** This post is the second installment of Supper Clubs in Barcelona: sensorial dining for the Digital age by journalist and writer Anthony Bain. You can read the first part here **

Project Codols 16

Run out of an apartment in Barcelona´s Gothic district, behind a graffiti door in a runoff alleyway in the Gothic district. It was a former warehouse, an architectural project which the renowned Catalan visionary Antoni Gaudi once worked on. Project Codols 16 is once a month pop-up restaurant offering a five-course meal. Diners are brought together on a long table to make the experience more interactive and social. Live music accompanies the proceedings provided by a renowned Chilean cellist Pepe Arias. Upcoming dinners include dishes such as bloody Mary shot on Oysters and Peruvian ceviche. The Argentinian chef and creator Project Codols 16 Agustin Valinoti trained at some of Barcelona´s most emblematic restaurants before deciding to take his career further to create this once a month social and culinary experience. Reservations are made via Facebook or Eatwith.

Santa Rita Club Gastronómico

Run by a Basque chef Xabi Bonilla who learned the culinary arts by working for 15 years in Michelin starred restaurants in the tapas temple of San Sebastien. He also gave cookery courses which switched him onto the idea of intimate private dining. His produce is sourced from some of the many fresh food markets across Barcelona. Xabi offers a 6-course tasting menu with a private table or shared table; he also provides a Market tour and private Spanish cooking class entitled “Paellove” (Short for Love of Paella) which is a market tour purchasing fresh ingredients with a master cooking class using the ingredients purchased. Xabi also offers “Lillifood,” a Spanish mini cuisine workshop dedicated to the very Basque art of Pinchos, tiny one bite tapas morsels which San Sebastien is famous for. Reservations can be made via their website. http://santaritaexperience.com/book-your-experience/

Hidden Factory

A vast loft space in a former copper cable factory provides the venue for this private dining experience. Hidden factory is a vanguard dining concept created by Nico and Xavi a Swiss-Spanish team of chefs who like most Supper club entrepreneurs has worked their way through high-end restaurants in Barcelona. Nico studied at the famous Hoffmann culinary school in Barcelona and together they decided to dedicate their skills to something more creative where they can “share and experiment,” and in early 2014 Hidden factory was conceived. They are currently offering a Gaudi inspired menu with a colourful array of dished inspired the works of the famous architect including Seafood snack tile, Baby squids filled with Catalan sausage, artichokes, and Iberian ham, their dishes are often accompanied by stories of their life working in high-end dining institutions and finding inspiration in the markets of Barcelona. You can make a reservation via Eatwith.

Evohé

Evohé gets its name from the ceremonial chant of the incantation by the disciples of Bacchus, the Roman God of wine. It describes itself as “Dining with locals” a concept by the two local chefs Eva Espinet and Olga Moya. Their idea is to invite people to their apartment to try local Catalan cuisine with local Catalans offering a contemporary twist on Catalan dishes, with ingredients purchased from neighbourhood shops and markets. Evohé´s food is ecologically sourced using Virgin Olive Oil from their family’s estate in the region of L’Empordá in the North of Catalonia. Evolhé believes fully in the social Catalan ritual of the “Vermut,” featuring a locally sourced vermouth from Barcelona’s bohemian distinct of Gracia and “Gildas,” a tasty combination with spicy green chilies, stuffed olives, anchovies which were named after the film “Gilda” which stars Rita Hayworth. They also offer “The Catalan Fisherman’s Cusine,” menu with the very Catalan dish. “Xatonada” Cod, Tuna Fish and Escarole Salad. Evohé offers a journey through the heart of authentic Catalan cuisine with the knowledge that has been handed down through the generations, promising a unique yet genuinely local experience.

Anthony Bain is a journalist and writer living in Barcelona, specialising in Culture, Politics and History. He is the author of the book Wanderings along the Camino: A non-fiction memoir published in 2016. His work has been published across different magazines, such as The Barcelona Metropolitan, Paper Tape Magazine and Ky Story. In 2016 he was nominated for the Pushcart Prize.