Akwasi Brenya-Mensa x Bar Bario Present Tatale Pop-Up Amsterdam

Please join us for the Amsterdam edition of Akwasi Brenya-Mensa Presents: Tatale Spring 2022 Pop-Up Tour. We are collaborating with Bar Bario, to bring you an immersive dining experience on Friday 8th April from 19:30 - 22:00.

Tatale is a Restaurant and Bar concept created by Akwasi Brenya-Mensa, telling contemporary Pan-African stories through Food, Art and Culture. The concept was born in Ghana and later developed in London and its namesake is a pancake made from Plantain — the ubiquitous ingredient found in African Diaspora cuisines right across the world. Akwasi considers it to be the culinary symbol of Black identity.

Bar Bario, is a Black-owned, women-led bar, creative hub and safe space in the heart of Amsterdam. It is centered around great drinks and even better energy and designed to give you an inclusive, intimate living room feel. In the back of the bar, Bario has a gallery where it works together with the creative community to create collaborative pop-up events and exhibitions. Their goal is to create a new Amsterdam pub for everyone, offering a space in particular for people of colour and the queer community to feel safe, comfortable and to enjoy themselves. The Bar Bario ethos of inclusivity and creativity is well and truly in line with Akwasi and Tatale's own values. 

Tatale was created as a means for sharing our passion, knowledge and desire to learn more about ingredients and techniques from West Africa and the Continent at large. In this pop-up tour, we will be taking our culinary experience to new audiences in Accra, Amsterdam, Puerto Rico, Lisbon and Belfast. Celebrating African diaspora identities, each of our supper clubs will bring together a five-course Tatale menu, a complimentary drink inspired by our travels and a curated Tatale FM soundtrack.

In Akwasi’s own radio show Black To The Future, he aims to push the envelope of Black Atlantic sounds, showcasing the innovation and burgeoning subgenres from Africa and the diaspora. Inspired by this ethos of highlighting Black and diaspora identity, Akwasi will curate a Tatale FM soundtrack, giving space to experimental and less club-focused records, with respect and authenticity. The immersive dining experience will also see collaborations with Black artists and makers whose work will transform each space through decorative pieces, menu design and tableware.

Between each course, dishes will be presented by Akwasi who will share his personal connection to the dish, offer some traditional and historical context, as well as sharing a bit about the creation process and techniques used.