Disfrutar (Barcelona, Spain)
Disfrutar Restaurant
Carrer de Villarroel, 163, L'Eixample, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
+34 933 48 68 96
www.disfrutarbarcelona.com
Thu 10/17/2024, 07:30p-12:10a
Disfrutar was pretty much the impetus for this entire trip to Barcelona. Named after the Spanish word for "enjoy," the restaurant opened back in 2014, and is the creation of a trio of ElBulli alums: Oriol Castro, Mateu Casañas, and Eduard Xatruch, who've been working together for over 20 years. Over the past decade, the Chefs' avant garde cooking has been garnering more and more international acclaim, culminating in Disfrutar's ascension to the top of the World's 50 Best Restaurants list this year. Given all the lofty praise this place has received, reservations are expectedly difficult to come by, and the restaurant is basically completely booked up nine months out. However, I was recently offered a reservation from a friend who had reserved last year but couldn't attend anymore, and after deciding to accept it, essentially had to plan out a food trip to BCN on short notice.
About the Chefs: Oriol Castro Forns was born in March 1974 in Sitges, not far from Barcelona, and first got interested in food through the home cooking of both his mother and grandmother. He started studying hospitality at Escola Hoteleria Joviat in nearby Manresa in 1990, and from 1992 to 1993, also went to pastry school at Escuela de Pastelería del Gremio de Barcelona (EPGB). The first place he cooked at was Morros in Torredembarra, as a summer job, and during this period, he also apprenticed at the likes of Vilaplana patisserie in Barcelona, Torre del Remei in Bolvir, La Tenalla in Creixell, Via Veneto in Barcelona, Bel Cavaletto in Barcelona, El Dorado Petit in Barcelona, Paco Torreblanca's Pastelería Totel in Elda, and Restaurante Martín Berasategui in Lasarte. After completing school in 1995, Castro began working at Jean Luc Figueras in BCN, then went to El Bulli the following year, starting off as a pastry apprentice. By 1997, he had moved onto the hot line as lead cook, and by 1998, had become part of the restaurant's creative taller, where he worked closely with the Adriàs. He staged at Charlie Trotter's in 1999 and Michel Bras in 2000, and was named El Bulli's head chef in 2001.
We also have Mateu Casañas Puignau, who was born in Roses in August 1977 to a restaurant-running family and attained his education at Centre Escolar Empordà in his hometown. In 1996, he began cooking at his family's eatery, Si Us Plau, and through his parents' connections, was able to get his foot in the door at El Bulli in the summer in 1997. He transitioned to elBullicatering at L'Aquarium de Barcelona that winter, and by the following March, was on the cold station at El Bulli before taking charge of the section just a couple months later. At the end of 1998, Casañas interned at Xavier Sagristà's Mas Pau in Avinyonet de Puigventós, and at the start of 1999, began a three-month stage at Restaurante Turia in Alicante, under Rafa Clarassó. This was followed by more rotation through the El Bulli kitchen and an internship at the Four Seasons in London, and by 2003, he was made head pastry chef.
Last up is Eduard Xatruch Cerro, born May 1981 in Vila-seca, Tarragona to a family in farming and produce sales. He began helping out in the kitchen at the age of 12, and by age 13, knew that he wanted to pursue a career in hospitality. After finishing his primary education at Escola Sant Bernat Calvó, he started training at Institut Escola d'Hoteleria i Turisme de Cambrils in 1995, while it was 1996 when he got his first restaurant job at Llort in La Pineda, starting out as a waiter before becoming a kitchen assistant. Xatruch's "real" introduction to cooking, however, came in 1997 at Quim Font in Salou, while in 1998, he worked, interestingly enough, at the Chinese restaurant at PortAventura theme park before interning at El Bulli from July to September. From October 1998 to April 1999, he was at El Celler del Padrí in Reus, then trained for two months at L'Oustau de Baumanière in Baux-de-Provence, France. He spent June at El Bulli (again), July to September at Arzak in Donostia, and October to February at Talaia Mar in Barcelona. Xatruch joined the team at El Bulli in March 2000, working his way up the ladder, and became part of the restaurant's creative workshop in 2005. He also underwent further training at Pastelería Escribà in Barcelona (winter 2001), Le Calandre in Rubano, Italy (winter 2004), and even The Fat Duck.
The Chefs got to know one another during their decade-plus tenure at El Bulli, and after the restaurant closed at the end of July 2011, the trio stuck around until November 2014 and assisted with the creation of Bullipedia. The three also decided to become business partners, and in April 2012, launched Compartir ("to share"), a semi-informal eatery located in Cadaqués, on the Costa Brava. Its success allowed for the opening of Disfrutar, which bowed in December 2014 to considerable anticipation. The restaurant achieved its first Michelin star at the end of November 2015, while a second star arrived in November 2017. Disfrutar made its first appearance on the World's 50 Best Restaurants list in 2018, at position #18, and this improved to #9 in 2019 and #5 in 2021. June 2022 witnessed the opening of a second Compartir in Barcelona, which was soon followed by a #3 spot on the World's 50 Best for Disfrutar. In 2023, the restaurant's 50 Best ranking rose to #2, and in November that year, it attained three Michelin star status. Most recently, Disfrutar finally reached the #1 spot on the World's 50 Best Restaurants list in June, and will thus be ineligible for inclusion going forward.
