Avenir – a Contemporary MICHELIN Bib Gourmand Bistro-Style Restaurant in Barcelona
An Unforgettable Summer 2023 Calendar of Events
November 7, 2023
Interior Design – Longevity & Sustainability
November 10, 2023
Their à la carte and tasting menu selections
give diners in Spain an elevated tapas-style dining option where
localisation, sustainability and the true Catalonian flavours of land
and sea thrive with aesthetically profound plating and interactive
service. Run by owners Chef Roger Viñas and charismatic Chesco
Salrach, responsible for all Front of House magic.
Q: Chef Roger, what is your culinary background and the inspiration behind the restaurant’s unique cuisine?
RV: The cuisine at Avenir is rooted in culture, tradition, flavour concentration, and time. It’s a contemporary cuisine with unique creations and ideas where I express my emotions, feelings, and complete admiration for this profession, a passion that began when I was very young. I first stepped into a kitchen during my weekends and summers as a youth.
Later, at the age of 16, I started studying at CETT: School of Tourism, Hospitality and Gastronomy in Barcelona, balancing studies with jobs in various restaurants, one of them being Talaia Mar, where I encountered a completely different culinary style that fueled my aspirations. Years later, I became part of the Manairó restaurant team, starting as a Head Chef and growing professionally over 16 years until I finally realised my dream of opening my own restaurant.
Q: Chef Roger, what is your culinary background and the inspiration behind the restaurant’s unique cuisine?
RV: The cuisine at Avenir is rooted in culture, tradition, flavour concentration, and time. It’s a contemporary cuisine with unique creations and ideas where I express my emotions, feelings, and complete admiration for this profession, a passion that began when I was very young. I first stepped into a kitchen during my weekends and summers as a youth.
Later, at the age of 16, I started studying at CETT: School of Tourism, Hospitality and Gastronomy in Barcelona, balancing studies with jobs in various restaurants, one of them being Talaia Mar, where I encountered a completely different culinary style that fueled my aspirations. Years later, I became part of the Manairó restaurant team, starting as a Head Chef and growing professionally over 16 years until I finally realised my dream of opening my own restaurant.
Q: What are some standout dishes on the menu that embody the essence of Avenir’s culinary philosophy?
RV: All dishes at Avenir embody the restaurant’s essence, as they are unique and distinctive creations. Many are rooted in traditional Catalan cuisine where confit garlic, trinxat fritters (similar to bubble and squeak), sardine broth, leek with lamb crumble and crispy beans, and a myriad of authentic recipes mesh with worldly flavours such as their suckling pig and kombu seaweed integration.
Therefore, our menu focuses on tasting experiences with degustations created by us, featuring a large number of courses, ranging between 15-18 dishes to allow our customers to grasp the restaurant’s essence and try a wide selection of our small creations.
Q: Could you share details about the restaurant’s commitment to sustainable sourcing and its impact on the dining experience?
CS: We work with local and nearby producers to ensure high-quality local products. We also collaborate with socially conscious companies, providing employment opportunities to those at risk of social exclusion. The restaurant only uses chemicals for dishwashing; all other cleaning is done with ozonated water. We have replaced our machinery with models that consume less electricity, and all lighting is LED-based. In other words, we try to make a difference, little or big, in every aspect of the runnings of Avenir. Waste is not in our vocabulary.
Q: How does the restaurant incorporate local Catalonian flavours and ingredients into its dishes, what about identity to the restaurant itself?
RV: We start with flavours and combinations from traditional Catalan culinary culture, then create our own transformations and interpretations.
CS: We celebrate culture, we celebrate seasonality, we celebrate genuinity. I don’t think it can get more Catalonian than that!
Chef Roger Viñas
Q: What dining experiences or events does Avenir
Restaurant offer that set it apart from other dining
establishments in Barcelona?
CS: We offer closed tasting experiences and tastings created on the spot by the diners themselves - unique dishes providing a completely distinct culinary offering compared to what you might find in any other restaurant. Chef Roger can guarantee that.
A cheeky smile and a light chuckle is exchanged between the two - friends, colleagues, Catalonians. The ideology behind Avenir is exceptional, the flavours compelling and the selection; well...
CS: We have two tasting options: a 15-course and an 18-course. Our à la carte menu focuses on half portions, allowing customers to create their own tastings. The dishes change either based on seasonal products or with the introduction of new inventions and developments of new dishes
Click here to see Horeca Issue 13 online
CS: We offer closed tasting experiences and tastings created on the spot by the diners themselves - unique dishes providing a completely distinct culinary offering compared to what you might find in any other restaurant. Chef Roger can guarantee that.
A cheeky smile and a light chuckle is exchanged between the two - friends, colleagues, Catalonians. The ideology behind Avenir is exceptional, the flavours compelling and the selection; well...
CS: We have two tasting options: a 15-course and an 18-course. Our à la carte menu focuses on half portions, allowing customers to create their own tastings. The dishes change either based on seasonal products or with the introduction of new inventions and developments of new dishes
Click here to see Horeca Issue 13 online
