A new wine and tapas bar pouring nothing but Spanish and Portuguese bottles is set to open Thursday in Fort Greene. Ibérico lands at 258 DeKalb Avenue, bringing a curated cellar and a tapas selection featuring pan con tomate and Portuguese pastries to a stretch of Brooklyn already home to its sister restaurant.
According to diningout.com, the bar opens this Thursday, November 5, with a wine list the outlet describes as exclusively Portuguese and Spanish, alongside a selection of vermouths from around the world. Wine director Tamy Rofe told her Substack newsletter that the list is intentionally tight: “The list is small (fifty cuvees total including things by the glass),” she wrote, in a post titled Thoughts on Fear & Joy.
Ibérico is a collaboration between Rofe and chef Felipe Donnelly, the couple also behind the nearby Latin American restaurant Colonia Verde, per the seed report from WhatNow. Joining them as an operating partner is Viridiana Escamilla, who SWURL Media describes as Colonia Verde's current general manager and a partner in that restaurant. “Escamilla, Colonia Verde's current general manager and a partner in the restaurant, will join Rofe as an operating partner,” a SWURL Media Threads post reported.
A Menu Rooted in Two Countries
Donnelly is developing Ibérico's menu, which WhatNow says draws on the food and drinking traditions of Spain and Portugal, aiming to combine a traditional Spanish neighborhood bar atmosphere with Fort Greene's more relaxed character. Diningout.com reports the small plates include pan con tomate, boquerones, and tortilla española de Betanzos. The menu also features rissóis de leitão, described as Portuguese pastries filled with shredded roast pork.
On the drinks side, WhatNow reports the menu will include sherry, classic-inspired cocktails, and vermouth from different parts of the world. Rofe has said the project draws directly on her own history abroad. “The project will draw on Rofe's years living in Portugal and her relationships with winemakers across the region,” SWURL Media reported, a connection Rofe echoed in her own newsletter post reflecting on building the list.
Design, Location, and Opening Details
WhatNow reports that cocktail development and vermouth selection for Ibérico were handled by Alatz Ortega, while Camila Forero oversaw the design and build-out of the space. Lighting came from John Sorensen-Jolink of Coil & Drift, and Polonsky & Friends created the bar's visual identity, according to the same report. A separate local account from Clinton & Greene notes that the wine bar is taking over the former Dosa Royale space on DeKalb Avenue. A Threads post from @swurl.media placed the new spot at the corner of DeKalb and Vanderbilt avenues, with Rofe and Escamilla named as the duo opening it.
During its opening stretch, diningout.com reports that Ibérico will be walk-ins only, so there's no reservation line to beat on night one. WhatNow describes the space as designed to function as a neighborhood bar for wine, cocktails, and small plates rather than a formal dining destination, pairing Spanish and Portuguese wines with its tapas-style menu throughout the week.
