Oriol Castro, Eduard Xatruch e Mateu Casañas

Mateu Casañas, Eduard Xatruch and Oriol Castro (photo Joan Valera)

Mateu Casañas, Eduard Xatruch and Oriol Castro (photo Joan Valera)

Disfrutar

carrer de Villarroel 163, 
Barcellona
+34 933 486896

Disfrutar is the immortality of bullism (with reference to elBulli). It shows that Spanish avant-garde, for many reasons an old memory, can find new powerful and totally contemporary expressions. While the restaurant industry follows a specific road – minimalism, product is king, hidden techniques – Disfrutar goes against the tide: not that it neglects raw materials, in fact the research is very careful, as shown on the palate. Nor is it that the show overcomes the flavours: each dish is a balanced development of aromas, textures, temperatures; during a marvellous tasting of 30 dishes – small dishes, alright – we rarely go below perfection. The difference (which startles, surprises, charms) lies in this: each dish is so surprising and playful, in terms of aesthetics and techniques, it overshadows every other component. Our taste buds tell us Disfrutar is a great restaurant, internationally; the other senses tell us it’s even unique, in many ways”.

These are the words we recently used to describe Meraviglia Disfrutar. A magic place for international cuisine, thanks to the work of the three chefs who run it. And what chefs! Their names are Eduard Xatruch, Oriol Castro and Mateu Casañas (owners and managers also at Compartir, in Cadaqués, opened in April 2012. See: The sharing restaurant). Bullinians, of course (see: Acquiring experience with Ferran Adrià): not only have they worked for over 16 years at the iconic restaurant in Cala Montjoi, but since 1998 they’re also part of the creative team, with Ferran and Albert Adrià. They’ve continued to collaborate with them  even after elBulli closed in July 2011, contributing until November 2014 in the conceptualization of Bullipedia (See: Dining with Ferran Adrià). One month later, they decided to start with Disfrutar, which is about to complete three years of intense and very appreciated life: Best new restaurant in Europe in 2016 for Opinionated About Dining, a Michelin star that same year, Breakthrough Restaurant for the 50Best 2017.

Oriol Castro was born in 1974 in Barcelona, he studied hospitality at Escuela Joviat in Manresa and pastry making at Guild in Barcelona. In 1995 he joined Jean-Luc Figueras’s brigade, also in the Catalan capital, after internships with Martín Berasategui and Paco Torreblanca, among others. The following year, his debut at elBulli, first in the creative taller, then as head chef at Adrià’s iconic restaurant, like Eduard Xatruch.

The latter was born in 1981 in Vila-Seca (Tarragona), and studied at Escuela de Hostelería y Turismo in Cambrils. Since 1996, while he was studying, he was also working in local restaurants. In the summer of 1998 he made his first experience at elBulli, joining the brigade two years later, after an internship at Arzak’s.

Mateu Casañas was born in Roses (Gerona) in 1977. He first entered the world of cuisine through his family restaurant Si us plau. Thanks to the fact his parents were friends of Ferran Adrià’s and Juli Soler’s parents, in 1997 he started working at Cala Montjoi, and after other internships he became pastry chef in 2003. Two years later he got the “Best Pastry Chef” award from Lo mejor de la gastronomía.

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by

Carlo Passera

journalist born in 1974, for many years he has covered politics, mostly, and food in his free time. Today he does exactly the opposite and this makes him very happy. As soon as he can, he dives into travels and good food. Identità Golose's editor in chief