Eleven years after opening, Bar Raval remains one of the city’s best destinations for sipping away an afternoon (the $8 daytime cava helps). But while 11 translates to centuries in bar years, owner Grant van Gameren isn’t resting on his laurels. Bar Raval kicked off 2026 by welcoming back Zach Smith (who left during the pandemic and went on to open Fat Rabbit and Les Incompetents) to refresh the kitchen. In comes house-cured jamón and Canadian-by-way-of-Catalonia tapas and pintxos, like ahi tuna tartare with salmorejo, shaved tuna heart and sherry mayo. Favourite bites — like the savoury “kitchen bread” — remain. Likewise the sinuous Gaudí-ish mahogany bar and communal oak-barrel tables, where guests dig into Smith’s late-night Spanish snacks. A tight modern cocktail program and the deep selection of vermouth, sherry and amaro have become stronger and better under the supervision of bar manager Bex Figueiredo. Case in point: the May December, an unctuous blend of Johnnie Walker, Lagavulin 16, pear-ginger shrub, sherry and coconut water. A further selection of gussied-up classics, like a market-price Sazerac and an olive-washed vodka Vesper, anchors the drinks program.