I came to pay reverence to one of Barcelona’s oldest standing tapas bars, Cervecería El Vaso de Oro complete with epaulette-adorned waiters, a bit of a rarity these days. This iconic spot, established in 1962 by Gabriel and Glòria Fort, is tucked away on Calle de Balboa, 6, in the Barceloneta district. The tapered, caramel-tinged, cruise-ship-style venue takes some navigating, especially around the sherry-sipping crowd of loyal tapas devotees. The unspoken rule? Holler at the veteran waiters for what you want. Star draws include the grilled tuna, sirloin with foie, padrón peppers, and whatever the sea delivers that day.If sherry isn’t your thing, nurse a house-brewed beer alongside your gluttony – you can’t get more local than that. This beer is a homage to the Fort family, who still own and run the bar. It’s poured with finesse, as if it takes years to master. The whole place is a cultural icon
Spicy tuna (€4.70) arrives in a small oval dish, piled high with a halved boiled egg, crisp fried bread triangles, and picos de pan for scooping. It’s effortlessly brazen – and all the better for it.
Spritely boquerones (€4.70) is lightly pickled whitebait, halved and fanned out to expose all the glorious pearly white flesh. Then it gets a sprinkle of paprika, a dozen or so olives, and a dressing of olive oil — it’s a slap of sultry simplicity.
Chorizo Jambugo (€4) has a satisfying crunch, and the paprika-boosted fat pops beneath the teeth before everything dissolves on your tongue. They’re some of the best I’ve had.
Smoked salmon (€8.40), with just the right balance of smoke and salt, came as four slabs of glistening, sunrise-coloured fish, with ribbons of luscious white fat running through them. If you want crunch, place them on top of the crispy bread they come with.
Padron peppers €4.20 come blistered with a sheen of olive oil and crunchy salt, as they should.
Croquetas (€4.20) are crispy-coated anonymous animal anatomy; what they lack in looks, they make up for in vivid flavour that kept me going back for more.
The real head-turner was the grilled tuna (€15.50) – a meaty chunk of fish, gorgeously caramelised on both sides from the intense heat of the plancha. They judge it just right, so the centre remains perfectly ruby-red. It glistens with olive oil and is dusted with sea salt crystals that arrive looking like rough-cut diamonds. There was also the unmistakable glisten of saliva on my lips. It comes with a good-sized, skinless tomato, halved and scorched to release its juicy sweetness.
Verdict
When did I go? March 2019
The damage: Expect to pay €25/35 per head without booze
The good: Everything thing we had, we gorged on the whole lot hopelessly; the tuna, an absolute trophy of a dish stole the show. El Vaso Oro party trick is delivering humble, yet compelling food.
The bad: There is nothing to whince over.
Rating: 4/5
Would I go again? It will be given mandatory visits when I come back
Address: Carrer de Balboa, 6, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
Web: https://el-vaso-de-oro.res-menu.com
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