Passeig de Gourmets kicks off: ten days to eat your way through Passeig de Gràcia

The gastronomic festival Passeig de Gourmets kicks off this Thursday its sixth edition, which will run until March 19. The popular route of dishes showcases a wide range of tasting menus that can be accompanied by a wide selection of cavas, Estrella Damm beer, and Royal Bliss soft drinks. In total, over ten days, 21 restaurants participate in the various scheduled activities, from the classic dish route to gourmet menus, themed dinners, and, for the first time this year, signature sandwiches.

Lluís Sans, president of the Passeig de Gràcia Association, highlights that "all editions have had great public support," for which they are "immensely grateful." However ---he states---, that this year Passeig de Gourmets "has a special air, we are very eager to experience these days and we have worked to make our Paseo de Gràcia shine like never before, so that everyone comes to enjoy our gastronomic festival." For her part, Carme Ruscalleda, godmother of the edition, adds that "Passeig de Gourmets is a celebration for everyone, to enjoy what we like most and make this gathering a moment to share with family and friends."

The Gourmet Menus, the most complete proposal of the gastronomic festival, arrives this year at 10 restaurants, with seasonal dishes and very different culinary styles. Through a prior reservation, lovers of the best gastronomy can choose between a 55-euro menu, with a glass of cava or beer, or the complete menu, of 70 euros, which includes an exclusive pairing with sparkling wines from the DO Cava.

"Cava is the universal ally of high gastronomy, at any time and occasion, from an aperitif to a first-class culinary journey," highlights Javier Pagés, president of the Cava Regulatory Council. Pagés adds that "there is no wine in the world with greater gastronomic versatility than cava and, for this reason, it is one of the protagonists of successful initiatives such as the Passeig de Gourmets, which has grown every year, reaching 2,500 menus sold in the last edition, a figure that is expected to be surpassed."

This year, the activities of the dish route, gourmet menus, themed dinners, and gastronomic experiences are joined for the first time by signature sandwiches, with prices between 9 and 19 euros. Highlights include Martín Berasategui's proposal (Monument Hotel), the Bokata Martintxo, or the smoked Calaf sausage sandwich with Puigpedrós cheese and escalivada, from the Lomobajo restaurant. The Solomillo restaurant and the Alma, Claris, and The One Barcelona hotels have also signed up for the sandwiches.

In addition to the signature sandwiches, the dishes that are part of the route can be enjoyed for 10 euros, with a glass of cava or Estrella Damm beer included. In total, there are twelve restaurants that make up this route and invite you to grab a map and trace a gastronomic itinerary among unique buildings, shops, and the best restaurants and hotels in the heart of the Catalan capital. Some of the dishes that can be tasted this year are the modernist fricandó (Hotel Casa Fuster), the small pot of pochas with cabbage and black sausage (Santa Eulàlia), the Russian salad cannelloni with red coastal prawn tartare (The One Barcelona), the Foie and escalivada eggplant Royal (Mandarin Hotel) or the capipota stewed by the Virens restaurant of the Hotel Almanac. It is recommended to check the opening hours of each establishment on the Passeig de Gourmets website. The festival also offers four themed dinners, events that only take place one night, with prices ranging from 55 euros to 290 euros. The Hotel Majestic kicks off this Thursday with a truffle tasting menu, and you can also enjoy a dinner inspired by 80s music at the Sintonia restaurant; a journey between sirloin meat and truffle at Solomillo; and Els dînners de Gala, a dinner inspired by Dalí's universe paired with wines from the Perelada winery at the Moments restaurant of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, led by chef Raül Balam.

And, for those with more cooking skills, this edition also offers the possibility of participating in unprecedented activities to learn how to prepare a delicious steak tartare or delve into the world of sakes, homemade kombucha, or mixology.

Passeig de Gourmets reminds that Passeig de Gràcia is the street with the most Michelin stars in Spain, as it has 7: one at Aleia restaurant (Hotel Casa Fuster), one at Oria (Monument Hotel), two at Moments (Mandarin Oriental) and three at Lasarte (Monument Hotel). This year, the festival is also part of the celebrations for the 200th anniversary of Barcelona's emblematic commercial and luxury artery.