COPENHAGEN: A bright, theatre-like sign marks the way to enter Suculent, located in the exotic, bohemian Raval-area of the Catalan capital. An area that’s fast, colourful, passionate, artistic and full of flavour. There, Antonio ‘Toni’ Romero has combined all those ingredients and reduced them to create dishes that after a decade of success, still keep wowing local and international guests.
Now, the soul of Barcelona will move into The Japanese Tower of magical Tivoli Gardens in the heart of Copenhagen as Antonio Romero brings his beloved restaurant, Suculent, for a 5-week pop-up from April 24 to May 27. During these weeks, he will showcase the deep flavours that have made his restaurant a favourite amongst international foodies and star chefs in Spain.
“It’s an honour for me and my team to take Suculent to Copenhagen and to Tivoli Gardens. Yes, Barcelona is one of the food capitals of the world, but Copenhagen is an equal great, so for us to take our traditions, our ingredients and our flavours to this city, means a lot. Moreover, a lot of Danes visits us in Barcelona so we hope to see a lot of already well-known happy faces at Suculent in Copenhagen, too,” said Toni Romero, chef of Succulent.
Without pretensions and with the confidence that only a long career can give to a chef, Toni Romero has renewed and given his own twist to traditional Mediterranean dishes, with hints and influences from other cultures. His focus is not necessarily on technique – which is something that Romero knows quite well having spent years cooking at elBulli with the Adrià-brothers, Arzak and Akelarre – as it is on the flavour. Deep, deep flavour.
Broths and sauces are where the real DNA of Suculent can be found and almost every dish is created with that in mind (have your spoon and/or a piece of bread ready every time). The emotional energy of Barcelona is concentrated, reduced and turned into intense bases that cover every single vegetable, piece of fish or meat. At Suculent, Toni Romero cooks the very soul of Barcelona.
Visitors to Tivoli Gardens can look forward to such signature dishes as cuttlefish and Iberian jowl tartare with almond milk and Oscietra caviar: Pan-fried stingray on smashed citric potatoes with pine nuts, capers and black butter, not to mention the in Spain ultra-famous beef tartare on grilled marrow bone with pommes soufflé.
Toni Romero will also compose new dishes especially for guests of Tivoli Gardens and, where he will offer two different tasting menus, one with 9 courses for lunch and one with 12 servings for both lunch or dinner. The terrace will also get a special menu of snacks deluxe and selected premium Spanish products.
Tivoli Gardens was founded in 1843 and has become a national treasure and an international attraction. Fairy tale writer Hans Christian Andersen visited many times, as did Walt Disney who found the inspiration for his own Disney World there. When the garden was founded it was placed outside the city’s moats, but today it’s located right next to the Central Station and within walking distance of City Hall.
Part of Tivoli Gardens’ secret is that there is something for everyone. The scenery is beautiful with exotic architecture, historic buildings and lush gardens. At night, thousands of coloured lights create a fairytale atmosphere that is completely unique. It has quirks and charm, and details for you to discover – you might also catch a glimpse of the guinea fowls or peacocks running freely through the gardens.
Leave a Reply