Barcelona's annual El Tast a la Rambla food festival will be held in Plaça Catalunya for its twelfth and final edition from 28 to 31 May, before organisers aim to return to its original location on La Rambla in 2027.
Thirty-six restaurants, patisseries, and bars will participate in the event, transforming the square into a culinary hub. Visitors can sample traditional Catalan cuisine, innovative dishes, international foods, and creative pastries. Each tapa costs six tokens, with one token equivalent to one euro.
Among the participating establishments, thirteen hold Michelin stars and eighteen have Repsol Suns. Featured dishes include lamb tacos with salmorejo and passion fruit air from Compartir Barcelona, white prawns with chicken sauce and artichokes from Enoteca Paco Pérez, and fried baby squid mollete with citrus aioli from Pepa Tomate.
Alex Balletbó, president of Amics de la Rambla, which organises the event with Grup gsr, encouraged people to attend, saying, "Don't go away for the weekend, come to El Tast."
Honoring Estrella Damm's Legacy
This year's festival honours the 150th anniversary of Estrella Damm, recognising Ramón Agenjo, a director and great-grandson of the brewery's founder. He is being celebrated as a "promoter and defender of initiatives linked to gastronomy, culture, music, or sport, and for his contribution to consolidating the close relationship between Estrella Damm and Barcelona's gastronomic fabric."
Beyond food, the festival offers pairings with Estrella Damm beer, Aperol Spritz and Crodino aperitifs, INCAVI wines, and Tajín slushies and cocktails. Stalls will also feature cuisines from other parts of Spain, including Saborea Lanzarote, Raíz Culinaria de Castilla La Mancha, and the High Mountain Gastronomy of Andorra.
New Experiences and Showcooking
Jordi Parra, director of Grup gsr, highlighted new additions this year, such as Balfegó's 'Tuna Tour de l'Ametlla de Mar' 4.0 gastronomic experience. "The public will be able to swim in virtual reality among specimens of bluefin tuna," Parra explained.
Another public activity is the Showcooking classroom, featuring prestigious chefs. These include Mateu Casañas, Nil Dulcet, Oriol Castro, and Eduard Xatruch from Disfrutar, Fran Agudo from MontBar, Frederic Oliva from Enigma, Jordi Artal from Cinc Sentits, Ferran Centelles from elBulli Foundation, Albert Raurich from Dos Palillos, and Rafa Zafra from Estimar.
Organisers anticipate the completion of La Rambla's remodelling in 2027, allowing the festival to return to its original location. The current circular setup in Plaça Catalunya is comfortable, but the move back to La Rambla is a long-term goal.