Disfrutar occupies an address in BCN's L'Antiga Esquerra de l'Eixample neighborhood that's far more capacious than it appears from the street. Here we see the waiting area in front of the bar, which doesn't appear to be utilized.
Past the bar is the front dining area, and then you enter the kitchen, tiled in red clay.
From there, the space opens up into a surprisingly airy main dining room.
Menu-wise, Disfrutar offers both a Classic tasting menu (my choice, and recommended for first-timers) and a Festival menu containing more seasonal dishes. Both are priced at 295€ ($320.78) a head, with an optional wine pairing adding on another 165€ ($179.42). There's even a special Table M#01 menu, which features a "living" table and is offered in a downstairs private dining room next to the R&D kitchen. Since I'm a solo diner, that would've cost me a whopping 1055€ ($1147.21), so I suggest going with a party of five to six, which lowers the price to a mere 395€ ($429.52) per person. Click for larger versions.
This sculptural piece was sitting on my table when I arrived, but was quickly whisked away, never to be seen again.
1: Frozen passion fruit ladyfinger with rum - 2016
My evening commenced with a reimagined "welcome cocktail" that went in a decidedly cold, invigorating, bracingly tart direction, with a "bread-y" finish that featured a unexpectedly long-lasting mintiness.
At this point, I was presented with an unorthodox "feelings menu" that spoke to some of the influences behind the cooking at Disfrutar. Click for larger versions.
2: The beet that comes out of the land - 2014
In this quirky course, a few vigorous swirls of a bowl of black benne seeds quickly revealed a tart, sugary "beet" that broke apart easily upon mastication, but which also stuck quite firmly to the roof of my mouth.
3: Lychee and roses with gin - 2014
This fanciful dish comprised two drops of super floral rosewater gel, which bookended a raspberry-shaped, savory-edged, nearly-as-floral lychee.
To pair with dinner, I opted for something local: the Turo d'en Mota 2008, Recaredo, Sant Sadurni d'Anoia (Corpinnat) [237€ ($257.71)]. I got a wonderfully concentrated, yeasty, funky sensation of apple cider on the nose, while the palate was bright and refreshingly acidic, with orchard fruit commingled with earth and grass. With more time, the wine began smelling amazingly of butterscotch, while taste-wise, I detected richer, sweeter fruit, but with still plenty of offsetting acidity. Further time brought impressively true-to-life aromas of lemon meringue pie with a graham cracker crust; flavors also became much more citrus-forward. The sparkler then moved into a phase where the bouquet displayed yellow fruit, grass, and stone, and the palate an agreeable apple cider-esque dryness. Toward the end of the night, this was still fresh and loaded with lemon, yet boozier at the same time. The evolution of this wine over the course of dinner was just fantastic.
4: Flavor concentration: sprouts - 2023
This course was an early favorite of mine, and perhaps the most memorable dish of my entire trip. What we had was 11 different sprouts set in tomato gelée, accompanied by brief descriptions of each sprout's taste. I sampled from the bottom up, and was blown away by both how eerily similar each sprout tasted to its descriptor, as well as the remarkably focus and concentration of the flavors achieved. At the same time, the tangy tomato gel helped moderate everything going on, and also served as a sort of palate cleanser. This was such a striking demonstration of "less is more," though I suspect that knowing what to expect amplified what I actually tasted, so there's probably a bit of a mental trickery aspect to the course as well.
5: Liquid salad - 2015
6: Tomato "polvorón" and arbequina Caviaroli - 2014
My next two courses arrived simultaneously, and I was instructed to start with the polvorón, which I found amazingly textured. It highlighted plenty of umami at first, but then transitioned into a nearly candied tomato-fueled sweetness, accented by those Arbequina spherifications. The cocktail, meanwhile, really did taste like a salad thanks to its bright, vegetal, olive-oil boosted flavors, and I remember being quite pleased with it.
7: Vodka / Truffle - 2019
Meant to pair with the following course, a black truffle-infused vodka showcased an incredible depth, and actually smelled like foie gras on toast, somehow. According to my server, a kilogram of truffles is needed for every 24 liters of spirit.
8: "Panchino" / filled with caviar - 2016
This Chinese-inspired bun made for some of my favorite bites of the night. I loved how the caviar--tempered ever so slightly by crème fraîche--melded with the soft, sweet, fluffy bread (which effectively served as a blini), and I was also smitten by how the vodka seemingly enhanced the saltiness of the roe--a great combo. This was decadence and elegance all in one.
9: Solid bubbles of smoked butter with caviar - 2018
In this curiously-presented course, an aquarium pump was used to construct smoked butter bubbles, which were then solidified. The magnifying glass was thus intended for inspection of the texture of the end product. Set on some super crispy bread, the butter actually took a back seat here, and the overall sensation I got was reminiscent of pa amb tomàquet, but with a superb briny finish courtesy of that caviar.
