Spain Wine Bar

Diners entering the bayfront Cambria Hotel Ocean City should be prepared for what awaits on the eighth floor at Spain Wine Bar. Once inside the hotel rooftop restaurant, you’re no longer in a Maryland beach town buzzing with families strolling the boardwalk, buckets of Thrasher’s fries in tow. The restaurant’s textured plaster, Spanish tiles, and exposed brick—deliberately uneven in spots—transport guests to a centuries-old taverna in Madrid, Seville, or Barcelona.

“Being authentic and original in the design was a big deal for us,” says Spain Wine Bar owner and founder Peter Elias.

The restaurant favorably executes many of the classic tapas dishes—Spanish jamon, paella, gambas al ajillo, and patatas bravas—but excels in the small plates unique to its kitchen, such as the roasted cauliflower with goat cheese crumbles and crispy chickpeas.

“We do twists and have fun” with the dishes, Elias says. Pescatarians and vegetarians will easily identify the food they want since the tapas menu is sorted into three columns: vegetables, seafood, and meat.

Elias and sommelier Cyle Walker have put just as much thought into their 110-bottle wine list, most of which hails from Spain, Argentina, and Chile, with a smattering of selections from California and France. They’ll triple the selection this coming fall with the opening of a temperature-controlled storage room and dedicated wine room for tastings and intimate food and drink experiences.

Located at the entrance, the wine room is one of the many distinct spaces within the 360-seat restaurant. Guests can now sit in a cozy nook with ocean views or in one of the indoor-outdoor spaces that open up during the warmer months, offering vistas of the ocean, bay, and Assateague Island. Or grab a two-seater next to the semicircular bar, the heartbeat of the restaurant, humming with energy from guests and reggaeton music from the speakers.

Earlier in the day, the restaurant plays easy-listening music and, after dark, Spanish and international dance tunes, Elias explains. “The same way we took so much energy with the build-out to make it authentic, we also want to have a Spanish energy. And that’s why music is such a big part of what we do.”

But how did Elias choose to open a wine-centric tapas concept in a town known for seafood and funnel cakes? He says that the bustling rhythm of Spanish cities matches that of Ocean City, teeming with boats, bars, and visitors during busier months. And: There are the sunsets. In Spain and other Mediterranean countries, locals, with wine in hand, catch the brilliant bursts of orange and red as the sun goes down—not unlike Ocean City, where diners flock to waterside tables at their favorite restaurants at this opportune moment.

“I noticed that sunset was a big deal in Ocean City,” Elias says. “We have a beautiful sunset, and we have water on either side of us, and so the sunset drove me to do the wine bar.”

Expect more ambitious projects from Elias World Hospitality. Sand & Cedar Taverna, serving Lebanese, Greek, and Moroccan mezze, will soon debut with a charcoal grill and wood-burning bread oven in neighboring Ocean Pines. A second Ocean City eatery, French fine dining Bistro Cotiere, will feature aged steaks and fresh seafood on ice this fall. The massive 750-seat space will include a courtyard, live entertainment, and an attached speakeasy, allowing Elias to use his years of experience running nightclubs in New York.

“One of the reasons I’m even doing these concepts is because people have been so appreciative of Spain,” Elias says. “I’m a fan of Ocean City. So we want to do these awesome concepts for them.”

What to Order at Spain Wine Bar

• Crispy brussels sprouts topped with lemony yogurt and pickled onions
• Gambas al ajillo: Shrimp sizzling in olive oil, garlic and chiles
• Grilled swordfish kabob with salsa verde served atop romesco

Drive Time to Spain Wine Bar

• 3 hours from Washington, DC
• 2.5 hours from Baltimore
• 2.5 hours from Philadelphia