Barcelona de Serveis Municipals (B:SM) allocates 80% of the culinary establishments planned for at the Olympic port
The diversity of the bids presented in the tender consolidates the commitment to a culinary model for all customer profiles, based on quality, diversity and a commitment to healthy, sustainable food
The culinary offer for this new era includes projects ranging from innovation to market cuisine with Mediterranean roots
Construction work on the Gastronomic Balcony will begin in January and is scheduled for completion in the summer of 2024, coinciding with the celebration of the America’s Cup
The Olympic Port has taken another step towards the completion of its Gastronomic Balcony, the new restaurant area that will connect the city with the sea, which is due to open in the Summer of 2024, to coincide with the America's Cup. Barcelona de Serveis Municipals (B:SM) has allocated 80% of the spaces for culinary projects that will make up the Olympic Port's range of restaurants.
The projects for this new era have been selected via a public tender, which among other criteria, has taken into account the quality and style of the cooking and produce, the design and ambience of establishment interiors and the sustainability measures put in place. A total of 15 bids were presented and they were evaluated by a jury made up of representatives from Barcelona City Council, B:SM, the Barcelona Centre for International Conventions, the Barcelona Bars and Restaurants Guild and the Alícia Foundation, among other stakeholders linked to the sector.
In keeping with the initially established objectives, the winning bids will offer a variety of culinary styles that complement each other, aimed at appealing to all customer profiles and all occasions. Based on quality and with a commitment to sustainable food, the Olympic Port will become a privileged location with an architectural design that is open to both the sea and the city, inviting people to stroll around the port and sample the innovative food on offer, ranging from fusion to market cuisine with Mediterranean roots.
The result of the tender is as follows:
• World cuisine - innovation: Grup Sagardi
• World cuisine- innovation: Pantea Group
• Blue gastronomy: El Cangrejo Loco
• Flexitarian food: Pantea Group
• Catalan cuisine: La Fonda del Port Olímpic
• Mediterranean cuisine: La Barca del Salamanca
• Seafood cuisine: La Taberna Gallega de Marcos
• Appetisers: Platets
• Daily menu: Los Huevos de Colón
A first step towards transforming the Olympic Port's restaurants
This first tender has led to the allocation of 9 of the 11 restaurants spaces on the Gastronomic Balcony . The remaining 2 places will be allocated during the first quarter of 2023. At the same time, a new tender will be opened to determine the nature of the three gourmet establishments that will complete the Gastronomic Balcony. These establishments will act as small gastronomic shops that complement the restaurants.
The restaurants currently operating in the Olympic Port will close on 8 January. Until the new restaurants open, the employees, who are guaranteed continued employment, will have access to Barcelona Activa’s professional guidance services and a complete 1,000-hour training plan that includes different pathways within the hospitality and catering sector. The aim is to promote the professional development of these workers and to help them to improve their knowledge in accordance with current market needs.
The new culinary hub on the Barcelona seashore, ready for the America’s Cup
The Gastronomic Balcony will be a long promenade that will connect the city with the sea. It has a surface area of 24,000 m2, 8,000 of which will house catering establishments, located on Moll de Gregal. Work to completely renovate the quay will begin at the end of January, and is scheduled for completion in the late summer of 2024. The project has an overall budget of €15.9 million.
The redevelopment will create an environment without barriers, favouring a dialogue between the activities of the Olympic Port, Barcelona and the Mediterranean. The new gastronomic centre will have direct access to Nova Icària Beach and three vertical axes equipped with steps and lifts that will improve the connection between all areas of the Olympic Port and the city. Furthermore, there will also be relaxation areas and viewpoints where people will be able to sit down, relax and take in the views.
In the new restaurants, light and transparency will be key features of their interior spaces, where materials such as glass will offer visual communication with the sea and port activity. Furthermore, the establishments on the upper level will be located on a platform overhanging the sea, increasing still further the sensation of being close and open to the seashore, while the restaurants on the port level will have spacious terraces, built under a large photovoltaic pergola that will form the rooftop of the Gastronomic Balcony. It will have the capacity to generate as much energy as that used by 250 households, helping to make the Olympic Port a sustainable location.