10: Gazpacho sandwich with scented vinegar garnish - 2016
This reinterpreted gazpacho removed the vinegar traditionally found in the soup and instead sprayed it into a glass, which was meant to be nosed with every bite of the sandwich. Said sandwich took the form of a super light meringue, filled with sweet-n-tangy tomato, and I was amazed at how well the pungency of the vinegar integrated. Given the vinegar's intensity, just a smell was almost like actually tasting it, which was a rather neat sensation.
11: Disfrutar's Gilda with marinated mackerel - 2017
Here we have the restaurant's version of the gilda, an iconic pintxo from the Basque region of Spain that normally brings together anchovy, olive, and chili pepper, though mackerel was used here instead. I loved the potent, yet sophisticated brine of the fish, and how that juxtaposed with the "explosive" faux olive, passion fruit seeds, and all the pickle-y bits, with everything tied together by olive oil. This is a definite contender for the best mackerel dish I've ever had, and you can bet that I made sure to mop up the remnants with that delightfully crusty, somewhat saline bread.
12: Crunchy mushroom leaf - 2018
If I recall correctly, this "leaf" was made with mushroom consommé and some sort of starch, then microwaved. The result was an ultra-airy chip that really captured the essence of porcini, contrasted with smidges of bittersweetness.
13: Flourless "coca" bread with porcini mushrooms - 2023
Disfrutar's reworked coca bread showed off an astonishingly light, shattery textured that I adored, while the earthiness of those porcinis was on proud display. However, I didn't quite understand the accompanying melt-in-my-mouth sheet of potato starch, which, although it was used to construct the coca, didn't seem to fit in with the dish.
14: Marinated mushroom vinegar with oyster - 2022
Here, both mushroom and oyster were rendered in textures that I hadn't quite experienced before. A heady mushroom emulsion displayed boatloads of umami, and played off the intense brine of the bivalve, while the finishing touch was that sprig of ice plant on the side, with its crunch and refreshing vegetal notes. Do note that two of the mushrooms were actually spherifications, which made for a welcomed textural surprise.
15: Crispy egg yolk with warm mushrooms gelatin - 2014
This perfectly fried egg was a joy both in terms of taste and texture, and after taking a bite, I poured the remainder of the yolk into a shell filled with mushroom gelée. The lusciousness of the liquid married beautifully with the heady, dark-toned flavors of the jelly, and actually made me yearn for some toast!
16: Multispherical pesto with pistachios and eel - 2017
A string of pesto spheres demonstrated the bright, herbaceous notes I was looking for, and it was certainly fun to bite into those individual pearls. I was especially impressed by how well the pesto paired with the extra-hearty eel, seemingly helping it coalesce with the cheesy, nutty elements on the plate in delicious manner. Think familiar, gratifying flavors presented in a novel form--another favorite for sure.
17: Our macaroni alla carbonara - 2014
This was a standout as well, and really conveyed the quintessence of a classic carbonara. I loved the slick texture on the pasta (made from consommé and gelatin I believe), which did a great job mimicking traditional macaroni, while the interplay of cheese and salty pork was as delectable as ever.
18: Calçotada 2023: freeze-dried calçot with it's consommé and romesco miso
An incredibly novel preparation of calçot presented the green onion in a desiccated, shattery form, pairing it with a tangy, but earthier-than-usual romesco. An even better match, however, was that broth on the side, which really expressed the smoky coziness of the onion.
Calçots are traditionally wrapped in newspaper after cooking, and hence I was also provided with this faux newsprint describing the details of the dish. Click for larger versions.
19: Hake "Suquet" - 2016
A riff on a classic Catalonian fish stew featured a super flaky filet of merluza enveloped in a mouthwateringly briny, shrimp-y sauce that actually wowed me a bit. A smear of rich saffron aioli and parsley foam imparted further facets to the dish, while the potato purée spheres helped temper the heady flavors going on.
20: Cappuccino "Suquet" - 2016
The fish above arrived with a cup of cappuccino teeming with this concentrated, oceany salinity that instantly made me think of shrimp heads and shells. Utterly homey and satisfying.
As we headed into the heftier courses, I requested a glass of red wine from Head Sommelier Rodrigo Briseño Martínez, and he surprised me with a pour of the Imperial Reserva 1958, C.V.N.E., D.O.Ca. Rioja [26€ ($28.27)]. Incredible nose filled with sweet cherries, foie gras, and truffles, all in a musty wrapper--wow. Palate-wise, this was so soft, so smooth, blending vibrant, nearly candied red fruit with perfectly tertiary characteristics. This has held up marvelously over the past 66 years, and it's no doubt one of my top wines of the year.
21: The goose that laid the golden eggs: fried crustacean egg - 2021
A golden-hued "yolk" was actually constructed from chili crab, and gave the dish this subtle sweet heat and "Asian-y" savor that I adored. The faux-yolk meshed swimmingly with the actual egg here, and I was a big fan of those shrimp as well, especially texturally. Another highlight for me.
22: Multi spherical tatin of corn and foie - 2016
This next course highlighted illusion in two ways. First, the serving box used reflections to give the impression of a "phantom" tart that defies your best efforts to pick it up. Secondly, the "corn" itself was a simulacrum, one that again made use of Disfrutar's signature multispherical technique to great effect. The sweetness of the spheres was spot-on, and combined flawlessly with the salty, earthy foie gras terrine, a dab of Pedro Ximénez, and the bite's crispy corn base, making for one of the best preparations of the liver I've had in a while.
