Barcelona has been chosen and on 28 November will be the culinary epicentre of Spain and the rest of the world
CCIB will host the upcoming Michelin Guide Spain 2024 gala
The Auditorium of the Barcelona International Convention Centre (CCIB), managed by Fira de Barcelona, will be the setting the Gala of the Michelin Guide Spain 2024. Barcelona will be the culinary epicentre of Spain and the rest of the world on 28 November 2023 as the venue for the prestigious ceremony. The city has been chosen to host one of the major events in the world of gastronomy and restaurant dining after putting forward its candidature via Barcelona Tourism and Barcelona City Council, who are helping to organise the gala.
As explained by the organisers of the Michelin Guide, the capital of Catalonia was chosen for its respect for tradition within a cosmopolitan cuisine and for a fusion that stands out for its creativity and constant innovation. A cuisine with its own identity, prepared with local produce influenced by people from across the globe.
Equally, they pointed to the campaign ‘The gastronomic revolution continues in Barcelona’ which is intended to raise the profile of the city of Barcelona as a source of gastronomic talent, an epicentre of tradition and the rich gastronomic heritage of Catalonia which over its history has been added to by all the civilisations that have called the Mediterranean their own.
Barcelona is taking the baton from Castilla-La Mancha and will be the culinary epicentre of Spain and the rest of the world on 28 November 2023 at CCIB with the ceremony and dinner for 700 guests, although other spaces round the city will be used for other events before the Ceremony, like the presentation of the chefs who will cook the Gala dinner, led by Jordi Cruz, the Torres brothers and Paolo Casagrande.
Barcelona is the city with the most Michelin Stars, with a total of twenty-five, and seventy restaurants that appear in different categories in the MICHELIN Guide Spain and Portugal 2023. Three restaurants have three MICHELIN Stars, five have two MICHELIN Stars, sixteen have one MICHELIN Star, one has a Green Star, eight have the distinction of Bib Gourmand and there are thirty-eight recommended restaurants.
For the organisers, the city of Barcelona is ideal to host an event such as the Michelin Guide Gala and they were particularly impressed by the entrepreneurial spirit and high profile of the arts, thought, local architecture and – of course – gastronomy. Recognised as a world city because of its cultural, financial, commercial and travel importance, the city has been the stage for many international events that have helped to establish and develop the city and make it of truly global standing.
Once more, the centenarian Guide will put special emphasis on sustainability through the Michelin Green Star, a relatively new category that is having a significant impact among chefs, gourmets and mass media for what it means as a concept. It gives recognition to establishments in any category that show particular commitment to sustainable gastronomy and the future of the planet.
The selection of restaurants in Spain and Portugal that will feature in the 2024 Guide will be made at two distinct events. An event for Spain in Barcelona on 28 November 2023 and, this year for the first time, an event just for Portugal in the first three months of 2024 in a place to be confirmed. The Michelin Guide hopes that the event will celebrate and raise the profile of the growing excellence of the gastronomy scene in Portugal, as an unmissable European destination. The Gala will in both cases still have a big-impact format, as a highly significant and prestigious in-person event that will also be streamed so as to reach the greatest possible numbers of lovers of fine dining.
The Guide’s new selection will once again be announced following intense fieldwork by Michelin’s team of inspectors, who have their fingers on the pulse of what is new in gastronomy so as to be able to provide the best information to the Guide’s readers.
At this morning’s event, Michelin thanked Barcelona City Council and Barcelona Tourism for their commitment to Spanish gastronomy, as shown in their support for and contribution to the organisation of the Gala.
Barcelona, 14 March 2023