La Masia Tibidabo, the new restaurant by Rafa Zafra with Barcelona at its feet

BarcelonaThe managers of BSM, the public-private company that manages the Tibidabo amusement park, have described it as a "crazy idea" and a "dream come true". The fact is that they have long wanted to strengthen the gastronomic offer of this leisure space. Enrique Tomàs and Christian Escribà are already present there. Soon, it will be the throne of Albert Adrià, who cannot yet specify what, but they are already working on various proposals. In fact, it was Adrià himself who recommended Rafa Zafra to take charge of La Masia Tibidabo, the project that is starting this Friday and which they presented today to authorities and civil society.

The space it occupies is the farmhouse from 1901, therefore, the building is 125 years old, like the park itself. Daniel Freixes, from Varis Arquitectes and an expert in renovations, has explained the project. "We have been working on this building for years, which was battered by time, the elements, disuse, and the obsolescence that buildings have. And we have ensured that it is a comfortable and unique place," explains Freixes. Before, there was a simple establishment. Now, after a year closed, the space is dominated by wood, natural light, and lamps with screen projections. While we were there, it was a 360-degree video of the views from the park, but the images can change. In the interior room, a large window offers extraordinary views of Barcelona and Collserola. "We want people to have long after-dinner conversations. People now ask for unrepeatable experiences, but we want them to return," says the architect. In fact, BSM's objective is to make this restaurant another attraction for visiting the park and thus expand its audience. For this reason, with a reservation at the restaurant, you get free parking. Or if you come up by funicular, free entry to La Cuca de llum. Furthermore, due to its privileged location, it is also expected that many events will be held there. Some are already booked. "At Tibidabo, people spend their free time with the people they love. This is the most precious asset, and we treat it with great responsibility," said Marta Labata, general director of BSM.

From Friday, the page will be ready to receive reservations. And what will be found there? A team made up of chef Rafa Zafra, owner of the restaurants Estimar and Amar in Barcelona, or Jondal, in Ibiza. He has done all the gastronomic consulting, designed the menu, and trained the staff. In fact, a significant part of the staff comes from his restaurant Per Feina / Per Plaer, which was located on Via Augusta and recently closed. "We said we wanted to create the highest cuisine, and here we are," says the chef. He says this jokingly because although we are certainly quite high up, what is served is not elevated cuisine. He explains that the aim has been to create a Catalan farmhouse cuisine but updated. Lunches are served from Wednesday to Sunday. The terrace opens at 11 am for vermouth, sandwiches, and tapas, and then the indoor dining room, where there are more elaborate dishes. The average price per person is 45 euros, and it can accommodate about 160 people inside, and separately there is the terrace that overlooks the Sagrat Cor church and attractions like the Ferris wheel.

Caress the botifarras

"Here we make simple, homemade cuisine, with less fat and a bit more refined. I always say that at Estimar we don't cook prawns, we caress them, so here we will caress the sausages", says Zafra. The menu is inspired by the park and divided into attractions: in the "Roller coaster" category we find Russian salad with bonito and piparres, confit leek or cod xatonada; in the "Airplane", cannelloni, snails, meatballs or veal fricandó. In the "Pirate Ship" the fish, of course. In the "Free Fall" rice casserole with pork chop, Iberian feather or breaded ribs.

For Zafra, the inauguration of Masia Tibidabo has been a kind of tribute. "I opened in Barcelona 10 years ago and we haven't celebrated the tenth anniversary of the Estimar restaurant because we've been busy. This is the best gift you could give me", he said, admitting that when he was little, the day he was supposed to go to the amusement park, he was punished for being a hooligan.