Tag Archive for: Celler de Can Roca

Michelin 3 Star Restaurants 2014 – Spain

 

Last month, November 2013, saw the results of the NEW Michelin Stars for Spain 2014 being announced.  The fantastic news that Madrid can finally boast a 3 star Michelin restaurant, thanks to DiverXo and David Muñoz, brings the number of  Michelin 3 star restaurants in Spain up to 8.

But, it’s not just Spain that is sparkling:  3  Michelin star restaurants around the World include:  Tokyo with 14, Great Britain with 4, New York City with 7, Germany with 11 and San Francisco Bay Area with 2.  The French Michelin Stars for 2014 have yet to be announced but Paris currently holds ten Michelin 3 star restaurants.

The Eight Wonders of Spain:  

 Michelin 3 Star Restaurants in Spain for 2014 (in alphabetical order) are:

Akelarre. Pedro Subijana (Guipúzcoa)

Arzak. Juan Mari Arzak (Guipúzcoa)

Azurmendi. Eneko Atxa (Vizcaya)

DiverXo. David Muñoz (Madrid)

El Celler de Can Roca. Joan Roca (Girona)

Martín Berasategui (Guipúzcoa)

Quique Dacosta (Alicante)

Sant Pau. Carme Ruscalleda (Barcelona)

 

Join us on an exclusively private tour like the Ultimate Luxury Gourmet Food Tour where you can experience Spanish Cuisine at it’s best, and fine dining in Michelin Star Restaurants, including the World’s Number 1 Restaurant – Celler de Can Roca.

Shooting for the Stars! Michelin Starred Restaurants – Spain 2014

 

 

Our Michelin starred Spanish super chefs are waiting patiently for the results of the new Michelin Guide Spain 2014.  The star studded ceremony, this year, will be hosted at the Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao, next Wednesday evening, 20th of November.

UPDATE 20/11/2013: Results of the NEW Michelin Guide Spain 2014.

 

Nerves abound as 7 magnificent Michelin 3 star restaurants, in Spain, fight to maintain their status, while 16, already 2 Michelin star restaurants, hopefully anticipate that extra star to promote them.  Spanish cities Barcelona and Madrid have yet to fill their rumbling stomachs with a TriStar restaurant, maybe this is the year?

 

The suspense will soon be over, as undercover Michelin inspectors have visited, and surely delighted in, the multitude of establishments, to judge what’s on the plate. The Michelin Guide criteria include: the quality of products, the mastering of flavors, the mastering of cooking, the personality of the cuisine and value for money (of what the restaurant offers to its customers both throughout the menu and the year).

 

Earning a Michelin star is considered one of the highest honors in the industry, but, what does a star mean?

3 Michelin Stars “exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey”

2 Michelin Stars “excellent cooking, worth a detour”

1 Michelin Star “very good restaurant in its category, a good place to stop on your journey”

 

Here are the complete lists (in alphabetical order, not preferential) of what Spain is anticipating, in the Michelin Star World, next Wednesday.

 

Good luck chefs!

 

 

The Magnificent Seven!  

Michelin 3 Star Restaurants in Spain, hoping to maintain their status:

 

  • Akelarre. Pedro Subijana (Guipúzcoa) 
  • Arzak. Juan Mari Arzak (Guipúzcoa) 
  • Azurmendi. Eneko Atxa (Vizcaya) 
  • El Celler de Can Roca. Joan Roca (Girona) 
  • Martín Berasategui (Guipúzcoa) 
  • Quique Dacosta (Alicante) 
  • Sant Pau. Carme Ruscalleda (Barcelona) 

 

16 Spanish restaurants chasing their third Michelin Star:

 

