El Celler de Can Roca
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An exquisite three Michelin-starred restaurant nestled in Girona, Catalonia, was founded in 1986 by the visionary Roca brothers—Joan, Josep, and Jordi. In 2007, the restaurant was relocated to its current, more expansive site, where its reputation for culinary excellence only grew. Recognized as the best restaurant in the world by Restaurant magazine in both 2013 and 2015, and securing the second spot in 2011, 2012, 2014, and 2018, El Celler de Can Roca continues to enchant the palates of those fortunate enough to dine there. With no expectations, I braced myself for an unparalleled gastronomic experience. Upon our arrival, we were warmly greeted by the attentive staff, and after a brief wait, Danny, our guide for the evening, introduced himself. He graciously took us on a tour through the kitchen, explaining the various culinary stations before leading us to an intimate private room. One side of the room resembled a wine cellar, while the other mirrored a library adorned with cookbooks, creating a unique ambiance that set the tone for the evening. Throughout our meal, we were visited by various staff members, including wine specialists—one guiding us through the white wine selections, the other presenting an array of reds. The beauty of a set menu lies in the artistry of the chefs, as no decisions need to be made; the seasonal menu is crafted to perfection. The phrase “nothing ordinary” best describes our dining experience. Each plate was a masterpiece—meticulously arranged with distinctive shapes and compositions, bursting with innovative flavours and textures that delighted the senses. Our culinary journey began with a bottle of cava, followed by an exquisite array of nine sets of appetizers, including consommé, olives, seafood, and foie gras. This was succeeded by eleven main courses, showcasing the finest seafood and pigeon, all complemented by a basket of impeccably baked bread. As we savoured a bottle of white wine and then a bottle of red, the evening culminated in a grand finale of four desserts, accompanied by a whimsical Ferris wheel of chocolates and candies, and a delightful tray of popsicles. The experience was nothing short of extraordinary—one that will be etched in my memory forever.
Franciation PhotographyFranciation Photography
00
6th and final stop in our Spanish east coast gastronomic tour. 3x3 stars, 2x2 stars and 2x1 stars. Check the other reviews and follow me for my other challenges. The establishment. I was very excited about this one. It’s legendary. Several persons mentioned it when I said that I was going to Spain. Hence my excitement when I finally got a table. Sadly, I can not decently write a review about the food. Why? I was extremely sick the night just after my lunch there. It was clearly a bug or a food poisoning. Most likely, it’s from somewhere else and/or just bad luck. But regardless of that, the thing is now that I have a strong cognitive dissonance as soon as I start to think about the food there. So I won’t be able to speak in length about their cuisine, the usage of bitterness, the evolution of the meal etc… Instead, I’ll focus on the rest for a change. Actually, he fits since, even if the chefs may not like it and try to prevent it, the main ingredient here is the restaurant fame. Eating there, I was wondering how many famous people must have been in this place, living this experience. How much they were responsible of the slight worn out you can seen on the arms of the chairs, on the wooden floor, etc.. It’s particularly fascinating since the restaurant has had the same decoration, the chance are extremely high that you’re sitting in the actual chair where a magnate did. This is even more true that you can be even greeted by one of the chef, as I saw one greeting at the entry and even saying farewell at the exit. We were not greeted on our way in nor out, but you will be most likely as most were. As it was the last Spanish stop of our 3 stars tour, I could appreciate better the difference between each, and with the 2 stars. Competition is fierce. Especially from 2 stars like Ricard Camarena for example, or even within the 3 stars. We could also appreciate the difference with the French 3 stars as we tried George Blanc and Pic on the way. The philosophy in Spain is more focused on the experience. The French are more art de vivre.
MichelinStarsChallenge RMichelinStarsChallenge R
20
For a restaurant that was once ranked as the best in the world, this establishment is utterly disappointing. While the plating might showcase vibrant and rich colors, the essence of food—its taste—is woefully lacking. The sauces were cloying, and while the restaurant claims to employ molecular gastronomy, it merely relies heavily on sous-vide cooking. The entire meal lacked any trace of enticing aromas or thoughtful layering of flavors. It was a monotonous, uninspired symphony—flat, without peaks or climaxes, and entirely dull. To sum it up, one could liken the dishes to the Chinese folktale *"Painted Skin"*—no matter how beautifully adorned, they fail to conceal the soulless core and the unsettling sense of incongruity beneath. First, the service is terrible. The server serves stuff very ungentle and asked my partner to remove the napkin on the table rudely. When there are some crumbs on the table, there are two servers walked by. Yet they didn’t remove it even after the next dish which is not a Michelins star service at all. He also spilled the water on the table and leave it. What’s more, he places the cutlery with no alignment. The service was rough and careless. Dishes were served without any order or consideration, and tableware was handled with a lack of finesse. The staff lacked attentiveness, ignored guests' needs, and displayed a lack of understanding. Second, the food is not good. I didn’t taste any food “delicious”. Some taste disgusting I would say. The flavour is too strong yet nothing special. The ingredients are not fresh as well. The dessert are okay but appetiser and main dishes are not good at all. Some taste awful to me. Last, the female washroom has no water for washing hands… Overall experience is awful and will never visit again. Coming all the way from Hong Kong with high expectations, this experience left me utterly disheartened and disappointed.
Cheng JoeyCheng Joey
00
Feast Menu: the consommé was an exciting start, followed by the boletus appetizers which paid homage to the flavors of the season. Fresh & Ripe, along with the Mushrooms Sequence were incredibly mindful of the continuity of the courses. The Surf & Turf along with the Duck Xiuxo were both phenomenal explorations of flavor and texture. The food was beautifully plated throughout the entire experience. Proust’s muffin - absolutely astounding. However, some courses fell very short. Finding grit in the oyster was somewhat disheartening, but hardly a dealbreaker. One dessert course in particular replaced innovation and technical ability with a technological gimmick and the final course emphasized presentation and quantity over quality, taste or presence. The service was incredibly disappointing: one of the first tables sat during the evening and nearly last to leave due to speed of service; our server was often gone for long periods of time between courses, attending to other tables, while our next course was resting on a staging table nearby. In particular, our fish of the day suffered from this, with the dish served at room temperature with coagulated sauce. Further frustration came from waiting 40 minutes after finishing service and drinks for our server to provide us with the bill, while he attended to other tables and cleaned the dining room. Having dined at several starred restaurants and some that are on their way, this was a perfectly fine experience for a 150-200€ meal, but it did not taste or feel worthy of its accolades and I was deeply disappointed, having looked forward to dining at this restaurant for several years. Side note: if you are looking forward to the “clouds” that you may have seen in videos or reviews online, this dish is not available in the Feast Menu as of November 2024.
Charles HenryCharles Henry
00
Unfortunately I expected better. Azurmendi in the Basque region or Tickets and Disfrutar in Barcelona impressed me and my husband more. They also had better service. I was actually surprised that for how fancy and formal El Celler was, their service did not match at all. Our main server wasn’t very warm or friendly (huge shock for fine dining), and we never felt fully doted upon, which you expect for the price tag. We’ve eaten at 90% of the World’s Best 50 restaurants, so I have a lot to compare to! With the food, the opening dishes of small bites were delightful. The famous globes didn’t disappoint, as well as the olive trees. I was very happy to find a few dishes had Asian fusion flavors. But where things stopped wowing us were the mains. There was too much seafood, and the prawns particularly were hard to eat. We had a group of 9, and most couldn’t eat either the prawns or langoustine simply due to flavor/taste. And they didn’t even have a non-alcoholic pairing option?? That’s unusual. They did, however, have a woman who can whip up whatever delicious custom cocktail you’d like, but we were surprised not to find a non-alcoholic pairing since many other fine dining restaurants offer one. Fortunately, just as it opened, the menu finished strong with pleasing desserts, especially the big ball that looks like a pearl! We booked this restaurant an entire year in advance, as people have to do. Maybe it’s because we travel the world monthly to eat the most top ranked restaurants out there, so our standards are higher and pickier than the average diner, but sadly, though El Celler de can Roca is no doubt a great restaurant, it’s not exactly the best, and not really worth a year wait. (For reference, we felt let down by Osteria Francescana as well).
Katherine V.Katherine V.
10
@cellercanroca was our 3rd restaurant of the best of the best restaurants from @theworlds50best A last minute cancellation on a 11 month waiting list for the 2 days we happened to be in Girona. If that isn’t fate then I don’t know what is. We were personally greeted by one of the brothers as we seated a fantastic personal touch. Food: we have never been served so many courses anywhere before. We were stuffed (very rare thing for me to say 😂). Every dish was unique. Either a gel, foam, melt in your mouth, or within one tiny dish every bite the flavour changes. It was truly remarkable. Favourite dishes: Amuse Bouche: Foie gras cocoa (won’t lie all of these were some of the most memorable dishes) Starters: Candied artichoke heart - artichoke leaf sauce, Parmesan and walnut sauce, truffle sauce, caramelised onion and fermented shallot. Fish/meat: Charcoal grilled Turbot fins with a pilpil of oxalis flowers, turbot carpaccio and with grapefruit and black olive tartare, turbot supreme confit with garlic oil. Dessert: Ganache of white chocolate and muscovado sugar Wild strawberry, jelly of its juice, jelly of wild strawberry, fennel crumble, sprouts of beetroot and fennel, wild strawberry sorbet. Venue: wow. Modern, nature inspired with a stunning terrace and a huge triangle in the middle with trees in (presuming each corner representing a brother. Service: flawless, the slight unease you feel going into an establishment like this is washed away with a sea of friendly smiles and the intricate knowledge of each dish is incredible. Follow our food road trip around Spain @thefoodiestraveldiary
Katie SandersonKatie Sanderson
00
Nearby Attractions Of El Celler de Can Roca
Parc de la Devesa
Ribes del Ter Park
Residència per a la gent gran Puig d'en Roca