23: Squab with amasake kombu spaghetti, almond and grape - 2022
I'm not sure what the kitchen did with this squab, but it possessed noticeably more richness and depth than most. Given the heft of the bird, the levity from the grapes and amazake was key, while the seaweed spaghetti really mixed things up texturally.
At this point, I knew that we were about to start dessert, but I wasn't quite full, so I asked if the kitchen could whip up a few supplemental dishes for me, hence these next two plates. In this first one, a dense, hearty block of pork exhibited this BBQ-esque sweetness and smoke that was super familiar. Given the potency of the meat, some form of counterbalance was needed, which was handled by those "noodles" as well as a tangy beetroot meringue.
Given my fondness for tubed meat, it should come as no surprise that I was a major fan of this next dish. The sausage had this delightfully rustic, gritty consistency, while flavors were dark, sticky, and savory, and smartly offset by both potato and piquillo. Do note that I was not charged for either of my extra courses, which was very gracious of the staff.
24: Homemade cider smoked at the moment - 2016
Prepared tableside in a French press and incorporating dry ice, an agreeably smoky 'n' sweet apple cider marked the end of the savory portion of the meal.
25: Musings on walnuts - 2018
We now transition to what could be considered a cheese course. After shattering my walnut with the provided nutcracker, I was greeted with delightfully smoky nutmeat and a cube of Manchego. It left me scratching my head about how the kitchen was able to accomplish the feat.
26: Green walnut and idiázabal cheese - 2018
Next came another cheese course that featured walnut in a completely different manner. It was a joy to experience the four disparate preparations of the seed, with their variations of nutty, sweet, bitter, and pungent. At the same time, a creamy Idiazabal espuma offered up both sweetness and savor, and served as an apt counterbalance to the walnut.
I then requested a local dessert wine, and was provided a glass of the Caligó Vi de Boira 2013, DG Viticultors, D.O. Penedès [12.75€ ($13.86)]. Made from grapes affected by noble rot, this drank rich and syrupy and raisin-y, with an earthy complexity on the back end that kept things interesting.
27: Rose water - 2023
In the curious course, dashes of liquid from an actual rose were splashed in my palms, given them an unabashedly floral scent as I cleaned my hands.
28: Engagement rings - 2023
A fanciful tray of 25 rings then appeared before me. I was only supposed to choose one, but I asked for my server's two favorites, and she selected a peanut butter-y praline and a jammy raspberry for me.
29: Hoisin cucumber - 2018
My favorite of the sweets combined the trademark spicy-savor of hoisin with the brightness of cucumber, ginger, and salty shards of pork skin. The end result was stupendous--simultaneously clever yet jarring--and probably the best use of umami in dessert I've encountered. In fact, I might even call this one of the best desserts I've ever had.
30: Black sesame cornet - 2017
I'm quite the fan of black sesame, so it shouldn't be surprising that I reveled in this next bite. The cone did a great job conveying the signature sweet-nuttiness of sesame, and also displayed a palpable fruitiness that was unexpected, but not unwelcomed.
31: Black apple with noisette butter ice cream and flourless puff pastry - 2022
For my final dessert, a server brought over a cart to showcase one of Disfrutar's latest techniques using apples. What we had was vacuum-sealed apple, aged for 60 days at 60°C, a process that turns the fruit into a black-tinted, pulpy mass. Served warm, the resulting apple revealed dark, heady, sugary, caramelized, nearly boozy flavors that were quite something. It was paired with an airy whipped cream and brown butter ice cream, as well as puff pastry, and the overall effect was not unlike that of a tarte Tatin.
I asked for an Espresso Doble [3.95€ ($4.30)] to go along with the petits fours.
32: Petit fours: Pineapple Rock. Basil leaf. Raspberry marshmallow. Matcha tea rock. Chocolate and passion liquid bonbon. Cotton candy
Tonight's assortment of mignardises was presented on a forest-y landscape that took up quite a bit of space on the table. I began with the passion fruit bonbon, a small but mighty creation that burst in my mouth, releasing a wave of tropical fruit flavors. I then moved on to the basil leaf, which did an admirable job combining the zestiness of the herb with chocolate. Next was the pineapple-white chocolate, which actually had a surprising mintiness to it. This was followed by a tangy raspberry set on a pillow-y marshmallow and a zippy green tea "sponge" with yuzu. And finally: a very sticky cotton candy laced with cacao and peppermint.
Not surprisingly, I walked into Disfrutar with high hopes, and I'm happy to report that I was not let down. As expected, there was oodles of creativity and novelty and technique (not always apparent) involved in the cooking, but also this palpable sense of joy and playfulness. The food was simultaneously fun, serious, daring, as of course delicious, and to me, represents the spirit of El Bulli living on, evolved to reflect the growth of Chefs Castro, Xatruch, and Casañas. Meanwhile, service was pretty much flawless--sincere and never stuffy--and all in all, I have no qualms deeming this my #1 meal of 2024. "Best restaurant in the world?" I can see it.
