The first gourmet raid of the dining season and epic all-time favourite Barcelona. Spain’s second city and the self-confident capital of Catalonia – including the twice celebrated world’s No. 1 in Girona.
We enter the mouthwatering metropolis in May, offering an otherworldly allround in-depth culinary experience to pleasure aficionados flying in from around the globe.
4 days – 5 unique dining venues – 12 Michelin stars – 1 great dinner party.
Wednesday May 23 – Thursday May 24 – Friday May 25 – Saturday May 26.
14 notabilities only.
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THE MENU
Wednesday, May 23rd
Chapter 1 – The elBulli Alumni
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Disfrutar means “to enjoy” and there is no doubt that the three sterling chefs behind this restaurant delivers in full.
In Spain this glorious trifecta is pretty famous, thanks to their pure and utter devotion to elBulli – with a joint accumulation of more than 45 years of experience at the 5-times voted “The World’s Best Restaurant”, including long hours at El Bulli Taller and the innovation lab.
From the beginning to its last day on July 30, 2011, Oriol Castro, Eduard Xatruch and Mateu Casanas were a part of the creative core team that innovated endlessly and ultimately through these heavily documented experiments, that changed the way we understand food today.
“The ultimate dinner party” – Forbes Magazine
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Even though there are many similarities then don’t be fooled; Disfrutar does not pretend to be elBulli – it’s very much its own.
Like other art movements, after the revolution caused by the most imaginative generator of haute cuisine on the planet, we are in the saturation point of this style as Disfrutar has returned to a more simplistic state and one with a strong focus on nature and techniques that get back to the rawness of cooking: fire, maturation, faisandage and fermentation.
“If the art of seduction could be boiled down to a tasting menu, this would surely be it” a very esteemed local food critic wrote.
That’s exactly the intention, to be seduced, going all-in with a 35-serving grand tasting menu – in a restaurant that pushes the envelope while never losing its Mediterranean sense of place.
Disfrutar was without a doubt the most anticipated Spain-opening of 2015 and today it’s already one of the most sought after restaurants of the latin Kingdom, rising at rocket speed on all influential restaurant ranking lists in the world.
A pivotal of international diners to visit when being in town – sending them off caressed, challenged and dazzled, wanting to come back for more of the magic. Being loyal to excellence Distrutar is our shiny new diamond of Catalonia.
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After the grand dinner at Disfrutar, the party enters the Barcelona’s Golden Quarter and a lively lounge club, having seducing cocktails and sets by the best current DJs.
Dress code: Classy laissez faire.
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“The most coveted dinner ticket in the world.” – Huffington Post
Thursday, May 24th
Chapter 2 – The World’s Twice No. 1
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The passion for cooking and hospitality shared by the three Roca brothers is palpable, but the food is playful rather than serious (caramelised olives are brought to the table on bonsai trees) and Catalan ingredients are given centre-stage on the menu.
Superior techniques complement simple flavour combinations designed to titillate the palate and the memory rather than confuse the mind. It’s very clever stuff – but thankfully it is also utterly delicious.
El Celler de Can Roca holds three stars in Guide Michelin and was voted the “World’s Best Restaurant” in 2013 and 2015, and currently holds a third place at The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. The first time the restaurant was named No. 1, its website had 12 million hits.
“The world’s best dinner party” – The Telegraph
This highly internationally acclaimed restaurant, featuring the stylish, laid back and world renowned staff of El Celler de Can Roca, offers Champagne, a grande feast, an extensive wine menu, mineral water, gourmet tea/coffee, delicious petit fours and avecs, all served in a semi-private dining room.
Furthermore, a private guided tour of the kitchen and “battle station” of the restaurant and a tour of the large wine cellar, which stores around 60000 bottles.
11 month’s waiting list. Reservation Impossible.
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The journey to and from El Celler de Can Roca in Girona (100 kilometers north of Barcelona) will be made in stretch limousines, accompanied by bubbles after attending a Champagne reception in the dazzling Vienés-rooms at the iconic Casa Fuster.
Dress code: Formal elegance.
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“The best dinner ticket in international circles.” – Austrialian Financial
Friday, May 25th.
Chapter 3 – The Young Master
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Gastronomy is the fundamental axis of the ABaC project.
The restaurant has been awarded 2 Michelin stars and run by Chef Jordi Cruz, who earned his first star at the tender age of 24, becoming the youngest chef in Spain and the second youngest in the world to have been awarded this accolade.
The strong promise he represents within the panorama of Spanish Cuisine was clearly recognised from that moment on and in 2018 ABaC was added to the prestigious collection of Spanish three-starred Michelin restaurants.
This evening, featuring Jordi Cruz and the impeccable staff of Restaurant ABaC at the stylish boutique luxury hotel of same name, it will be offering champagne, The Grand ABaC Menu, a connoisseur wine menu, mineral water, gourmet coffee/tea, delicious petit fours and avecs in the beautiful Salon Privée.
