The Boqueria Market was the venue chosen for the official presentation of the 12th edition of Tast a la Rambla, Barcelona’s major food festival. The event will take place from May 28 to 31 at Plaça de Catalunya, temporarily maintaining this central location due to the renovation work currently underway on La Rambla. Activities will take place from 12:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Thursday and Sunday, and from 12:00 p.m. to midnight on Friday and Saturday.
The event, which is free for all citizens, is presented as a major showcase aimed at bringing contemporary culinary knowledge and creativity to the public through the participation of leading figures in the sector. The president of Amics de La Rambla, Àlex Balletbó, highlighted the institutional and commercial support that makes the festival possible, expressing the desire to return to the original location for the next edition. For her part, the City Council’s Commissioner for Economic Promotion, Commerce, and Restaurants, Nàdia Quevedo, linked the event to Barcelona’s designation as European Capital of Local Commerce, highlighting the value of the restaurant industry in fostering social cohesion and innovation in the city.
Tastings and haute cuisine accessible to the public
Jordi Parra, director of grup gsr and Tast a la Rambla, detailed the new features of this edition, which will feature 30 restaurants and 6 pastry shops from the Catalan capital. Theestablishments will offer their creations in tapa format for 6 euros. For drinks, the public can pay by card or in cash using tokens, with each token equivalent to one euro.
The culinary lineup will feature a total of 13 Michelin stars and 18 Repsol Suns, ranging from traditional Catalan cuisine to signature dishes, creative pastries, and international options. Notable participating venues include Atempo*, Cinc Sentits, Enoteca Paco Pérez, Compartir Barcelona, Dos Pebrots, Nectari, Gaig, Tapas 24, Casa Amàlia, Família Nuri, Leña Barcelona, and Virens. The dessert section will be represented by brands such as Pastisseria Escribà, L’Atelier Barcelona, Takashi Ochiai, Sauleda Pastissers, and Mervier Canal.
Training, outreach, and social commitment
This year, the festival is strengthening its educational focus through the Showcooking Classroom, which will offer live demonstrations, guided tastings, and free activities. Renowned professionals such as Mateu Casañas, Oriol Castro, Eduard Xatruch, and Nil Dulcet (Disfrutar***), Fran Agudo (MontBar), Jordi Artal (Cinc Sentits), Albert Raurich (Dos Palillos*), Ferran Centelles (elBulli Foundation), and Rafa Zafra (Estimar) will participate in this space. In addition, INCAVI will coordinate educational activities on Catalan wine, and the Balfegó company will offer a virtual reality experience focused on bluefin tuna.
The event will also feature culinary offerings from other regions:
- Taste Lanzarote: will feature workshops focused on the island’s wines and volcanic cuisine.
- Raíz Culinaria – Castilla La Mancha: will present dishes representative of its five provinces.
- Andorra, Gastronomia d’Alta Muntanya: will showcase the uniqueness of its local cuisine through demonstrations.
On the social front, Tast a la Rambla is strengthening its ties with the community. The event will feature the involvement of Casal dels Infants, the participation of workers from Cuina Justa, and the collaboration of CETT students, promoting inclusion and training within the social and solidarity economy.
Another highlight of the celebration will be the presentation of the 3rd Tast a la Rambla Award to Ramon Agenjo, an executive and great-grandson of the founder of Estrella Damm, coinciding with the 150th anniversary of the Barcelona-based brewery. This award, which in previous editions has honored Christian Escribà and Carles Gaig, seeks to recognize the contributions of individuals and institutions to Barcelona’s gastronomic and social culture.
The festival’s cultural program will be complemented by live music performances throughout the four days of celebration at Plaça de Catalunya.
Tast a la Rambla is one of Barcelona’s pioneering initiatives in the realm of food fairs and festivals. It was one of the first events to bring together Barcelona’s top restaurants and showcase them on a street as iconic as Las Ramblas. Now, while awaiting the completion of renovations on the legendary boulevard, the festival has moved to Plaça Catalunya.
