A much-loved tapas bar will be charging the same prices for cocktails and tapas as they did two decades ago as part of a special menu to celebrate its 20th anniversary. Bar 44, which has locations across Cardiff, Bristol, and Penarth, has announced the offer in celebration of its 20th birthday.
Run by siblings Owen Morgan, Natalie Isaac, and Tom Morgan, Bar 44 specialises in Spanish food and drink and first opened in Cowbridge in 2002. The Cowbridge restaurant is now closed, however, Bar 44 is part of the 44 Group which includes the Asador 44 restaurant in Cardiff, and the Parador 44 boutique hotel, also in Cardiff.
While the bar actually celebrated its 20th birthday in September of last year Natalie said that Bar 44 felt January would be a good time to launch the offer. "We thought that, in January, things are tight after Christmas and with the current cost of living crisis 2002 prices are a nice way to thank our customers for their support over the last 20 years."
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The offer runs from Wednesday to Friday for the whole of January across Bar 44's venues in Penarth, Cardiff, and Bristol on a menu of specials. The specials on the menu feature dishes and cocktails from Bar 44's original menu from when they first began 20 years ago.
"It's been 20 years of trading and we decided to save our celebrations for it until January," Natalie said. "We thought we'd get retro and go back to 2002 so we've chosen three dishes that will go on our specials [menu] that were on our original menu as well as some cocktails."
The siblings initially set up Bar 44 in their hometown after seeing a gap in the market for something more cosmopolitan. Looking to set up somewhere where food and drink went "hand in hand" they found tapas culture to be a perfect fit, Owen has previously said.
In September 2002 Bar 44 was born with the siblings setting up the venture in on the first floor of an old social club. "It's been challenging so we're happy to see [20 years]," Natalie said. "Sadly [the] Cowbridge [restaurant] was a Covid casualty because our lease ran out while we were closed [during the pandemic]. We had to let that go, sadly, but we're still going strong in Cardiff, Penarth, and Clifton."
After a decade Bar 44 was listed in the Good Food Guide as one of the best restaurants in Wales. In the same year, 2012, a second Bar 44 opened in Penarth followed by their Cardiff venue in 2015. Last year boutique hotel Parador 44 opened, which Natalie says is a "great addition to Cardiff."
"To celebrate Bar 44 turning 20 years old we are bringing back 44 Cowbridge classic tapas and cocktails at the prices we charged when opened two decades ago," a Facebook post read. "To mark our 20th anniversary (and because you keep asking) we will be bringing back classics like dates in bacon and lamb meatballs for the month of January.
"Every Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday in January you can enjoy tapas from £2.95 and cocktails from £3.95. We would like to thank our customers, friends, suppliers and 44 family for your support over the past 20 years. Please come in and see us over the next three weeks. Offer available in Penarth, Cardiff, and Bristol." Specials on the menu include albondigas, deep-fired manchego, and sangria.
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