Carrer de Villarroel, 163, L'Eixample, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
+34 933 48 68 96
www.disfrutarbarcelona.com
Thu 10/17/2024, 07:30p-12:10a
Disfrutar was pretty much the impetus for this entire trip to Barcelona. Named after the Spanish word for "enjoy," the restaurant opened back in 2014, and is the creation of a trio of ElBulli alums: Oriol Castro, Mateu Casañas, and Eduard Xatruch, who've been working together for over 20 years. Over the past decade, the Chefs' avant garde cooking has been garnering more and more international acclaim, culminating in Disfrutar's ascension to the top of the World's 50 Best Restaurants list this year. Given all the lofty praise this place has received, reservations are expectedly difficult to come by, and the restaurant is basically completely booked up nine months out. However, I was recently offered a reservation from a friend who had reserved last year but couldn't attend anymore, and after deciding to accept it, essentially had to plan out a food trip to BCN on short notice.
About the Chefs: Oriol Castro Forns was born in March 1974 in Sitges, not far from Barcelona, and first got interested in food through the home cooking of both his mother and grandmother. He started studying hospitality at Escola Hoteleria Joviat in nearby Manresa in 1990, and from 1992 to 1993, also went to pastry school at Escuela de Pastelería del Gremio de Barcelona (EPGB). The first place he cooked at was Morros in Torredembarra, as a summer job, and during this period, he also apprenticed at the likes of Vilaplana patisserie in Barcelona, Torre del Remei in Bolvir, La Tenalla in Creixell, Via Veneto in Barcelona, Bel Cavaletto in Barcelona, El Dorado Petit in Barcelona, Paco Torreblanca's Pastelería Totel in Elda, and Restaurante Martín Berasategui in Lasarte. After completing school in 1995, Castro began working at Jean Luc Figueras in BCN, then went to El Bulli the following year, starting off as a pastry apprentice. By 1997, he had moved onto the hot line as lead cook, and by 1998, had become part of the restaurant's creative taller, where he worked closely with the Adriàs. He staged at Charlie Trotter's in 1999 and Michel Bras in 2000, and was named El Bulli's head chef in 2001.
We also have Mateu Casañas Puignau, who was born in Roses in August 1977 to a restaurant-running family and attained his education at Centre Escolar Empordà in his hometown. In 1996, he began cooking at his family's eatery, Si Us Plau, and through his parents' connections, was able to get his foot in the door at El Bulli in the summer in 1997. He transitioned to elBullicatering at L'Aquarium de Barcelona that winter, and by the following March, was on the cold station at El Bulli before taking charge of the section just a couple months later. At the end of 1998, Casañas interned at Xavier Sagristà's Mas Pau in Avinyonet de Puigventós, and at the start of 1999, began a three-month stage at Restaurante Turia in Alicante, under Rafa Clarassó. This was followed by more rotation through the El Bulli kitchen and an internship at the Four Seasons in London, and by 2003, he was made head pastry chef.
Last up is Eduard Xatruch Cerro, born May 1981 in Vila-seca, Tarragona to a family in farming and produce sales. He began helping out in the kitchen at the age of 12, and by age 13, knew that he wanted to pursue a career in hospitality. After finishing his primary education at Escola Sant Bernat Calvó, he started training at Institut Escola d'Hoteleria i Turisme de Cambrils in 1995, while it was 1996 when he got his first restaurant job at Llort in La Pineda, starting out as a waiter before becoming a kitchen assistant. Xatruch's "real" introduction to cooking, however, came in 1997 at Quim Font in Salou, while in 1998, he worked, interestingly enough, at the Chinese restaurant at PortAventura theme park before interning at El Bulli from July to September. From October 1998 to April 1999, he was at El Celler del Padrí in Reus, then trained for two months at L'Oustau de Baumanière in Baux-de-Provence, France. He spent June at El Bulli (again), July to September at Arzak in Donostia, and October to February at Talaia Mar in Barcelona. Xatruch joined the team at El Bulli in March 2000, working his way up the ladder, and became part of the restaurant's creative workshop in 2005. He also underwent further training at Pastelería Escribà in Barcelona (winter 2001), Le Calandre in Rubano, Italy (winter 2004), and even The Fat Duck.
The Chefs got to know one another during their decade-plus tenure at El Bulli, and after the restaurant closed at the end of July 2011, the trio stuck around until November 2014 and assisted with the creation of Bullipedia. The three also decided to become business partners, and in April 2012, launched Compartir ("to share"), a semi-informal eatery located in Cadaqués, on the Costa Brava. Its success allowed for the opening of Disfrutar, which bowed in December 2014 to considerable anticipation. The restaurant achieved its first Michelin star at the end of November 2015, while a second star arrived in November 2017. Disfrutar made its first appearance on the World's 50 Best Restaurants list in 2018, at position #18, and this improved to #9 in 2019 and #5 in 2021. June 2022 witnessed the opening of a second Compartir in Barcelona, which was soon followed by a #3 spot on the World's 50 Best for Disfrutar. In 2023, the restaurant's 50 Best ranking rose to #2, and in November that year, it attained three Michelin star status. Most recently, Disfrutar finally reached the #1 spot on the World's 50 Best Restaurants list in June, and will thus be ineligible for inclusion going forward.
