CLOSED – Bar Central is a coffee shop with its own oasis. Across from Dos Palillos and accessed through Llibreria La Central. There are two indoor rooms, one painted a Tiffany’s hue of turquoise, other parts beige. A monastic quality emanates from it all. Perhaps it’s the ghost of the priest whose house this once was.
“It’s all owned by the church. There is this, the priest’s house. There is a school, an orphanage, a nunnery – the property goes all the way to the MACBA.” Ana Bleier the manager and partner at Bar Central tells me. (The church eh? You can count on them to have the best real estate portfolio of them all.)
Ana has a deep husky voice that belies her slim form. She is trailed everywhere by a French bulldog with wacky eyes that look out to the side. Ana used to work for Stefano, one of the Xemei’s – spending time at Xemei, Bar Brutal and helping with the pop up of King Kong Lady at Casa Bonay. When she decided to move on, Stefano made her an offer she couldn’t’ refuse: partner at Bar Central alongside Satan’s owner Marcos. You couldn’t partner up three better people. Between them, they have the experience, connections, a roster of successful ventures and are known for inventing rather than following trends.
Bar Central has been two years in the making. They seem to have taken a page out of the book of Espai Joliu and besides the trees and shrubs that already existed at the location, they have brought in Estudio Sauvage to fill every last corner with green things. Estudio Sauvage is known for some of the more original floral arrangements around town. Add to this a healthy congregation of parrots squawking and fat healthy wood pigeons and it feels like you have stumbled onto a paradisial oasis that serves great coffee and a bikini sandwich that is best shared.
Bar Central
C/ Elisabets, 6.
instagram.com/barcentral.barcelona
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