Parc de la Devesa
4.4
(4.2K)Click for details

Ribes del Ter Park
4.4
(188)Click for details

Residència per a la gent gran Puig d'en Roca
3.7
(24)Click for details
Nearby Restaurants Of El Celler de Can Roca
König Girona Nord
Can Roca
L'Exquisit Factory
Sushi Elf
El Racó de Fontajau
Corsaro Fontajau
Restaurant Girum
El Teu Cafè
Kick Off Cafeteria
Forn de Pa Taialà

König Girona Nord
4.1
(3.5K)Click for details

Can Roca
4.4
(1.8K)Click for details

L'Exquisit Factory
3.8
(566)Click for details

Sushi Elf
3.9
(496)Click for details
Basic Info
Address
Carrer de Can Sunyer, 48, 17007 Girona, Spain
Map
Phone
+34 972 22 21 57
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Website
cellercanroca.com
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Reviews
Overview
4.8
(1.9K reviews)
Ratings & Description
Description
Three brothers run this chic bistro known for inventive variations on traditional Catalan recipes.
attractions: Parc de la Devesa, Ribes del Ter Park, Residència per a la gent gran Puig d'en Roca, restaurants: König Girona Nord, Can Roca, L'Exquisit Factory, Sushi Elf, El Racó de Fontajau, Corsaro Fontajau, Restaurant Girum, El Teu Cafè, Kick Off Cafeteria, Forn de Pa Taialà

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