Disfrutar occupies an address in BCN's L'Antiga Esquerra de l'Eixample neighborhood that's far more capacious than it appears from the street. Here we see the waiting area in front of the bar, which doesn't appear to be utilized.
Past the bar is the front dining area, and then you enter the kitchen, tiled in red clay.
From there, the space opens up into a surprisingly airy main dining room.
Menu-wise, Disfrutar offers both a Classic tasting menu (my choice, and recommended for first-timers) and a Festival menu containing more seasonal dishes. Both are priced at 295€ ($320.78) a head, with an optional wine pairing adding on another 165€ ($179.42). There's even a special Table M#01 menu, which features a "living" table and is offered in a downstairs private dining room next to the R&D kitchen. Since I'm a solo diner, that would've cost me a whopping 1055€ ($1147.21), so I suggest going with a party of five to six, which lowers the price to a mere 395€ ($429.52) per person. Click for larger versions.
This sculptural piece was sitting on my table when I arrived, but was quickly whisked away, never to be seen again.
1: Frozen passion fruit ladyfinger with rum - 2016
My evening commenced with a reimagined "welcome cocktail" that went in a decidedly cold, invigorating, bracingly tart direction, with a "bread-y" finish that featured a unexpectedly long-lasting mintiness.
At this point, I was presented with an unorthodox "feelings menu" that spoke to some of the influences behind the cooking at Disfrutar. Click for larger versions.
2: The beet that comes out of the land - 2014
In this quirky course, a few vigorous swirls of a bowl of black benne seeds quickly revealed a tart, sugary "beet" that broke apart easily upon mastication, but which also stuck quite firmly to the roof of my mouth.
3: Lychee and roses with gin - 2014
This fanciful dish comprised two drops of super floral rosewater gel, which bookended a raspberry-shaped, savory-edged, nearly-as-floral lychee.
To pair with dinner, I opted for something local: the Turo d'en Mota 2008, Recaredo, Sant Sadurni d'Anoia (Corpinnat) [237€ ($257.71)]. I got a wonderfully concentrated, yeasty, funky sensation of apple cider on the nose, while the palate was bright and refreshingly acidic, with orchard fruit commingled with earth and grass. With more time, the wine began smelling amazingly of butterscotch, while taste-wise, I detected richer, sweeter fruit, but with still plenty of offsetting acidity. Further time brought impressively true-to-life aromas of lemon meringue pie with a graham cracker crust; flavors also became much more citrus-forward. The sparkler then moved into a phase where the bouquet displayed yellow fruit, grass, and stone, and the palate an agreeable apple cider-esque dryness. Toward the end of the night, this was still fresh and loaded with lemon, yet boozier at the same time. The evolution of this wine over the course of dinner was just fantastic.
4: Flavor concentration: sprouts - 2023
This course was an early favorite of mine, and perhaps the most memorable dish of my entire trip. What we had was 11 different sprouts set in tomato gelée, accompanied by brief descriptions of each sprout's taste. I sampled from the bottom up, and was blown away by both how eerily similar each sprout tasted to its descriptor, as well as the remarkably focus and concentration of the flavors achieved. At the same time, the tangy tomato gel helped moderate everything going on, and also served as a sort of palate cleanser. This was such a striking demonstration of "less is more," though I suspect that knowing what to expect amplified what I actually tasted, so there's probably a bit of a mental trickery aspect to the course as well.
5: Liquid salad - 2015
6: Tomato "polvorón" and arbequina Caviaroli - 2014
My next two courses arrived simultaneously, and I was instructed to start with the polvorón, which I found amazingly textured. It highlighted plenty of umami at first, but then transitioned into a nearly candied tomato-fueled sweetness, accented by those Arbequina spherifications. The cocktail, meanwhile, really did taste like a salad thanks to its bright, vegetal, olive-oil boosted flavors, and I remember being quite pleased with it.
7: Vodka / Truffle - 2019
Meant to pair with the following course, a black truffle-infused vodka showcased an incredible depth, and actually smelled like foie gras on toast, somehow. According to my server, a kilogram of truffles is needed for every 24 liters of spirit.
8: "Panchino" / filled with caviar - 2016
This Chinese-inspired bun made for some of my favorite bites of the night. I loved how the caviar--tempered ever so slightly by crème fraîche--melded with the soft, sweet, fluffy bread (which effectively served as a blini), and I was also smitten by how the vodka seemingly enhanced the saltiness of the roe--a great combo. This was decadence and elegance all in one.
9: Solid bubbles of smoked butter with caviar - 2018
In this curiously-presented course, an aquarium pump was used to construct smoked butter bubbles, which were then solidified. The magnifying glass was thus intended for inspection of the texture of the end product. Set on some super crispy bread, the butter actually took a back seat here, and the overall sensation I got was reminiscent of pa amb tomàquet, but with a superb briny finish courtesy of that caviar.
