Montcada 2 remains one of the most enjoyable rooms in the Born, and we want to be clear that the food is a large part of why. The kitchen runs without a break and turns out Catalan bar cooking with more finesse than the format demands: pork trotters with foie, baby squid with pork belly, beef cheek braised into submission, a beef tartare that arrives with actual seasoning, croquetas worth the calories. It is tight, loud, and built for ordering one more thing. But a year on, the central contradiction is unresolved. This is a bar that wears its wine attitude on its merchandise — the anti-sangria slogan is practically a mission statement — and then pours by-the-glass options that taste surprisingly industrial for a list a hundred-plus references deep and heavy on natural and biodynamic bottles. The good wine is in the building; you simply have to work to get at it, and pay for the privilege once you do. That is a strange way to treat a customer who came in agreeing with you. Order the food without hesitation. Order the wine by the bottle, and read the list yourself.
Address · Carrer de Montcada, 2, Barcelona 08003 Type · Wine Bar District · Ciutat VellaBudget · 40€/pax
The 2025 Review
“Fuck Sangria” on the shirt, industrial by the glass
Bar del Pla sells a Barcelona-bohemian fantasy really well: tight room, high energy, tapas built to share, and a vibe that says “locals know” even when half the tables are speaking in airport English. The cooking is reliable—classic bar plates with enough finesse to keep you ordering—so it’s easy to have a good night here.
But the wine story is where the contradiction hits. The merch and messaging throw punches at sangria and wave the natural-wine flag, yet by-the-glass you can run into a lineup that feels surprisingly industrial. It’s not that you can’t drink well—you can—but you have to work for it, and the attitude doesn’t always match what’s actually being poured.
Prices are on the higher side, though you can almost see the logic: the place is calibrated for an international crowd that’s happy to pay for the atmosphere. Just don’t confuse the slogan with a guarantee.
