BARCELONA, Spain--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Barcelona has launched an international campaign to position the city as a global gastronomic destination of excellence. The initiative coincides with the Michelin Gala, one of the most prominent events in the culinary world. This year, it will be held in Barcelona to unveil the new Michelin stars for the 2024 guide. The prestigious Michelin Guide promoters have recognised Barcelona for the excellence and innovation of its gastronomy offering, valuing entrepreneurial spirit, as well as the City’s chefs’ respect for tradition by utilising local products when cooking cosmopolitan and fusion cuisines.
The Michelin Gala transcends culinary borders and positions Barcelona as a hub for haute cuisine and gastronomic innovation. The event brings together the brightest chefs and most prestigious restaurants worldwide, and is an exceptional opportunity to showcase the culinary excellence and gastronomic revolution of the city.
Barcelona presents itself as the perfect place to visit and encourages tourists to savour its cuisine. The city is renowned not only for its history and architecture but also for its rich heritage and diversity. Barcelona Tourism Observatory has found that gastronomy is a top priority for travellers, along with shopping and cultural activities. Over 90% of travellers go to restaurants to taste the local cuisine of the destination, allocating nearly 50% of their spending to gastronomy. Whereas, ‘foodie’ visitors spend 24% more than those that have just come to visit Barcelona.
According to a study by the Barcelona Tourism Observatory, of 10,114 people, Barcelona's gastronomic tourists are motivated by tasting the city's cuisine and engaging in gastronomy-related activities during their stay. This type of visitor spends €140 or more per person per day on food than the average tourist, who spends €68 per day in the city, when gastronomy is not their main incentive. Moreover, 60% of these visitors prefer traditional and homemade cuisine when travelling.
Barcelona Tourism Observatory, study of 10,114 people Barcelona's gastronomic tourists are motivated by tasting the city's cuisine and engaging in gastronomy-related activities during their stay. This type of visitor spends €140 per person per day on food than the average tourist, who spends €68 per day in the city, when gastronomy is not their main incentive. Moreover, 60% of these visitors prefer traditional and homemade cuisine when travelling.
When it comes to accommodation, 8 out of 10 gastronomic tourists stay in hotels, compared to 6 out of 10 who travel without food being their main incentive.
One of the objectives of the Michelin Gala is to promote the city as a benchmark for excellence in dining and gastronomy, is one of its main attributes.
Beyond its iconic monuments, Barcelona seeks to highlight its commitment to haute cuisine and the high-quality, locally sourced culinary offerings it has provided to visitors for over 20 years. This gastronomic revolution combines innovation and creativity with tradition, emphasising the increasing focus on consuming local products. This event will strengthen Barcelona's position as a leading destination in the culinary world, continuing to attract visitors eager for exceptional culinary experiences.
The Gastronomic Revolution and Barcelona’s Legacy
The Michelin Gala not only celebrates current haute cuisine but also serves as an opportunity to build on the "The Gastronomic Revolution Continues in Barcelona" campaign that took place after the pandemic. It aims to promote and showcase the restaurant sector, recalling when Barcelona and Catalonia were at the forefront of the global recognition of Catalan cuisine. This marked the beginning of a gastronomic movement, led by visionary chefs such as Ferran Adrià, Joan Roca, and Carme Ruscalleda, among others, who propelled Catalan cuisine to the world stage.
This legacy has been continued by committed professional chefs who have a unique outlook and a solid background in projects or ideas of opening different restaurants in the city, continuing the DNA of Mediterranean cuisine. These chefs consistently add new stars to their restaurants each year, contributing to a gastronomic revolution that honors committed chefs, sustainability, and culinary innovation that has flourished in the city over the years.
Gastronomy and fresh product
Barcelona stands as a true reflection of the Mediterranean diet, part of the UNESCO cultural heritage. Sustainability is the cornerstone of its cuisine, where local and seasonal products take centre stage.
Barcelona has 39 fresh produce markets, the largest network in Europe and Michelin star chefs have demonstrated their commitment to these markets, by conducting a series of live cooking demonstrations. These highlighed the chef’s values, such as experimentation, innovation, and the importance of local products. Chefs such as Oriol Castro from Disfrutar, Javier and Sergio Torres from Hermanos Torres, and from one-star restaurants Aürt (Artur Martínez), Xerta (Fran López), Caelis (Romain Fornell), Aleia (Rafa Bedoya), Slow&Low (Francesc Beltri i Nicolás de la Vega), and Moments (Raül Balam) have all participated.
Chefs and Michelin-Starred Restaurants in the City
Before revealing the new restaurants to receive Michelin stars in 2024, here is a list of those currently holding stars and the chefs in charge of cooking at the Gala
- ABaC, Jordi Cruz, three Michelin stars
- Cocina Hermanos Torres, Javier y Sergio Torres, three Michelin stars
- Lasarte, Paolo Casagrande, three Michelin stars
- Disfrutar, Oriol Castro, Eduard Xatruch y Mateu Casaña, two Michelin stars
- Moments, Raül Balam, two Michelin stars
- Via Veneto, David Andrés, one Michelin star
- Enigma, Albert Adrià,one Michelin star
- Dos Palillos, Albert Raurich, one Michelin star
- Koy Shunka, Hideki Matsuhisa,one Michelin star
