Located in the upper side of El Sauzal, a charming town on the north coast of Tenerife where there is a deeply rooted winemaking tradition, La Barrica is not only spacious –a highly valued asset in these times of social distancing- but it also enjoys views over the Atlantic Ocean and the vineyards of Tacoronte Acentejo, one of the five appellations in the island.
At the helm of the restaurant is Javier Hernández, a local young man who returned to the island after a two-year stint in Puerto Rico to open a business with a focus on the islands' wines. “My intention was to open something small, that I could manage by myself and with a few bites to eat. But I realised that one thing calls for the other -if you don’t include food, wine is not profitable. We decided to serve food, just a few dishes, and patrons were demanding more and more. Eventually, I somehow ended with this restaurant,” says Javier with a big grin in his face. La Barrica opened in October 2018.
As soon as you set foot at La Barrica, the shelves full of bottles leave no room for doubt: this is a place where good wine is present. Placed in a privileged position are some of the most renowned producers in the archipelago, such as Suertes del Marqués or Envínate, but there is also space for younger projects, such as La Araucaria and L'Ambora in Tenerife, Puro Rofe and Vinícola Taro in Lanzarote, or Bimbache in El Hierro.
“I have a bit of everything, but we mostly focus on wine from the Canary Islands. They are made by growers who do not produce many bottles… That means we can rotate brands so our clients have the chance to try different wines, rather than always having the same ones”, says Javier.
The four-person team, including himself, are polite, relaxed, and easy-going but without being complacent. Precisely because of the high turnover of bottles, there is no wine list as such, but it is a pleasure to hear their recommendations and see how they share their knowledge with customers.
The restaurant has two different areas: the wine shop is indoor and feels more informal and provides access to a spacious dining room flooded with natural light overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. In addition to Canary Islands wines –the dominant option–, La Barrica also sells bottles from mainland Spain –when I visited, they had a wide selection of brands from across the country ranging from Camino de la Frontera by Daterra Viticultores, to El Sequé from Alicante–. Clients will also find international wines, but Javier says: “our strength is not foreign wine. I believe that we should go beyond the local to offer cuvées which aren't made on the islands or the mainland".
The cuisine is uncomplicated and follows two styles: a traditional one, with local recipes, and a more innovative one, which is evident in the dishes offered outside the menu and which vary depending on which of the two chefs is on the stove that day. I tasted shrimp carpaccio, a delicious seafood rice, mackerel cooked at low temperature with asparagus and carrots and, for dessert, a delicious rice with citrus notes, possibly a nod to the Valencian roots of one of the chefs, Rubén. Carnivores are well catered for and they will feel at home when they see the meat cuts on display at the entrance - and that nearby diners were praising-. Prices are moderate and the quality is very good.
Javier reports an increasing number of people coming to La Barrica to buy a bottle of wine, perhaps for a gift or a special occasion. "They run away from the run of the mill bottles that are easily found in supermarkets," says Javier, who also hosts regular tastings, often attended by winemakers, which they usually advertise on social media. M.R.G.
