Tag Archive for: Girona

World’s Best Restaurants of 2014 – TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards

It seems we could dedicate our whole blog just to the Roca Brothers and their restaurant, El Celler de Can Roca, in Girona, Spain.  These boys do not stop with their award-winning perfection and this time, it’s the World’s Best Restaurants of 2014 – TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards.

germans_roca

TripAdvisor, the world travel reference for many, has announced its annual Travelers’ Choice awards and in the best restaurants around the world category, Michelin 3* restaurant El Celler de Can Roca, in Girona, Spain is in 1st place!!  This year they beat off over 350 fine dining establishments, worldwide, to take the Number One spot for their “sublime” (a word we hear frequently from diners there) cuisine.

El Celler de Can Roca, run by 3 Catalan brothers, is currently ranked, by Restaurant Magazine, as the second best restaurant in the World (Nº1 in 2013) on their acclaimed World’s Best Restaurants for 2014 list.  At the same awards ceremony, held in London back in April, Jordi Roca not only celebrated the restaurants’ success with his brothers, Joan and Josep, he was also crowned The World’s Best Pastry Chef.

Jordi Roca

But, apart from El Celler de Can Roca, in Girona, at Nº1,  2 other Spanish restaurants feature in the Top 10 list of the World’s Best Restaurants of 2014 – TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards:

CLUB ALLARD

El Club Allard, in Madrid, at Nº6.

This now Michelin 2 star restaurant started life as a private club in 1998, but opened its doors to the public in 2007.

 

 

Martín Berasategui

Martín Berasategui, in Lasarte – San Sebastián, at Nº10.

This Michelin 3* restaurant is also ranked   35th in the acclaimed World’s Best 50 Restaurants List compiled by Restaurant Magazine.

 

Special mention should also be made to DiverXO in Madrid, awarded 15th place in the World’s Best Restaurants of 2014 – TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards. Groundbreaking chef David Muñoz is on the rise and received the 3rd Michelin Star for DiverXO when the NEW Michelin Guide for Spain and Portugal 2014 was presented last November. Madrid’s only Michelin 3 star restaurant DiverXO was then awarded 94th place in the acclaimed World’s 50 (well 100) Best Restaurants Awards List of 2014.

 

The Top 10 World’s Best Restaurants of 2014 – TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice winners are:

  • 1.   El Celler de Can Roca, Girona, Spain
  • 2.   Midsummer House, Cambridge, England
  • 3.   Maison Lameloise, Chagny, France (last year’s winner)
  • 4.   The French Café, Auckland, New Zealand
  • 5.   Alinea, Chicago, Illinois, USA
  • 6.   El Club Allard, Madrid, Spain
  • 7.   Epicure, Paris, France
  • 8.   Le Manoir Aux Quat’Saisons, Great Milton, England
  • 9.   Le Gavroche, London, England
  • 10. Martin Berasategui, San Sebastian, Spain

 

Spain is the country with the most restaurants featured in the list of the 25 TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice winners with a total of 4! The UK, France and the USA each feature 3 restaurants. Argentina and Denmark are presented by 2 restaurants each, while Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Brazil, Greece, South Africa, China and Hungary each have 1.

The TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Award winners are based on the TripAdvisor travelers’ community and the millions of unbiased reviews and opinions received over a 12month timeframe. The procedure evaluates the quantity and quality of the  reviews that worldwide restaurants receive on TripAdvisor.

With Spanish Chefs taking the World by storm, yet again, now is the time to visit Spain with some of the World’s Best Restaurants and numerous Michelin stars!  On one of our Private Food, Wine and Cultural Tours you can indulge in the Best Michelin Starred Restaurants in Catalonia, Madrid and The Basque Country.  Contact us for your personalized quote.

 

The Boys are Back in Town !!

Rock Stars tour World stadiums and artists exhibit in International galleries so why shouldn’t Super-chefs get out and about and spread their art, knowledge, creativity and expertise. This is exactly what happened on the The Roca & Roll World Tour 2014!

Roca Brothers on Tour

Foto courtesy of BBVA Celler Tour : http://www.bbvacellertour.com/en/home/

The month of August saw Michelin 3* restaurant El Celler de Can Roca, Girona – Spain, close its doors. But the Boys (Joan, Josep and Jordi) weren’t soaking up the sun on the beach for the Summer holidays, they were on a Cooking Tour Experience for 5 weeks!