  • Àbac. Jordi Cruz (Barcelona) 
  • Atrio. Toño Pérez (Cáceres) 
  • Calima. Dani García (Málaga)
  • Casa Marcial. Nacho Manzano (Asturias) 
  • DiverXO. David Muñoz (Madrid) 
  • El Club Allard. Diego Guerrero (Madrid) 
  • Enoteca. Paco Pérez (Barcelona) 
  • La Terraza del Casino. Paco Roncero (Madrid) 
  • Lasarte. Martín Berasategui (Barcelona) 
  • Les Cols. Fina Puigdevall (Girona) 
  • Miramar. Paco Pérez (Girona) 
  • Moments. Raül Balam (Barcelona) 
  • Mugaritz. Andoni luis Aduriz (Guipúzcoa) 
  • Ramón Freixa (Madrid) 
  • Santceloni. Óscar Velasco (Madrid) 
  • Sergi Arola. Gastro (Madrid)

 

Not on the hopeful list anymore is Can Fabes (Sant Celoni, Barcelona) of the late Santi Santamaría.  Unfortunately, at the end of this summer 2013 and after 32 years of service, this 2 star restaurant closed its doors.

Spanish restaurants chasing Michelin Star Number 2 (there’s a lot!!!) :

  • A Estación. Cambre, La Coruña. 
  • Abantal. Sevilla. 
  • Alameda. Fuenterrabía, Guipúzcoa. 
  • Alborada. La Coruña. 
  • Alejandro G.Urrutia. Gijón, Asturias. 
  • Alkimia. Barcelona. 
  • Andra Mari. Galdácano, Vizcaya. 
  • Annua. San Vicente de la Barquera, Cantabria. 
  • Aponiente. El Puerto de Santa María, Cádiz. 
  • Ars Natura. Cuenca. 
  • As Garzas. Malpica de Bergantiños, La Coruña. 
  • Bal d’Onsera. Zaragoza. 
  • Bo·Tic. Corçà, Girona. 
  • Boroa. Amorebieta, Vizcaya.
  • Ca L’Arpa. Banyoles, Girona. 
  • Ca L’Enric. La Vall de Vianya, Girona. 
  • Caelis (Hotel Palace). Barcelona. 
  • Can Bosch. Cambrils, Tarragona. 
  • Can Jubany. Calldetenes, Barcelona. 
  • Capritx. Terrassa, Barcelona. 
  • Casa Alfonso. Dehesa de Campoamor, Alicante. 
  • Casa Gerardo. Prendes, Asturias. 
  • Casa José. Aranjuez, Madrid. 
  • Casa Marcelo. Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña. 
  • Casa Pepa. Ondaira, Alicante. 
  • Casamar. Llafranc, Girona. 
  • Cenador de Amós. Villaverde de Pontones, Cantabria. 
  • Chirón. Valdemoro, Madrid. 
  • Choco. Córdoba. 
  • Cinc Sentits. Barcelona. 
  • Cocinandos. León. 
  • Comerç24. Barcelona. 
  • Coque. Humanes, Madrid. 
  • Culler de Pau. O Grove, Pontevedra. 
  • Dos Cielos (Hotel Me). Barcelona. 
  • Dos Palillos. Barcelona. 
  • El Bohío. Illescas. Toledo. 
  • El Corral del Indianu. Arriondas, Asturias. 
  • El Lago. Marbella, Málaga. 
  • El Molino de Urdániz. Urdaitz, Navarra. 
  • El Nuevo Molino. Puente Arce, Santander. 
  • El Portal (Hotel Echaurren). Ezcaray, La Rioja. 
  • El Serbal. Santander. 
  • Els Brancs. Roses, Girona. 
  • Els Casals. Sagás, Barcelona. 