Restaurant ABaC has been awarded “Best Restaurant of Catalonia”. One of those rare gems, totally on top of its game, must be experienced before a single thing changes.
After a wonderful dinner at ABaC, the party enters the Barcelona behind the scenes to a laid back vibes and supreme drinks.
Dress code: Every Night is a Friday Night.
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Saturday, May 26th.
Chapter 4 – Breakfast at Tickets / Feast at Lasarte
Having returned to Barcelona by limousines when the birds starts to sing, we 9 hours later enter the famous, glorious, adventurous and notorious Tickets for a dazzling late breakfast in the early afternoon.
It is the beating culinary heart of Albert Adrià’s ambitious but straightforward goal; to convert Barcelona into the culinary capital of Europe.
While Ferran Adrià’s focus shifted to the El Bulli Foundation, a program dedicated to transforming the former restaurant into a competitive cooking school, Albert’s attention returned to Barcelona full time.
“If anyone can transform an entire neighbourhood into a gigantic restaurant, it is Albert Adrià – one of the best cooks in the world,” says the Basque chef Juan Mari Arzak, who met Albert through Ferran when Albert was just 17 years old. “He’s always been a lively, quick-witted and extremely inventive individual. There aren’t many chefs who can match his creativity.”
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The stage is set for a magnificent show: La Vida Tapa.
At Tickets, gastronomy is linked to a way of understanding life. In this respect you will find humour, a great deal of character and a longer than long elaborated tapas menu extraordinaire. Expect elBulli classics as well as new wizardry combinations conceived by a great culinary mastermind.
You may feel as though you are a spectator at the circus or about to sit down to a live theatre, but one thing you will not experience is boredom. Expect to encounter olives which are not actually olives, cotton candy trees studded with fruits and mouth watering Iberian cured ham which is found sneaked into mini hollow “air baguettes” or painted on top of fresh tuna belly.
At a late morning of surprises we’ll wake up in the circus-come-theatre-come-restaurant that is Tickets.
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“The world’s wildest dinner party” – Vice Magazine
Dinner Extraordinaire at Lasarte
Barcelona’s reputation as a destination city for fine dining has mushroomed. But until recently, it did not have a restaurant with three Michelin stars. Finally, in the 2017 guide, Lasarte Restaurant became the first in Barcelona to receive so.
Lasarte is more about evolution than revolution. Although head chef Paolo Casagrande is in charge on a day-to-day basis – and deserves much of the acclaim for Lasarte’s success – the big name on the door is Martín Berasategui.
The Basque chef also has three stars at his eponymous restaurant near San Sebastián and one at MB in Tenerife. In other words, he indeed knows how to impress the Michelin inspectors.
Lasarte is a world-class restaurant. Every dish – without exception – works. It is the absolute embodiment of culinary sure-footedness. That overwhelming competence can, ironically, negatively affect your initial impressions.
You should feel dazzled but at times Lasarte makes brilliance look so easy that it doesn’t seem like anything special. So pinch yourself and pay attention: this is masterful cooking. It’s not showy and not whizz-bang exuberant. It’s not even particularly photogenic. But it’s an iron fist of flavour in a velvet glove of elegance.
Lasarte has evolved over time and is now at the peak of its powers. The restaurant’s service is refined and its accomplished cooking has a distinctive character. It deserves all of the praise and recognition it has received.
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“Plenty of people throw good dinner parties; few hosts are so successful they take their soirees around the world.” – The Wall Street Journal
Famous by day, notorious by night.
After the last grand dinner, we’ll end up in the Barceloneta district and rise up to the 26th floor to W Hotel’s exclusive Eclipse, where the freshest cocktails are complemented by world-class DJs and live performances, all inspired by its stunning Mediterranean setting and edgy London personality.
Flirty with a touch of whimsy, Eclipse has changed the face of Barcelona’s nightlife and established itself as the city’s ultimate entertainment lifestyle destination for local tastemakers and global jetsetters.
Dining Impossible has private tables by the dance floor where bubbly bottles awaits, overlooking Barcelona and its beaches. Here we end 96 remarkable hours in style.
DI 25.
DETAILS
Dining Impossible 25 – Barcelona is the full experience. Besides the extraordinaire dinners, it also includes receptions, selected transport and after parties at exclusive spots with a range of drinks, beverages and canapés.
All dinners include full wine/beer/cocktail menus predetermined with the respectful sommeliers, as well as mineral water, various taxes and gratuity.
As always the guest list remains a secret to the public and will only be shared in detail amongst the participants. Menus and wines will be served découverte, meaning presented and discovered on the night of the dinner parties as a part of the full-blown Catalan storytelling.
Price per cover is confidential. Please enter RSVP or contact Kristian Brask Thomsen at ambassador@bon-vivant.dk for further information.
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“Billed by Forbes Magazine as “the ultimate dinner party” and by Huffington Post as “the world’s most coveted dinner tickets”; Dining Impossible is a three-day gastronomic bender organized by culinary ambassador Kristian Brask Thomsen.”
– Sydney Morning Herald.
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