Andorra Taste Festival Draws Crowds on Day Two with 60,000 Tastings Goal

Andorra Taste festival shattered records on Sunday, surpassing 70,000 tastings during its public phase—a 25% increase over last year's 56,000 and more than triple the 20,000 from the inaugural edition.

Andorra Turisme director general Betim Budzaku described the results as "merely spectacular," attributing the growth to the event's consolidation, strong interest in Andorran cuisine, and key upgrades. These included a more spacious layout at Prat del Roure in Escaldes-Engordany, created by removing tennis courts and adding a new green zone with extra tables and chairs for better crowd management. A revamped payment system, accepting cards or cash, also sped up transactions and cut queues compared to past token-based bottlenecks.

The fifth edition featured 24 tasting stations—21 savoury and six sweet—from local spots, with consumption outpacing prior years from the Friday midday start. Saturday peaked with long lines as hits like Unnic's rice-sheet caneló with mountain rice, roast beef, chicken and botifarra; Odetti's roast sauce caneló; Celler d'en Toni's morel ravioli; Mood's bao with Andorran beef, foie and ceps; and others including Beç's smoked lamb, Can Manel's snails and Alexis Estopiñán's chocolate pineapples sold out repeatedly.

Attendees highlighted new favourites such as Kao Soldeu's Peking duck brioche and Fismuler's beef cheek. Live music, showcookings and workshops added to the vibe, though some sought more shade and vegetarian choices amid sunny conditions and portion-price debates. Cashless options via cards, phones or watches won praise, especially from first-timers.

Vocento Gastronomia director general Benjamín Lana noted the rising quality of Andorran restaurateurs' offerings, expressing pride and confidence for future editions. Surveys will gauge the upgrades' full impact, with visitor origin data pending. Andorra Turisme's Enric Torres and Tourism Minister Jordi Torres had targeted matching last year's 40,000 tapas and 15,000 drinks, while Escaldes-Engordany councillor Rosa Gili lauded the venue improvements.