Disfrutar

Disfrutar was opened in 2014 by Oriol Castro, Eduard Xatruch and Mateu Casañas, three chefs who worked together for years in the kitchen at elBulli, and that heritage shows in the inventiveness of the cooking. The restaurant holds three Michelin stars and was named number one in The World's 50 Best Restaurants in 2024, along with three Repsol Suns and a long list of other awards, so it is firmly a special-occasion destination.

The format is a long tasting menu of many small courses, built around Mediterranean flavours and avant-garde technique. Diners choose between two menus at the same price: the Classic menu, which gathers dishes that have become signatures of the restaurant, and the Festival menu, made up of creations from the current season. A wine pairing selected by the sommelier team can be added. The restaurant suggests not reading too much about the dishes in advance, as surprise is central to the experience: expect playful presentations, unexpected textures and dishes that look like one thing and taste like another.

For something even more exclusive, The Living Table Experience seats guests at a table inside the research and development kitchen on the lower floor, where the team works on new ideas. Details and prices for this are published separately on the restaurant's website.

Booking is essential and is made online through the restaurant's own reservation system; tables are released in advance and go quickly, so plan well ahead and be flexible with dates. The meal lasts several hours, so allow a full lunch or evening. Prices are at the top end of the scale, and the menus are published with their validity dates on the official website. The dining room is relaxed rather than stiff, and smart casual dress is the norm. Let the restaurant know about allergies and dietary needs when you book, as the menu is planned in advance.

Disfrutar suits food lovers celebrating something important, and anyone curious about the creative cooking that made Catalonia famous in the gastronomic world. It is on Carrer de Villarroel in the left side of the Eixample, a short walk from Hospital Clínic station on metro line L5 and from the Mercat del Ninot, a covered neighbourhood market. Before dinner, the bars of the Eixample Esquerra, including the cocktail bar Sips on Carrer de Muntaner, are a few minutes away.