Carme Ruscalleda at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. Nandu Jubany at the Majestic. And Martín Berasategui at the Monument Hotel. These are some of the names and spaces that will light up their kitchen stoves and open the doors of their establishments so that lovers of high gastronomy in Barcelona can once again enjoy their dishes for ten days.
After postponing its last edition ---the third--- in March of last year due to the declaration of the state of alarm caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Passeig de Gourmets returns with force to be held from October 14 to 24 of this year. The festival, which was promoted by the Associació del Passeig de Gràcia for the first time in 2018, aims to introduce Barcelona residents to the culinary trends of Passeig de Gràcia at special prices. The recipe? A route of small dishes at 7 euros and tasting menus at 50 euros in 16 top-level restaurants. In the last two editions, more than 20,000 small dishes and 4,000 tasting menus have been sold.
Each participating restaurant freely chooses its offer. That is, it decides whether to offer a small dish ---a portion somewhat more generous than a tapa---, a tasting menu, or both. Most, explain the organizers, opt for the complete offer. The proposals of the participating restaurants can be consulted here. For lovers of tasting menus, a warning: reservations will be required. For the small dishes, first come, first served. Both options include a drink ---Estrella Damm or Cava Juvé & Camps--- and, for 15 euros more, you can enjoy a more complete pairing experience with D.O. Cava.
Also returning are the Nits a 4 mans (Nights of 4 hands), experiences where the chefs of the promenade invite other friends from the profession and cook together. On October 14, Martín Berasategui will cook with Xavier Goicoechea, at Oria in the Monumental Hotel. On October 20, Nandu Jubany and Fina Puigdevall will be at Solc, in the Majestic. And on October 21, Sergio Ruiz and Rodrigo de la Calle will take charge of the stoves at Almanac.
The Catalan capital has 31 Michelin stars, six of which are hidden behind the doors of restaurants on Passeig de Gràcia. During the Passeig de Gourmets celebration, some of these establishments, along with other entities related to the world of restoration, will organize a series of activities ---talks, workshops, contests--- to disseminate gastronomy and the characteristics of their cuisines and establishments. These are the so-called gourmet experiences.
Luis Sans, president of the Associació del Passeig de Gràcia, has defined this year's edition as follows: "This edition is very special because we know that the public is eagerly awaiting it. For our part, we only wish that Barcelona residents return to the restaurants on Passeig de Gràcia and make them their own."