“The Bouquet Experience is like going to the movies; the theater is the same but the experience is always different”

They are defined as a multifunctional space where one can enjoy the world of pairing and be surprised by exclusive gastronomic experiences. But, what is Bouquet Experience really?

We have met at the venue on Roger de Llúria 35 with its creators, Toni Cot and Xavier Alcázar, to discover more about this mysterious restaurant.

How did your adventure begin? Did you both come from the world of catering?

Xavier: Sí y no. Nos conocimos hace más de un año y, aunque por mi parte yo ya me dedicaba concretamente a la gastronomía, Toni es enólogo y tenía un negocio dedicado exclusivamente al vino. Sin embargo, él ya había ido ideando una serie de experiencias que combinaban la gastronomía con el vino y la cultura, pero estas cada vez se habían vuelto más complejas hasta que se dio cuenta que necesitaba refuerzo gastronómico. Entonces unimos fuerzas.

Toni: Right. I used to have a wine shop where we did a lot of tastings that at first focused only on wine. Over time, I started incorporating gastronomy. Soon after, I realized that people were more interested in the cheese than the wine it accompanied. They would ask me questions about cheese that I knew nothing about.

How did you settle into the place?

X: We settled into the premises in February 2017 and made a couple of renovations. It wasn't necessary to make major changes because we already liked the place a lot, so it didn't require a large investment. Even so, we made some small changes to have it completely to our liking and finally opened on April 4th.

Your business model is quite complex…

T: De hecho, nuestro modelo de negocio no existe. Nos gusta decir que es el I+D del mundo de la restauración.

X: In a world as competitive as the gastronomy scene in Barcelona, we wanted to introduce something groundbreaking. We are not the typical restaurant. That's why at first glance our place is already different from all the others. Anyone who comes here has to experience an added value beyond the food and drink. They should leave here with a new experience and knowledge.

In your letter, if I'm not mistaken, each dish has its wine…

X: Yes! What we do is pair each dish with its drink. We started exclusively with wine, but now we've also added sake, vodka, tequila, and various beers.

T: Garantizamos que te sorprenderán.

X: In fact, there are several letters.

Indeed. You have the restaurant's menu and the wine list.

X: Exactly. In the Vi-Caria's menu, we could say it works the other way around. We separate the drinks we have and offer the best tapas to accompany them.

Let's now talk about your star offering: the experiences. What can you tell us about them without revealing too much?

X: Como bien has dicho, es lo que nos diferencia. Ofrecemos muchas, más de treinta. Hoy, por ejemplo, vendrá un grupo de una empresa a vivir la experiencia de la montaña. Ellos solo saben que vienen a una cena, pero nosotros vamos a introducirlos en una vivencia que no se esperan. Lo que pretendemos es que al cabo de 10 minutos ya no estén en Roger de Llúria ni en Barcelona, sino en medio de un valle. Queremos que oigan el río, que huelan la hierba y sientan su humedad.

T: We start with a Tyrolean appetizer, letting people stroll through a field of violets. It's a sensory journey; people truly feel like they're in Tyrol. Then we move on to Cerdanya, wandering among cows and cabbages, and we offer a Trinxat. In the Andes, we share Mayan traditions, and on Kilimanjaro, we explore the world of chocolate…

A complete experience, indeed.

T: Absolutely. It's a very complete dinner: eating, drinking, having a good time. We teach them how to taste, how to serve... in a thoroughly sought-after atmosphere.

And what can you tell us about the experience at the Liceu?

X: Cada vez que estrenan una obra, preparamos una cena experiencial en la que acude alguien del Liceu y nos cuenta más sobre la obra. Nosotros la recreamos gastronómicamente hablando y luego vamos a verla.

T: Some people say that coming to Bouquet Experience is like going to the movies; the room is the same but the experience is always different.

It is said around there that the attendees of your experiments also participate in them...

X: Of course! It's dynamic and participatory. There are no waiters, everyone helps with serving at the table. It's part of the protocol. Here you live and learn.

Would you say they are aimed at a specific audience?

X: Las experiencias en sí van mayoritariamente dirigidas a grupos cerrados. Aun así a veces hay calendarios de experiencias. En ese caso, acudes y te sientas con gente desconocida, que después de unas tres horas de cena puede que se hayan convertido en tus mejores amigos.

Is there any specific experience you would like to highlight?

X: The Catalonia Experience Barcelona, for instance. It's an experience that touches on the culture, gastronomy, wine, and cava of Barcelona. We present the pa amb tomàquet, the porró, the calçots and the human towers and share their origins. It's mainly aimed at an international audience.

T: Our new art experience is the crème de la crème. 12 paintings, 12 stories. The goal is for us to immerse ourselves in the world of each artwork. It's totally experiential.

And to conclude. Have you encountered any difficulties?

X: Yes. How to communicate all that we have. For now, we operate largely through word of mouth. We haven't yet figured out how to convey to the general public all that we offer in this very unique restaurant.