restaurant

The former president, the director and the rock star met at the end of April for an exceptional dinner in Barcelona. The photo of the three celebrities, posted by the chef on Instagram, went around the world. And since then, the restaurant has been full.

It’s a dinner that is still talked about in town! And not only in the capital of Catalonia. On April 28, Barack Obama, Steven Spielberg and Bruce Springsteen all three met at the Amar restaurant, the gastronomic table of the El Palace hotel.

And for almost a month, the restaurant has been full every night. This is what we learn from Equinox, the French-speaking radio station entirely dedicated to the city of Barcelona, ​​this Friday, May 19. “We have international customers who book a table weeks in advance, even before they arrive,” explains Arantxa Dominguez, communications manager at the El Palace hotel.

It was the singer who invited his two famous friends for his concert in Barcelona, ​​the first of his 2023 European tour. The American artist had not performed on the continent since 2016. The tour scheduled for 2020 had to be canceled due to the Covid-19 crisis.

But apparently it was the famous Spanish and American chef José Andrés, a close friend of Obama, who had recommended the address to them. A A last-minute reservation that surprised all the staff at this restaurant, which opened only a year ago, a stone’s throw from the Rambla. Starting with its Sevillian chef Rafa Zafra.

The photo taken with the whole team and posted on Instagram immediately caused a stir and many Spanish and international media echoed this unexpected evening, commenting extensively on the menu offered to the three stars. Like the BBC, which reports the enthusiastic words of the cook. “We offered them oysters, shellfish and fish from Rosas, my classic – the “bikini” caviar (Editor’s note: caviar served with smoked salmon) – a bit of everything… and super grateful!”

Rafa Zafra also shared the snap on his personal Instagram account with this tasty caption. “Dreams come true. The three magnificent, what a nice surprise to be able to cook for these three geniuses. The greatest filmmaker in history Steven Spielberg with the best musician and singer, Bruce Springsteen the “Boss” and the great politician Barack Obama, the one who changed the rules and the perspective of the world.”

Dreams come true (…) What a nice surprise to be able to cook for these three geniuses.

Rafa Zafra,

Chef of the Amar restaurant at the El Palace hotel in Barcelona.

The Bruce Springsteen concert, meanwhile, took place two days later, on April 30, at the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona. It brought together 55,000 fans, including Barack Obama and his wife Michelle as well as Steven Spielberg, who were able to attend the show in a special secure box, placed very close to the stage. Neither the former president, nor the filmmaker, nor the singer indicated which of the two evenings they preferred…