So you’re all well aware of my love affair with Barcelona by now. I lived there. I loved it. I went back again recently. It’s as fabulous as ever. The food, the Gothic architecture, the all-night swinging bars and the wonderfully eclectic mixture of permanent art exhibits from the likes of Picasso, Miro and Dali slam this right on top of my ever-adored European hotspots. And if I were able to be there on June 12th, I absolutely would be. Why? Because the fabulous Hotel Arts Barcelona, an original leader of the luxury hotel pack in the Catalan capital, is hosting a tapas feast created by chefs with no less than 52 Michelin stars between them. No, that’s not a typo and it’s absolutely possible: 52 hard-earned, mouth watering Michelin stars cooking tapas for one day only.
This one-off gala event sees the Hotel Arts Barcelona join forces with UNICEF to celebrate its 20th anniversary with “Estrellas Solidarias.” Led by acclaimed chef Paco Perez of the hotel’s own two Michelin starred Enoteca restaurant, he will spend June 12th preparing this unrivalled tapas feast in the gardens of the hotel, alongside the likes of Albert Adria (yes, that’s Ferran’s brother), Joan Roca, Adoni Aduriz, and Marc Gascons, amongst others. Each cook a favourite tapas dish from a cooking station for guests to try in the hotel’s beautiful gardens, all under the shadow of the hotel’s signature Frank Gehry ‘Peix’ (or, fish) sculpture that glistens on the edge of the sea. And proceeds will go to UNICEF Spain, so you can indulge without conscience because your enjoyment will help others.
You’ll start the day with a bang of Cava and Catalan wine, enjoy the opportunity to bid in the auction for a Chef White, signed by all the chefs in attendance, and then you can spend the rest of the day sashaying from one stand to another, meeting some of the world’s finest chefs and sampling the delicious flavours of Spain cooked before you. Dessert, should you still be hungry, will be created by the Hotel Arts’ very own pastry chef, Sylvain Guyez and there will be live music playing throughout the day. So that’s Cava, good tunes, Michelin-starred food and sunshine on the sea. Who still needs convincing?
And should you be in Barcelona with your family there is no need to miss out on this just because the kids aren’t keen. The hotel’s restaurant Bites always has featured children’s items and their menu doubles as a drawing book. They can spend the afternoon enjoying the “hotel questionnaire” available at reception, which children have to complete (asking a waiter for an autograph, for example, is one such task) and, once filled out, they get a free ice cream. Of course, should they want to be outside there is the hotel’s inviting pool or the nearby sea and, if you’re able to play hooky for an extra hour, head from the gastronomic feast to the hotel’s Six Senses Spa, a leader in international spa awards with very good reason.
Hotel Arts has created an ‘Exclusive Experience’ package for the Royale and Presidential suites, the hotel’s most prestigious apartments located on the 42nd floor. In addition to tickets to the UNICEF gala event, the package also includes behind the scenes access, interacting with the chefs as they prepare their signature dish, as well as preferred reservation and VIP access for one year in the restaurants of Albert Adria and Paco Perez. The ‘Exclusive Experience’ package is available for €20,000 per suite, with proceeds donated to UNICEF and can be booked directly through the Hotel Arts.
See our family-friendly guide to Barcelona here.