First Look: Inside Santa Cruz's new Barceloneta restaurant

PUBLISHED: October 24, 2019 at 5:36 p.m. | UPDATED: October 31, 2019 at 11:44 a.m.

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We’ve been waiting five years for Barceloneta, the highly anticipated project from Elan and Brett Emerson of San Francisco’s now-shuttered Contigo, to open in Santa Cruz. Now the doors are finally open — and there’s not an empty seat in the house.

Here’s what we found on our first visit:

THE VIBE: Cheerful, candy-colored striped upholstery catches the eye, especially in contrast to the wide, unadorned white walls. Gold barware, globe lights, mirrors and flickering tea lights create a vibrant, glowing atmosphere. Playful touches, like the baby octopus salt shakers and fish-shaped water carafes, add whimsy.

THE FOOD: There are certainly classic Spanish items on the menu, including a silky gazpacho ($5/$9), Patatas Bravas ($9), Pan Con Tomate ($3), Pulpo ($17) and Tortilla De Patatas ($10). But those familiar dishes are upped in technique, seasonally driven and made with high-quality ingredients.

But there are also some playful, unexpected offerings, like the Ibiza Hippie Salad ($14) prepared tableside with freekeh, roasted yam, kale, preserved lemon and chickpeas in a carrot ginger vinaigrette.

And, of course, there is paella, three different kinds that showcase local, seasonal ingredients from the wild mushrooms in the Vegetable Paella ($32 for two people/$60 for four) to the romano and shelling beans in the chicken-based Paella Valenciana ($34/$64) .

Dessert offers three mix-and-match options, including churros ($5), Chocolate Caliente ($2/$5) and soft-serve vanilla ice cream ($4) with add fun add-ons like olive oil and salt ($2) or PX Sherry and Almonds ($6). Kids will like the fancy rainbow sprinkles ($1), classy, opalescent spheres that are far from the fake dyed bits in the grocery store aisle.

DON’T MISS: The awesome kids menu is attractive in both price point ($9) and offerings, such as pasta with one big Spanish meatball or chicken and rice, all accompanied with fruit (which arrives on a cute skewer), fried potatoes (excellent) and a drink (pomegranate soda!).

For the adults: Don’t miss the tapas dishes, like the Samfaina ($14), a Catalan ratatouille with an olive oil-fried egg on top, all sizzling in a mini paella pan. Grab a Vermut Plate ($9) with housemade potato chips, peppers, olives and boquerones to nibble alongside a glass of vermut, a Spanish vermouth.

THE DRINKS: In addition to wine and local and Spanish beer, Barceloneta offers a dozen cocktails ($11-$13), including two kinds of sangria, a Spanish style gin-tonic and some playful cocktail riffs. The Mallorca ($13) is made with run, falernum and passionfruit, and the Canary Islands ($13) with mezcal, Chartreuse and pineapple. Prefer non-alcoholic? The Horchata Valenciana ($5) with tigernut milk, lemon and cinnamon is tempting.

GOOD TO KNOW: This place is busy! Make reservations. If you want paella, order it first thing, as it takes about 30 minutes to prepare. And if you tend to have a big American thirst, these classic cocktail sizes and wine pours might feel petite.