Meal #7: Disfrutar
Michelin Stars: 1
Total Star Count: 5
World’s Best List: 55
I have now left Barcelona after 4 nights and purposefully waited to share my meals as I wanted to compare Disfrutar, Tickets and Enigma Concept. The Adria Brothers, famed for elBulli, are considered kings of molecular gastronomy, with Disfrutar hailing not one, not two, but three chefs all from the elBulli kitchen. Had the students surpassed their teachers?
After having dined at all three, in three consecutive nights, I can assuredly say that Disfrutar blows Tickets out of the water — both in food, creativity and service. In fact, I think the ranking of 55 in the World’s Top 100 list is far too low a number and certainly anticipate them to continue to rise both in rankings and in notoriety.
My meal began with a tour of the kitchen and meeting the kitchen staff. The various stations were prepared for a full night of service and under the watchful eye of Chef Eduard Xatruch. I had a view of the kitchen the entire evening and watched the team act with swiftness and precision, never faltering.
The meal began immediately with surprise and awe. The very first introduction to what lay ahead of me that evening was my first “beverage pairing” — which was created table side and oozed magical smoke (yes, I know it’s dry ice, but trust me, you’ll forget for a moment too and get caught up in the wonder).
That opening act could have been tough to follow, but the amuse bouches did not disappoint and followed in strong form. From a “kiss from a rose” to an olive that looks like an olive, tastes like an olive, but is not an olive and explodes with a pop in your mouth, the inventiveness of the experience is almost unmatched. Throughout my entire dinner I felt like a kid in a candy store. Laughing to myself (and with the lovely staff), muttering to myself in disbelief, I normally would have felt embarrassed later by my reactions had I not known that my fellow diners were also experiencing the same reactions and far too engrossed in their wonderment to even pay attention to my wide eyes.
Standout courses include an inverted grilled cheese sandwich (where the cheese is the bread, and the bread is the cheese), but looks like a triangle wedge your mother would pack in your grade-school lunch. It was clever, familiar and anything but pretentious. Their famous egg and caviar dish is certainly another to write home about — mixing sauces, dipping bread and slurping up the extra sauce (which everyone always wants to do and often does not at a fancy restaurant) will make you happy.
There were many “showstopping” moments with table-side food preparations that would make even the most jaded food traveler smile and remember that food is supposed to be about joy and happiness. A favorite dish, both in preparation and in taste, was the “pasta” course — with gorgeous “glass noodles” and a delicious parmesan cream piled so high any cheese lover might faint in excitement.
The desserts ran from familiar and comfortable (black sesame ice cream, a personal favorite of mine) to presenting a large sculptural piece of art that just also happens to have an edible component (chocolate and mint cotton candy). All of it had me delighted — no other word describes my total experience.
And I certainly can’t forget the moment when Eric, my lovely waiter for the evening, poured precious whiskey into my hands (I’m Irish, so this is almost sacrilegious. Almost.) to rub the delicious aroma for a complete smell and taste sensory experience as my evening was wrapping up. While not the first multi-sensory course of the night, it was certainly my favorite.
Service was just as strong as the meal. The entire staff, especially my main waiter Eric (and Tony, who greeted me), was warm, down to earth, polished and attentive without being overbearing. I’m a firm believer that service can make or break a meal or be what elevates the experience from good to great, and it’s clear this mantra is held by the chefs as well. Great care has clearly been taken in the hiring and direction of the front of house and it certainly is a large reason why my meal at Disfrutar will easily be one of my favorites. Not just for this trip and series, but overall in my dining memories.
