Barcino: Fave Wine Bar, Bar None

If you're tired of the usual bar beer-bump-and-grind scene or the annoyingly snotty vodka tonic groupies (watch out, that's just cossack!), try visiting Barcino for a change.

Gay people are known to be pioneers in a lot of things. I'm sure when Columbus wagered that he can sail to the other side of India from Europe, his motivation did not only include God, gold and glory. He also imagined G-strings. Men in G-strings. That's why when you're a yummy mestizo guy (The owner of Barcino is Spanish mestizo) opening up a relatively new concept, expect the gay guys to be in line outside your door on Day One.

Barcino, a Spanish wine bar, has been there for quite a while when we first visited it. It's located on the second floor or the City Golf Arcade, Julia Vargas Avenue, Pasig City. As you noticed, we love this place. This is the same place where you can grab a shawarma at Uncle Moe's or New York pizza at Brooklyn's or Halo-Halo at Razon's.

The ambiance is fit for an out-of-the-way bar. It looks like an air-conditioned, glamorized cellar. No, it actually IS one. There's a smoking and a non-smoking side with around five table setups each, each setup sitting two to ten people, depending on the configuration. Jake and I had our pre-anniversary drinks here. We shared a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon and boy were we smashed!

They serve Spanish dishes, from appetizers to main courses to desserts. The desserts are not to die for, so don't bother, except maybe if you're ordering dessert wine. The tapas are a bit pricey for the serving size but they taste great.

They have a good selection of Spanish wines and a sprinkling of old world and new world wines, but let's just say that Spanish wines are the main thing. Spain's not exactly well know for their wines but that doesn't mean they can't make good ones! The important thing is that you get really really smashed! After all, that's the objective of drinking and we achieved that in Barcino.

I forgot how we got home - I think we took a cab back - but I'm sure we didn't have sex that night! We didn't even have time to undress!