Barcelona unveils new tapas route around the city

In the middle of the economic crisis, 40 bars and restaurants in Barcelona will participate through Sunday in the first edition of the competition 'De tapas per Barcelona' ('Tapas around Barcelona'), an initiative promoted by the Restaurant Industry Association of Barcelona. Anyone that comes to one of the participating bars and restaurants will be able to try a tapa for 2,40€ accompanied by an Estrella Damm beer, one of the sponsors of the event, along with the Barcelona Town Hall.
The initiative aims to promote the restaurant industry as well as 'tapas', a 'very important part of Spanish gastronomic culture', according to Antonio Sáez, the mastermind behind the competition and chef at the restaurant Lasarte in the Condes Hotel of Barcelona. The President of the Restaurant Industry Association of Barcelona, Gaietà Farràs, admitted that nowadays many restaurant owners 'are devoting time and energy' to more aggressive strategies to get their restaurants known. That's why the competition is open to all professionals who want to fight the crisis, a crisis which 'is affecting the industry a lot', according to Farràs.

This year, the 40 competition participants will serve their customers a 'tapa' and an Estrella Damm beer for 2.40€. 'An excellent price' according to Gaià. The general manager of the operation, Enric Crous, told journalists that apart from the haute cuisine 'that honours our country a lot', there is another kind of restaurant industry 'equally or more important' that must also be promoted. The patron of the competition, chef Antonio Sáez, defined the role of the 'tapa' as an 'important part of Spanish gastronomic culture' and added that 'tapas' have evolved into an 'important part of haute cuisine'.

The first edition of the competition 'De tapes per Barcelona' (‘Tapas around Barcelona') is aiming to become a new 'appeal of the city of Barcelona'. Gaietà Farràs announced that in October work will begin on the second edition.