10: Gazpacho sandwich with scented vinegar garnish - 2016
This reinterpreted gazpacho removed the vinegar traditionally found in the soup and instead sprayed it into a glass, which was meant to be nosed with every bite of the sandwich. Said sandwich took the form of a super light meringue, filled with sweet-n-tangy tomato, and I was amazed at how well the pungency of the vinegar integrated. Given the vinegar's intensity, just a smell was almost like actually tasting it, which was a rather neat sensation.
11: Disfrutar's Gilda with marinated mackerel - 2017
Here we have the restaurant's version of the gilda, an iconic pintxo from the Basque region of Spain that normally brings together anchovy, olive, and chili pepper, though mackerel was used here instead. I loved the potent, yet sophisticated brine of the fish, and how that juxtaposed with the "explosive" faux olive, passion fruit seeds, and all the pickle-y bits, with everything tied together by olive oil. This is a definite contender for the best mackerel dish I've ever had, and you can bet that I made sure to mop up the remnants with that delightfully crusty, somewhat saline bread.
12: Crunchy mushroom leaf - 2018
If I recall correctly, this "leaf" was made with mushroom consommé and some sort of starch, then microwaved. The result was an ultra-airy chip that really captured the essence of porcini, contrasted with smidges of bittersweetness.
13: Flourless "coca" bread with porcini mushrooms - 2023
Disfrutar's reworked coca bread showed off an astonishingly light, shattery textured that I adored, while the earthiness of those porcinis was on proud display. However, I didn't quite understand the accompanying melt-in-my-mouth sheet of potato starch, which, although it was used to construct the coca, didn't seem to fit in with the dish.
14: Marinated mushroom vinegar with oyster - 2022
Here, both mushroom and oyster were rendered in textures that I hadn't quite experienced before. A heady mushroom emulsion displayed boatloads of umami, and played off the intense brine of the bivalve, while the finishing touch was that sprig of ice plant on the side, with its crunch and refreshing vegetal notes. Do note that two of the mushrooms were actually spherifications, which made for a welcomed textural surprise.
15: Crispy egg yolk with warm mushrooms gelatin - 2014
This perfectly fried egg was a joy both in terms of taste and texture, and after taking a bite, I poured the remainder of the yolk into a shell filled with mushroom gelée. The lusciousness of the liquid married beautifully with the heady, dark-toned flavors of the jelly, and actually made me yearn for some toast!
16: Multispherical pesto with pistachios and eel - 2017
A string of pesto spheres demonstrated the bright, herbaceous notes I was looking for, and it was certainly fun to bite into those individual pearls. I was especially impressed by how well the pesto paired with the extra-hearty eel, seemingly helping it coalesce with the cheesy, nutty elements on the plate in delicious manner. Think familiar, gratifying flavors presented in a novel form--another favorite for sure.
17: Our macaroni alla carbonara - 2014
This was a standout as well, and really conveyed the quintessence of a classic carbonara. I loved the slick texture on the pasta (made from consommé and gelatin I believe), which did a great job mimicking traditional macaroni, while the interplay of cheese and salty pork was as delectable as ever.
18: Calçotada 2023: freeze-dried calçot with it's consommé and romesco miso
An incredibly novel preparation of calçot presented the green onion in a desiccated, shattery form, pairing it with a tangy, but earthier-than-usual romesco. An even better match, however, was that broth on the side, which really expressed the smoky coziness of the onion.
Calçots are traditionally wrapped in newspaper after cooking, and hence I was also provided with this faux newsprint describing the details of the dish. Click for larger versions.
19: Hake "Suquet" - 2016
A riff on a classic Catalonian fish stew featured a super flaky filet of merluza enveloped in a mouthwateringly briny, shrimp-y sauce that actually wowed me a bit. A smear of rich saffron aioli and parsley foam imparted further facets to the dish, while the potato purée spheres helped temper the heady flavors going on.
20: Cappuccino "Suquet" - 2016
The fish above arrived with a cup of cappuccino teeming with this concentrated, oceany salinity that instantly made me think of shrimp heads and shells. Utterly homey and satisfying.
As we headed into the heftier courses, I requested a glass of red wine from Head Sommelier Rodrigo Briseño Martínez, and he surprised me with a pour of the Imperial Reserva 1958, C.V.N.E., D.O.Ca. Rioja [26€ ($28.27)]. Incredible nose filled with sweet cherries, foie gras, and truffles, all in a musty wrapper--wow. Palate-wise, this was so soft, so smooth, blending vibrant, nearly candied red fruit with perfectly tertiary characteristics. This has held up marvelously over the past 66 years, and it's no doubt one of my top wines of the year.
21: The goose that laid the golden eggs: fried crustacean egg - 2021
A golden-hued "yolk" was actually constructed from chili crab, and gave the dish this subtle sweet heat and "Asian-y" savor that I adored. The faux-yolk meshed swimmingly with the actual egg here, and I was a big fan of those shrimp as well, especially texturally. Another highlight for me.
22: Multi spherical tatin of corn and foie - 2016
This next course highlighted illusion in two ways. First, the serving box used reflections to give the impression of a "phantom" tart that defies your best efforts to pick it up. Secondly, the "corn" itself was a simulacrum, one that again made use of Disfrutar's signature multispherical technique to great effect. The sweetness of the spheres was spot-on, and combined flawlessly with the salty, earthy foie gras terrine, a dab of Pedro Ximénez, and the bite's crispy corn base, making for one of the best preparations of the liver I've had in a while.