Along with the collaboration of the financial group BBVA, the Roca brothers, and the restaurant’s exquisitely trained chefs and team, headed first to the United States, to Houston and Dallas, before going south to the Mexican cities of Monterrey and Mexico City, followed by Bogotá, Colombia and ending in Lima, Peru.

A tour about spreading knowledge but also of aquiring it.  The best local talent and products were sought out to prepare the four different menus designed specifically for each country culminating in nearly 50,000 dishes for 2,700 BBVA customers and guests over the four countries.

Celler de Can Roca

But, home is where the heart is and The (Roca) Boys are Back in Town (Girona) and Michelin 3* restaurant, El Celler de Can Roca, has opened its doors again.

Not that you need proof that they’re back, but, we had some guests have lunch there last week and these are their words :

” ….. would you believe that we have just left the restaurant after 4 and a half hours of eating!!! It was a once in a lifetime experience. The food was magically displayed with a global concept for each course. Impeccable service.‎ We were fortunate to speak with Joan Roca at the end of our adventure. What a day! “

Join us on a Private Food and Wine Tour of Spain to include the Emporda region, North of Barcelona, like our Highlights of Spain Luxury Tour, and you too could have the opportunity to dine at El Celler de Can Roca. But, be warned, this fantastic Michelin 3 * restaurant has a waiting list longer than its capacity!

El Celler de Can Roca ON TOUR

World’s Number 2 restaurant (last years Nº1), and Michelin 3 starred, El Celler de Can Roca, Girona, Spain will be closing it’s doors this summer 2014!  But not to worry, it’s only for 5 weeks as the Roca Brothers head West to the US.

Can we expect to see Joan, Josep and Jordi in cowboy boots and stetsons? Maybe, as after all the Roca brothers are hitting Texas!  El Celler de Can Roca is run by head chef Joan, sommelier Josep, and pastry chef Jordi, who was recently awarded the coveted title of World’s Best Pastry Chef 2014.    The tour is a fantastic opportunity for other parts of the World to experience the sublime dining offered in Girona, Spain, all year round.  All three brothers, along with 20 members of their staff will be recreating their Girona based restaurant in Houston and Dallas before heading South to Colombia, Mexico and Peru.

The tour is being sponsored by Spanish financial services group BBVA who  are transporting the soul of El Celler de Can Roca to the US to be recreated for clients of BBVA Compass, BBVA Group’s U.S. franchise.

A “somni” (dream) come true for many of our Gourmand Breaks clients and El Celler de Can Roca fans in Texas – “Bon profit” as the Catalans say!

Flower Power in Girona – Temps de Flors

Girona, Spain, is in bloom this week as Flower Power hits the city! 

The 59th edition of “Temps de Flors” opened last Saturday in Girona, Spain.  All this week thousands of visitors are expected to flock to Girona to view the beautiful array of street ornamentation, vibrant monuments and decorative patios following one theme – Flowers!  We’re not going to give too much away but here’s a glimpse of some of the colorful dislays to be enjoyed at the Girona Flower Festival this year – through to May 18th 2014.

  

If you’re in Girona this week take the time to stroll through the Flower Festival.  Here’s a map,  via the ‘Ajuntament de Girona’ (the town council), to guide you through the many arrangements that you can see in Girona:  http://www.gironatempsdeflors.net/docs/planol_tempsdeflors_2014.pdf

The month of May brings the Flower Festival to Girona but  anytime of year is great to visit this Little City with a Big Heart.  Join us on a Food, Wine and Cultural Tour like the Ultimate Gourmet Tour which icludes a private guided tour in Girona and much more!

 

Girona, Spain – Little City, BIG heart

Cosmopolitan Girona is a vibrant city with much to offer:  a wide variety of retail options, top class restaurants, fascinating culture and excellent public transport connections.  It has all the vibes of city life but with a personal approach, as with its outstretched arms Girona pulls you in to its enchanting soul.

Through the heart of this up and coming city lies the River Onyar lined with its characteristic colorful houses,  dating back to the end of the middle Ages, and various bridges that criss-cross the old and new parts.

Over 1000 years of history make up the charming old part of Girona, located around the single nave Cathedral, the Jewish quarter, Sant Feliu church and Sant Pere de Galligants monastery.

