Tradition joins modernism.

More than a century of history, between tapas and arcades.

Reviving tradition in a modern environment.

Welcome! I invite you to go through these beautiful wooden arcades that frame the entrance to Grill Room Bar Thonet. Do I tell you a secret? I love how those traditional glass and wood enclosures that shine while we go under and highlight the fantastic aroma of the best tapas in Barcelona stand out. Let’s continue, follow me. Have you ever tried Martini Rosso? Perfect, you are in the cradle of these drinks in Barcelona (and probably throughout Spain). The Bar Torino, owned by the Italian businessman Flaminio Mezzalama, was inaugurated in 1902. Short time ago, those drinks were imported to the country and here they witnessed days and days of conversations between the old customers of this emblematic bar. If you concede, you can still listen to its history while you taste our incredible Mediterranean cuisine.

Can you see the curved wood that is part of our decoration? Look closely, it tells the story of Michael Thonet, a pioneer in design, in the construction of furniture and creator of this curving technique. But Grill Room does not only tell its story, but also part of the trajectory of Gaudí, Pere Flaqués, Josep Puig and Cadafalch. As I mentioned before, this space is the same in which the famous Torino Bar was inaugurated in 1902. It was such a success, that in the same year another one was inaugurated in Paseo de Gracia with its same name, passing the first one, located in Carrer dels Escudellers, to be called Petit Torino or El Primer Torino.

1911 was the closing year of the second Torino Bar and remained closed until 1916. It is said that part of its traditional facade was moved to Carrer dels Escudellers, where Grill Room was born. In September 2018, renowned chef Albert Ventura and his partner Albert Taberner began the mission of reinventing the old Torino and maintaining the original essence of the time, giving rise to Grill Room Bar Thonet. The interior decoration, with curvilinear shapes and ceramics on the wall, retain the modernist character.

Albert Ventura is a chef with a recognized career among catering professionals and gastronomy experts from all over the country. He developed his professional career in numerous fine dining restaurants and founded the now classic Restaurant Coure, more than a decade ago. There reigns naturalness, artisanal, artistic; The whole tradition reinterpreted in a unique way. Those who taste the different options of the menu are the most critical diners of the place: the Catalan native customers who feel Coure as their home and come on a recurring basis.

After more than a decade of the opening of such an emblematic bar in Barcelona, ​​Albert Ventura joined with his partner Albert Taberner, owner of London Bar, to begin the road to Grill Room Bar Thonet. Together they started this historic profile project to revive the essence of the legendary Torino Bar. Tradition is lived both from architecture and from the kitchen, always with the special seasoning of the founding chefs. You can enjoy the classic Catalan dishes and tapas of Mediterranean cuisine.

I invite you to sit at our tables, or next to the big bar and observe how the new decoration reinterprets the tradition and continues the story. It is time to start this trip to a part of the history of modernism in Barcelona. Our time machine? The essence of the Torino Bar and tapas of Mediterranean cuisine.

Welcome.

This article has been written by Sol Kindt, from The Oven Agency, food marketing agency in Barcelona, España