El Bulli

Cala Montjoi, Roses Cuisines: Spanish

About

Chef Fernando Adrià is hailed as the most exciting chef in Spain. The press has dubbed him the "Salvador Dalí of the kitchen" because of his creative approach to cookery. Joël Robuchon, hailed as the world's best chef before his retirement in Paris, has announced that Adrià is the best chef in the world. Adrià operates his luxe eatery in the little hamlet of Roses, but many of the most discerning palates in Catalonia seek out this restaurant. Michelin grants it three stars, an accolade most often reserved for the top restaurant of Paris. El Bulli, which means "innovative" in Spanish, lives up to its name. Most guests order a 12-course tasting menu finer than any you'll be served in Barcelona's top restaurants. You never know what's going to appear, but you can expect the most delightful surprises, based on the season's finest produce. Anticipate a delightful evening at the meal's start, when you're given addictive little dishes of polenta chips and caramelized sunflower seeds. Your amuse-bouche might be a "cappuccino" of guacamole. One dish alone should give Adrià culinary immortality: his lasagna of calamari. Travel + Leisure has hailed El Bulli as "the world's most outrageously creative kitchen," and we concur.