23: Squab with amasake kombu spaghetti, almond and grape - 2022
I'm not sure what the kitchen did with this squab, but it possessed noticeably more richness and depth than most. Given the heft of the bird, the levity from the grapes and amazake was key, while the seaweed spaghetti really mixed things up texturally.
At this point, I knew that we were about to start dessert, but I wasn't quite full, so I asked if the kitchen could whip up a few supplemental dishes for me, hence these next two plates. In this first one, a dense, hearty block of pork exhibited this BBQ-esque sweetness and smoke that was super familiar. Given the potency of the meat, some form of counterbalance was needed, which was handled by those "noodles" as well as a tangy beetroot meringue.
Given my fondness for tubed meat, it should come as no surprise that I was a major fan of this next dish. The sausage had this delightfully rustic, gritty consistency, while flavors were dark, sticky, and savory, and smartly offset by both potato and piquillo. Do note that I was not charged for either of my extra courses, which was very gracious of the staff.
24: Homemade cider smoked at the moment - 2016
Prepared tableside in a French press and incorporating dry ice, an agreeably smoky 'n' sweet apple cider marked the end of the savory portion of the meal.
25: Musings on walnuts - 2018
We now transition to what could be considered a cheese course. After shattering my walnut with the provided nutcracker, I was greeted with delightfully smoky nutmeat and a cube of Manchego. It left me scratching my head about how the kitchen was able to accomplish the feat.
26: Green walnut and idiázabal cheese - 2018
Next came another cheese course that featured walnut in a completely different manner. It was a joy to experience the four disparate preparations of the seed, with their variations of nutty, sweet, bitter, and pungent. At the same time, a creamy Idiazabal espuma offered up both sweetness and savor, and served as an apt counterbalance to the walnut.
I then requested a local dessert wine, and was provided a glass of the Caligó Vi de Boira 2013, DG Viticultors, D.O. Penedès [12.75€ ($13.86)]. Made from grapes affected by noble rot, this drank rich and syrupy and raisin-y, with an earthy complexity on the back end that kept things interesting.
27: Rose water - 2023
In the curious course, dashes of liquid from an actual rose were splashed in my palms, given them an unabashedly floral scent as I cleaned my hands.
28: Engagement rings - 2023
A fanciful tray of 25 rings then appeared before me. I was only supposed to choose one, but I asked for my server's two favorites, and she selected a peanut butter-y praline and a jammy raspberry for me.
29: Hoisin cucumber - 2018
My favorite of the sweets combined the trademark spicy-savor of hoisin with the brightness of cucumber, ginger, and salty shards of pork skin. The end result was stupendous--simultaneously clever yet jarring--and probably the best use of umami in dessert I've encountered. In fact, I might even call this one of the best desserts I've ever had.
30: Black sesame cornet - 2017
I'm quite the fan of black sesame, so it shouldn't be surprising that I reveled in this next bite. The cone did a great job conveying the signature sweet-nuttiness of sesame, and also displayed a palpable fruitiness that was unexpected, but not unwelcomed.
31: Black apple with noisette butter ice cream and flourless puff pastry - 2022
For my final dessert, a server brought over a cart to showcase one of Disfrutar's latest techniques using apples. What we had was vacuum-sealed apple, aged for 60 days at 60°C, a process that turns the fruit into a black-tinted, pulpy mass. Served warm, the resulting apple revealed dark, heady, sugary, caramelized, nearly boozy flavors that were quite something. It was paired with an airy whipped cream and brown butter ice cream, as well as puff pastry, and the overall effect was not unlike that of a tarte Tatin.
I asked for an Espresso Doble [3.95€ ($4.30)] to go along with the petits fours.
32: Petit fours: Pineapple Rock. Basil leaf. Raspberry marshmallow. Matcha tea rock. Chocolate and passion liquid bonbon. Cotton candy
Tonight's assortment of mignardises was presented on a forest-y landscape that took up quite a bit of space on the table. I began with the passion fruit bonbon, a small but mighty creation that burst in my mouth, releasing a wave of tropical fruit flavors. I then moved on to the basil leaf, which did an admirable job combining the zestiness of the herb with chocolate. Next was the pineapple-white chocolate, which actually had a surprising mintiness to it. This was followed by a tangy raspberry set on a pillow-y marshmallow and a zippy green tea "sponge" with yuzu. And finally: a very sticky cotton candy laced with cacao and peppermint.
Not surprisingly, I walked into Disfrutar with high hopes, and I'm happy to report that I was not let down. As expected, there was oodles of creativity and novelty and technique (not always apparent) involved in the cooking, but also this palpable sense of joy and playfulness. The food was simultaneously fun, serious, daring, as of course delicious, and to me, represents the spirit of El Bulli living on, evolved to reflect the growth of Chefs Castro, Xatruch, and Casañas. Meanwhile, service was pretty much flawless--sincere and never stuffy--and all in all, I have no qualms deeming this my #1 meal of 2024. "Best restaurant in the world?" I can see it.
posted by kevinEats at
7:30 PM
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