  • Els Tinars. Llagostera, Girona. 
  • Es Fum. Palmanova, Mallorca. 
  • Es Molí d’en Bou. Sa Coma, Mallorca. 
  • Es Racó d’es Teix. Deiá, Mallorca. 
  • Estany Clar. Cercs, Barcelona. 
  • Etxanobe. Bilbao. 
  • Etxebarri. Axpe, Vixcaya. 
  • Europa. Pamplona.
  • Fogony. Sort, Lleida. 
  • Fonda Sala. Olost, Barcelona. 
  • Gaig. Barcelona. 
  • Hisop. Barcelona. 
  • Hofmann. Barcelona. 
  • Jardín. Port d’Alcúdia, Mallorca. 
  • José Carlos García. Málaga. 
  • Julio. Fontanar del Alforins, Valencia. 
  • Kabuki Wellington. Madrid. 
  • Kabuki. Guía de Isora, Santa Cruz de Tenerife. 
  • Kabuki. Madrid. 
  • Kokotxa. San Sebastián. 
  • Koy Shunka. Barcelona. 
  • La Cabaña de la Finca Buenavista. Murcia. 
  • La Costa. El Ejido, Almería. 
  • La Cuina de San Simon. Tossa de Mar, Girona. 
  • La Finca. Elche, Alicante. 
  • La Fonda Xesc. Gombrén, Girona. 
  • La Llar. Castelló d’Empúries, Girona. 
  • La Prensa. Zaragoza. 
  • La Sucursal. Valencia. 
  • L’Aliança d’Anglès. Anglès, Girona. 
  • L’Angle (Hotel Cram). Barcelona. 
  • Las Rejas. Las Pedroñeras, Cuenca. 
  • Las Torres. Huesca. 
  • Les Magnòlies. Arbúcies, Girona. 
  • L’Escaleta. Cocentaina, Alicante. 
  • Lillas Pastia. Huesca. 
  • Lluerna. Santa Coloma de Gramanet, Barcelona. 
  • M.B. (Hotel Abama). Guía de Isora, Tenerife. 
  • Manairó.Barcelona. 
  • Maralba. Almansa, Albacete. 
  • Marqués de Riscal. Elciego, Álava. 
  • Maruja Limón. Vigo. 
  • Mas Pau. Figueres, Girona. 
  • Massana. Girona. 
  • Mina. Bilbao, Vizcaya. 
  • Mirador de Ulía. San Sebastián. 
  • Miramón Arbelaitz. San Sebastián. 
  • Moo (Hotel Omm). Barcelona 
  • Nectari. Barcelona. 
  • Neichel. Barcelona. 
  • Nerua. Bilbao, Vizcaya. 
  • Pepe Vieira. Raxo, Pontevedra. 
  • Real Balneario. Salinas, Asturias. 
  • Retiro da Costiña. Santa Comba, La Coruña. 
  • Ricard Camarena. Valencia. 
  • Riff. Valencia. 
  • Rincón de Diego. Cambrils, Tarragona. 
  • Rodero. Pamplona. 
  • Rodrigo de la Calle. Madrid. 
  • Saüc. Barcelona. 
  • Silabario. Tui, Pontevedra. 
  • Skina. Marbella, Málaga. 
  • Solana. Ampuero, Cantabria. 
  • Solla. Poio, Pontevedra. 
  • Torreo de L’India. Xerta, Tarragona. 
  • Venta Moncalvillo. Daroca de Rioja, La Rioja. 
  • Vertical. Valencia. 
  • Via Veneto. Barcelona. 
  • Víctor Gutiérrez. Salamanca. 
  • Villena. Segovia. 
  • Yayo Daporta. Cambados, Pontevedra. 
  • Zalacaín. Madrid. 
  • Zaldarián. Vitoria. 
  • Zaranda (Hotel Hilton Sa Torre). Llucmajor, Mallorca. 
  • Zortziko. Bilbao. 
  • Zuberoa. Oyarzun, Guipúzcoa. 

