Tapas are usually associated with an informal, quick, and unceremonious experience. A bite that accompanies a quick drink at the bar of any establishment, shared among friends before a meal, or even allowing one to enjoy a meal that takes us back to our origins. In Barcelona, however, these days tapas take on a completely different meaning. From November 5 to 15, it becomes the key that allows access to some of the city's most exclusive hotels. There's no need to book a room, be a guest, or incur the cost of a high-end gastronomic experience. It's enough to visit one of the twelve participating establishments in Hotel Tapa Tour and order one of their small-format creations.
The proposal thus allows entry into five-star hotels, exploring their gastronomic spaces and sitting in restaurants, bars, gardens, or terraces that often remain outside the usual circuit for Barcelonians themselves. And to do so, moreover, through an experience that preserves the informal and affordable spirit of tapas, with prices ranging between 8 and 15 euros, depending on the establishment.
This is precisely the philosophy that Hotel Tapa Tour has championed for over a decade. Driven by Aragonese entrepreneur Nona Rubio, the festival was born in 2016 with a pioneering idea: to turn tapas, traditionally linked to bars and taverns, into a gateway to the gastronomy of large hotels. Ten years later, the initiative has consolidated itself as a showcase for hotel cuisine and a way to reclaim these establishments as spaces open to the city.
Because, although luxury hotels are part of the urban landscape, their restaurants and terraces are not always among the places that citizens incorporate into their gastronomic plans. Hotel Tapa Tour proposes to change this perception: to discover them without needing to stay in them and, moreover, without price being a barrier. For eleven days, twelve hotels will open their doors with exclusive proposals conceived for the festival. Each establishment will present between two and four elaborations that translate the personality of their kitchens into tapa format.
The experience is structured into four categories: the National Tapa, inspired by Spanish gastronomy and accompanied by D.O. Ribera del Duero wines; the Fusion Tapa, which explores international influences and is harmonized with D.O. Cava Superior Reserve cavas; the Signature Croquette, served with Damm or Free Damm beer; and the Sweet Tapa, which comes with a cocktail, with or without alcohol.
BLESS Barcelona: discovering luxury from Plaça Catalunya
The first stop on this route through some of the tapas that can be tasted during the festival begins in the heart of the city: Plaça Catalunya. At number 10 of the square is BLESS Barcelona, one of the great novelties on the luxury hotel map of the Catalan capital. Its opening marks the arrival of the Bless Collection Hotels brand in the city and makes it the first five-star hotel located in this emblematic square.
The establishment occupies a building with a long history, which has housed different businesses and institutions over the decades: from the old Hotel Colón to the headquarters of Banesto and the PSUC, passing through its most recent stage as Iberostar Selection Paseo de Gràcia, with one of the most coveted terraces in the center. The reopening of this space thus allows discovering a building closely linked to the recent history of Barcelona. And doing it even better with a tapa. For the occasion, chef Borja Hontoria proposes two tapas that offer a glimpse into the personality of his cuisine. The National Tapa consists of an artichoke cocotte in ham green sauce and Iberian veil. The Fusion Tapa, for its part, opts for oxtail arancini with pecorino cheese. Both proposals are priced at 12 euros, and can be enjoyed without reservation, from Monday to Sunday, from 13:00 to 23:00.
Hotel Club 29: a door to 1920s Barcelona
From Plaza Catalunya, the route continues along Passeig de Gràcia. After a few minutes on foot, we arrive at number 29, where Hotel Club 29 is located, another of the recent additions to Barcelona's five-star hotel map. The establishment takes its name from the address it occupies and the year that inspires its aesthetic universe: 1929. Through the restoration of a historic building, Hidden Hotels proposes a journey to that cosmopolitan Barcelona of the late twenties, marked by the architecture, design, and lifestyle of the bourgeoisie.
Chef Pau Gascó signs the hotel's proposals for the festival. Among them, "Caviar de la tierra" stands out, a National Tapa that reinterprets traditional consommé clarified with truffle caviar. The second proposal, "Pato & Maíz" (Duck & Corn), takes the format of the Latin American arepa to a dish with Peking-style lacquered duck. The first is priced at 15 euros and the second at 12, both with a drink included. Here too, they can be ordered individually and without reservation, from Monday to Sunday, between 12 PM and 11:30 PM.
