. There are plans for brunch in the near future too.