 

Michelin Star Number 1 may be on the menu for some of these hopeful Spanish restaurants:

 

  • 41 grados. Albert Adrià (Barcelona) 
  • Abastos 2.0. Taberna. Iago Pazos y Marcos Cerqueiro (Santiago)
  • Álbora. David García (Madrid) 
  • Altaïr. Ramón Caso (Mérida, Badajoz) 
  • Antaviana. Rosina Miserachs (Girona) 
  • Apicius. Enrique Medina de Arnal (Valencia) 
  • AQ. Ana Ruiz y Quintín Quinsac (Tarragona) 
  • Arola Arts. Sergi Arola (Barcelona) 
  • Azafrán. Teresa Gutiérrez (Albacete)
  • Ca’Suso. Iván y Vicente Feito (Asturias) 
  • Casa Urola. Pablo Loureiro (Vizcaya)
  • Compartir. Castro, Xatruch, Casañas (Girona)
  • Coure. Albert Ventura (Barcelona) 
  • El Barrigón de Bertín. Alberto Asensio (Asturias) 
  • El Olivar. Firo Vázquez (Murcia) 
  • El Poblet. Quique Dacosta (Valencia) 
  • El Retiro. Ricardo González (Asturias)
  • Elkano. Pedro Arregui (Guipúzcoa) 
  • Espai Kru. Ever Cubilla (Barcelona) 
  • Fagollaga. Ixak Salaberria (Guipúzcoa) 
  • Fermí Puig. Fermí Puig (Barcelona) 
  • Gresca. Rafa Peña (Barcelona) 
  • Íñigo Lavado. Íñigo Lavado (Guipúzcoa) 
  • Koldo Miranda. Koldo Miranda (Asturias) 
  • La Botica. Miguel Ángel de la Cruz (Valladolid) 
  • La Casona del Judío. Sergio Bastard (Cantabria) 
  • La Llotja. Marc Miró (Tarragona) 
  • La Plaça de Madremanya. Vicenç Fajardo (Girona) 
  • La Salgar. Nacho Manzano (Asturias)
  • La Salgar. Nacho Manzano (Gijón) 
  • Mas de Torrent. Jordi Garrido (Girona) 
  • Messina. Mauricio Giovanini (Málaga)
  • Monastrell. Maria José San Román (Alicante) 
  • Pa i Raïm. Roseta Jorba Duran (Girona)
  • Pakta. Albert Adrià (Barcelona) 
  • Palio. Jesús Ángel (Toledo) 
  • Punto MX. Ricardo Ruiz (Madrid) 
  • Refectorio. Pablo Montero (Valladolid) 
  • Roig Robí. Mercè Navarro (Barcelona) 
  • Sacha. Sacha Ormaechea (Madrid)
  • Sudestada. Estanis Carenzo (Madrid) 
  • The Mirror. Paco Pérez (Barcelona) 
  • Tickets. Albert Adrià (Barcelona) 
  • Torralbenc. Paco Morales (Menorca) 
  • Treintaitres. Ricardo Gil (Navarra) 
  • Tribeca. Pedro Giménez (Sevilla) 
  • Villa Magna. Rodrigo de la Calle (Madrid)
  • Xarma. Xabier Díez y Aizpea Ohianeder (Guipúzcoa) 

 

 

We’ll keep you posted with the results of Michelin Guide Spain 2014 next Wednesday! In the meantime, “Bon Appetite!”

 

The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2013 – Celler de Can Roca nº 1!

It seems the magnificent legend of Restaurant Celler de Can Roca in Spain has no boundaries!

We are thrilled to confirm that Spanish restaurant Celler de Can Roca, our own very precious Girona based Michelin 3* restaurant, has been confirmed   as No: 1 Restaurant in the World, at the much-anticipated World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards 2013, which was held tonight, Monday 29th April at the historic Guildhall in the City of London, in the company of the world’s finest chefs, international media and the world’s most influential restaurateurs.

The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards and List, which is now in its 10th year, is organised and compiled by Restaurant magazine and sponsored by S Pellegrino & Acqua Panna.

The list is created by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy, a highly influential group of over 800 international leaders in the restaurant industry. The Academy comprises 27 separate regions around the world, each region having its own panel of 31 members including a chairperson at its head. The panel is made up of food critics, writers, chefs and ‘gastronomes’ each of whom has seven votes. Members vote for seven restaurants, at least three of which must be  reputed restaurants outside their region.