Mandarin Oriental, Barcelona: a stop in front of modernist Barcelona
Just a few steps further, continuing along Passeig de Gràcia, another of Barcelona's most recognizable luxury addresses appears: Mandarin Oriental, Barcelona. Located opposite Casa Batlló, the hotel occupies a privileged position. Since its opening, it has also become one of the benchmark accommodations for international visitors and personalities passing through the Catalan capital.
Its proposal for Hotel Tapa Tour allows visitors to approach its gastronomic universe without needing to sit at a table in one of its restaurants. The National Tapa is a potato omelet with caviar, offered for 12 euros. The Fusion Tapa looks towards international cuisine with a duck katsu sando with pear aioli, for 14 euros. The selection is completed by an Iberian acorn-fed ham and escudella croquette, available for 12 euros. All three proposals are served without reservation, from Sunday to Friday, from 1 PM to 6 PM.
Palace Barcelona: a legend of Barcelona hospitality
To continue the tour, you have to leave Passeig de Gràcia behind and go down towards Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes. A few minutes' walk away is El Palace Barcelona, a hotel that has been part of the city's social and hotel memory since it opened its doors in 1919. Its architecture and interiors evoke the tradition of the great European hotels, those conceived not only as places to stay, but also as meeting places for cultural and social life.
For Hotel Tapa Tour, chef Jordi Ferruz presents three proposals: The National Tapa is a beef cheek cube with sweet potato and vanilla puree. The Fusion Tapa opts for a grilled oyster with chimichurri. The Signature Croquette, for its part, revives a classic with a free-range chicken and seasonal mushroom croquette. The three proposals are priced at 12 euros, including a drink, and are available from 12:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Cotton House: a history linked to the Catalan textile industry
Practically next to El Palace, at number 670 Gran Via, is Cotton House Hotel. The building that today houses the establishment is closely linked to one of the sectors that marked the economic development of Catalonia: the cotton industry. The former headquarters of the Agrupació Industrial Tèxtil de Fabricants de Cotó and the Fundació Tèxtil Algodonera was conceived as a reference center for an activity that for generations had a decisive weight in the Catalan economy. Its transformation into a hotel has preserved part of that past and integrated it into a proposal that combines heritage, design and hospitality.
For this edition, chef Francisco Novoa presents four elaborations that cover different culinary registers. The National Tapa is a wild boar cannelloni, while the Fusion Tapa proposes a crispy cheek gyoza with takoyaki sauce. Added to these is a Catalan-style roasted chicken croquette. The prices are 15 euros for each of the first two proposals and 8 euros for the croquette, always with a drink included. The experience can be concluded with the Sweet Tapa, Strawberry and vanilla, an elaboration that brings together strawberry ganache, white chocolate and vanilla cream, vanilla sponge cake and strawberry ice cream. It is served with a cocktail or mocktail and is priced at 15 euros.
Torre Melina: a last stop with views of Barcelona
The last stop requires moving away from the center and traveling to Diagonal Avenue, in the Les Corts area. There you will find Torre Melina Gran Meliá, a hotel that offers a different experience from the previous establishments: with a wider and quieter environment. The Hotel Tapa Tour visit also allows you to discover three dining options under one roof: Grand Café, ERRE, and Entre Cielos, each with its own personality.
Chefs Enrique Santamaria, Pere Nacarino, and Bruno Peixoto are behind the creations at this stop. The Tapa Nacional is a Hare Bonbon: a chocolate bonbon filled with hare liver parfait, accompanied by toasted pine nuts, orange and rosemary sablé, and a game consommé with amontillado. The Tapa Fusión offers a sea bass ravioli marinated in ginger and kaffir lime, wrapped in Iberian pancetta and served with miso juice and crispy seaweed. Both tapas cost 15 euros, drink included.
To finish, the Tapa Dulce combines porcini mushroom mousse, 70% chocolate, toasted pine nuts, pine sponge cake, and basil. It is served with a mocktail and allows you to put the finishing touch to the tour while enjoying the views of Barcelona.
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