Passeig de Gourmets joins the "tardeo" trend with Michelin-star tapas and sandwiches

The "tardeo" (afternoon outing) is in vogue. More and more entertainment venues are offering options for going out in the afternoon. A trend that Passeig de Gourmets, the festival that dresses Paseo de Gràcia in haute cuisine with Michelin-starred tapas and sandwiches, is also joining. In its eighth edition, which will be held from March 13 to 23, the festival will include experiences to enjoy the "tardeo" and musical dinners. Two new proposals that join the already traditional offer of gourmet tasting menus, the platillos route, and signature sandwiches.

In this edition of the festival, which adds to the activities organized to celebrate Catalonia's distinction as World Region of Gastronomy 2025, about twenty restaurants and hotels will participate. "One way to be happy is through the palate," defended Joan Gòdia, the general director of Agri-Food Companies, Quality and Gastronomy of the Generalitat, who highlighted the "richness and biodiversity of Catalonia, from Empordà to the Delta," which can be enjoyed during Passeig de Gourmets. Among the haute cuisine recipes offered by the festival are creations by renowned chefs such as Carme Ruscalleda or Martín Berasategui, who emphasized that Paseo de Gràcia is "the best promenade in the world" in terms of gastronomy, being one of the streets in the world with the most Michelin stars.

During the presentation of this eighth edition, the president of the Paseo de Gràcia Association, Luis Sans, celebrated that the gastronomic route has "an increasingly loyal, mostly local, public that enjoys haute cuisine proposals for all tastes and budgets." The festival was promoted by this association for the first time in 2018 to bring the culinary proposals offered by Paseo de Gràcia at a special price, and since then it has grown every year. In its previous edition, up to 14,000 "platillos" and 2,500 tasting menus were sold.

The incorporation of the "tardeo" experience will be the main novelty of this edition. Five restaurants will offer a sharing menu for 45 euros that includes a dish and a signature sandwich, accompanied by olives, potato chips, and two drinks to enjoy high cuisine at all hours of the day, even in the afternoon. Visitors will be able to taste innovative proposals such as a Galician beef sirloin sandwich with sardine cream, a Galician blonde beef burger with foie, or a pumpkin ravioli with Borredà cheese and vegetable demi-glace.

The other great novelty of this edition will be the musical dinners, during which the most sophisticated dishes of the edition will be enlivened with jazz notes, classical music, or DJ sessions to savor high cuisine with all senses. Three restaurants, Hotel Casa Fuster, Mr. Porter, and Monument Hotel, will offer tasting menus with prices around 80 euros.

Passeig de Gourmets also reinforces the signature sandwich format, with variable prices between 14 and 20 euros. "A proposal that demystifies that fast food cannot be gourmet, because between bread and bread you can also offer pure gastronomy," said Carme Ruscalleda. In total, the festival will offer up to ten proposals to enjoy high cuisine in the fastest and most accessible way, including an Iberian pork loin sandwich, a charcoal-grilled octopus roll, or an Iberian cheek brioche, which also offer a gluten-free bread option.

The already traditional "platillos" route will include for 10 euros up to 11 culinary proposals to quickly enjoy high gastronomy. Creative tapas such as the ceviche-style red shrimp croquette, a terrine of beef cheeks on puff pastry butter bread, or meatballs with stewed baby octopus and potato mille-feuille.

For those looking to enjoy a more extensive offer, the gastronomic route also offers the option of gourmet menus, priced at 55 euros, to savor creations by renowned chefs in unique spaces in Barcelona, high-cuisine proposals "with a very distinct gastronomic discourse, created specifically for the festival," Ruscalleda pointed out. Restaurants such as Sintonia or Solomillo and hotels such as Claris Hotel or Majestic Hotel will offer these menus, which also include the option of cava pairing for 70 euros.

For dessert lovers, the festival also offers the option of enjoying the most select pastries to finish this high-gastronomy route with a good taste in the mouth. From the classic tiramisu or lemon sponge cake, to innovative desserts such as the Waldorf salad dessert or a speculoos eclair with raspberry crumble topping. In addition, the festival will also be complemented with showcooking events to observe firsthand how a professional chef cooks or cocktail classes.