Page 112 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL FALL 2024 SPAIN

Restaurante Bar Oliver

We had walked by Restaurante Bar
Oliver several times without knowing it
was one of Bourdain’s tapas destinations.
It is one of many restaurants in the his-
toric Cathedral area with a small dining
room and bar and a shaded terrace for
outdoor seating. Some are tourist traps,
but we couldn't help but notice that Bar
Oliver was almost always packed with as
many locals as visitors – a sure sign of an
authentic dining experience.
The century-old family restaurant is
well-known for its authentic tapas and
delicious Andalusian cuisine, including
rice, seafood, and meat dishes. We or-
dered a couple of glasses of fruity
Verdejo white wine that arrived with a
dish of green olives, an always welcome
tapas but not comparable to the bowl of
steamed clams Bourdain savored with his
wine.
Our delightful server, we discovered,
was the daughter of the owner, José En-
rique Oliver. She runs the restaurant by
day and her father takes over at night.
When we mentioned Bourdain, she noted
they get customers from around the
world following in his footsteps. She
didn't meet him but said her father had
his picture taken with the great chef dur-
ing his Granada tapas crawl.
Bourdain's tapa put us in the mood for
clams, so we ordered the artichoke hearts
and clams - a satisfying starter that was
followed by grilled veal. It was surpris-
ingly large–cooked, with a perfect tender
and juicy pink interior. We took half of it
home.

112 WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE FALL 2024