Stick It

Fondue has always struck me as a particularly lazy dish to serve. A bit like promising somebody a sweater, then handing them some yarn and a pair of knitting sticks.

Except that these sticks are sharp and pointy and used to dip stale bread into a hot mix of old cheese and old wine - yup, fondue is like the pa amb tomaquet of the Swiss, a creative way of getting rid of the leftovers - and won't make you a sweater, only lose your food at the bottom of the pot.

But it's obviously easier to have your diners cook their food themselves, and this Time Out and La Caseta del Migdia seem to have reasoned, too, so the sequel to last summer's Picnic al Cel, the dinners in the Montjuïc cable cars, is a Fondue Alpin, a three-course cheese, meat and chocolate fondue extravaganza.

It's set outdoors - obviously makes decorating and cleaning up easier, too - but heat lamps are provided and before you start poking around the pots, there's a scenic ride around Montjuïc by horse-drawn carriage. That sweater - you may want to bring it.

Fondue Alpin - 21h Tuesdays from Jan 20 until April 2
La Caseta del Migdia, Passeig del Migdia, Montjuïc
EUR 60 per person incl. dinner, beer and carriage
Book on 93 339 1007

by AAl