Did you know that Spain is host to a number of the world´s most famous restaurants including Murgaritz, which was awarded with nº 4 by  World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards 2013 and Arzak,  with nº 8 the list,  both in San Sebastian. If you would like to experience some of the best restaurants Spain has on offer then our Ultimate Gourmet Tour   is perfect for sophisticated diners who are looking to experience the best of Spanish cuisine.

To see the full list of the  The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2013:

http://www.theworlds50best.com/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=AwardTweet&utm_campaign=AwardTweet

A tasting Menu at Celler de Can Roca

The pilgrimage to Spain to visit the revolutionary Spanish restaurant, El Celler de Can Roca,  is a must for anyone seriously interested in gastronomy. There is little that hasn´t already been said ( and praised) about this place but we can safely say that after an afternoon here is is easy to understand the hype and to clarify that, unbelievably, the

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Gourmand Breaks Clients Cooking Class at El Celler De Can Roca

 

The Roca brothers at El Celler de Can Roca, recently ranked by Restaurant Magazine as the 5th best restaurant in the world, opened their doors for private cooking class for the first time since its’ existence.

Who were the first lucky students to learn the latest culinary techniques from arguably two of the best Avant-Garde chefs in Spain, and perhaps the world? None other than Kent Rathbun, highly acclaimed Dallas chef, with his annual group of tour guests. Rathbun owns and operates a number of the popular restaurants in Texas, namely Abacus and Shinshei, among others. Each year he offers a chance to travel to different parts of the world on a culinary tour with him and his wife, Tracy.

This year’s ten day tour, organized by Gourmand Breaks, began in Barcelona, Spain, and the proverbial cherry on top was the cooking class at El Celler de Can Roca. In this case, that cherry was created from liquid nitrogen. That’s right – after the guests were greeted by Spanish chefs Joan and Jordi Roca, head chef and pastry chef respectively, Jordi began the presentation right away and formed a sorbet of cherries into a ball. He then submerged them into a vat gelatin and a vat of liquid nitrogen and froze the entirety of the contents instantaneously; everyone’s jaws dropped in awe. He then added an actual cherry stem to the top to create the illusion of a real cherry and gave the guests the opportunity to make their own. Quite obviously an artisan of insinuation himself, Jordi creates several other illusionary dishes, which play on all five senses. For example, like watching a magician perform, he uses a blown sugar ball to produce the appearance of an apricot. The delicately thin orb assumes the role of the skin, while compacted fruit on the inside takes place of the flesh of an apricot. Absolutely delightful!

The Roca brothers’ say it best on their website – “Cooking is an art of make believe. Of appearances. Things that look like other things. Things that take the shape of what they intend to be, but with no extrapolation implied in such imitation. The art of insinuating.”

Spanish Chef Joan Roca picked up from there and led the group to the meat station where he demonstrated the technique of cooking at a low temperature over a long period of time known as sous-vide cooking. Joan demonstrated how one of Spain’s most traditional dishes, the acclaimed Iberian suckling pig, can turn out incredibly perfect with the help of the Roner and company. The professional Roner, created by Joan, uses precise mathematical time and temperature control to cook sous-vide. These days, modern chefs around the world find the Roner absolutely indispensable to maintain the integrity of the product and to ensure a perfect result every single time. As a matter of fact, Joan has concocted another device, the Rotoval, which is a distillation machine adapted for kitchen use. It’s amazing how the traditional recipes carefully preserved by generations of Roca family chefs combined with state of the art devices lead to dishes of astonishing perfection!

The Gourmand Breaks privileged clients were later treated to the delicious lunch and witnessed with their own taste buds the perfect harmony of modern and traditional cuisine. After the unique experience of an afternoon in the Roca brothers kitchen, one can fully appreciate their enormous contribution to the development of avant-garde cuisine worldwide. It is no wonder they are considered one of the top restaurants in the world.

For additional information about visiting El Celler de Can Roca or other such prestigious restaurants for a cooking class of your own or to visit on your very own customized Spanish culinary tour visit the Gourmand Breaks Website.