In the patrimonial ensemble of the Santa Maria Cathedral of Girona the must see features are:
– The Gothic Nave, the widest in the world, without columns, at 22.80m (14th-16th centuries)
– The Creation Tapestry, one of a kind in Western Medieval art (11th-12th centuries)
– The Romanic Cloisters from the 12th century, and a collection of sculpture, painting, manuscripts, altar pieces and textiles (10th-12th centuries)

In the proximity of  the Cathedral are Sant Feliu church and Sant Pere de Galligants (now home of the Archaeology of Catalonia Museum), as well as the Arabian Baths.

According to legend, Saint Narcissus, the Bishop of Girona , and Saint Felix, his deacon, both died as martyrs, and the relics of Narcissus can still be worshipped in Girona Cathedral today.  Many miracles are attributed to this saint, such as that of the “Mosques de Sant Narcís” (‘flies of Saint Narcissus’). This legend stems from the time when the then King of France came to Girona with a powerful army, besieged the city and destroyed everything surrounding it. For the inhabitants, this was an inevitable catastrophe, because the French troops were much stronger and they were helpless. Until one day swarms of enormous and aggressive horseflies emerged from the grave of Saint Narcissus, which was sealed with a large, heavy stone slab. These flies traversed the walls of the city and attacked the French army.  Anyone who was stung by them instantly suffered a painful death. The surviving French enemies then fled back to their homeland. Since then it has been a superstition that the horseflies and flies are particularly numerous, keen to sting and agitated on Saint Narcissus Day, the 29th of  October.

As you wander through the enchanting streets of the Jewish quarter, one of the most important in Europe where a Jewish community lived for over 6 centuries, you will step back in time.  The city of Girona has long been home to myths and legends that are hidden away in its streets and buildings. Numerous symbols direct the curious to stories, which have lived on for very many years and been told in the city for generations.  The streets here are named after the medieval activity practised in them and the markets offered in them; l’Argenteria (silver), Mercaders (salesmen), Plaça de Vi (the wine square), l’Oli (oil), and de les Castanyes (of the chestnuts)…

 

At the heart of the old town lies the wide tree-lined avenue of  La Rambla.  Rambla de la Llibertat (it’s full title) is the main thoroughfare of the old town and starts at the Stone Bridge. Bordered by cafés and businesses, its arcades evoke the Middle Ages, at which point in history this street was the setting for an important regional market. The thoroughfare continues as the much narrower Carrer de l’Argenteria  leads to the Sant Agustí Bridge.

The 9th century city Wall has today been renovated and provides an exceptional route to follow some sections of the longest Carolingian walls in Europe.  Enjoy the views of the city and the surrounding landscape from the various watch towers which provide excellent vantage points.

From traditional stores to designer boutiques: prestigious international brands, avant-garde decoration, signature jewelry, original crafts, unique antiques, delicatessen products and many more , Girona guarantees a shopping spree will be pleasurable.

For wining and dining the city has many restaurants offering a wide range of fare: Catalan, Mediterranean, market and signature cuisine.  The gastronomy of this city has now become an international model of quality, with Michelin-starred restaurants that include El Celler de Can Roca, proclaimed by the prestigious Restaurant Magazine as the Best Restaurant in the World!

And, not to be forgotten are the museums of Girona recalling bygone days: The history of the Jews, Museum of Art, History of the City, Cinema Museum …… and the modern and cosmopolitan side of Girona on the retail and leisure side.

The city is completed with the Devesa Park.  Situated between the rivers of the Guell, the Onyar and the Ter, this fantastic city park extends for more than 40 hectares and is the most important Catalonian plane tree plantation. The plane trees that shade the famous Barcelona Ramblas came from this park and renowned poets have made it the subject of magnificent verse and songs.

Many of our Food & Wine Tours include private guided visits to Girona, Spain, in their itinerary.

Our Highlights of Spain Luxury Tour  is a complete tour including private visits in Girona, Barcelona, Seville, Toledo, Madrid and Medieval villages aswell as visits to Spanish wineries, winetasting, cooking classes, gourmet tastings and authetic meals.

As all our tours are exclusively private we can customize any tour to suit your preferences. Contact us for more information.

Besalu

Besalu

 

As soon as you cross the graceful XI century bridge arching over the Fluvia River at the entrance to Besalu, a gorgeously well-preserved village and monument to medieval Jewish communities in Spain——you will feel like you’re walking into another time altogether. Read more

Girona Festival of Saint Narcis

Girona plays host to many festivals and celebrations throughout the year which are an opportunity to give visitors and new inhabitants an idea of the Catalan culture and lifestyle.  The “Fires i Festes” of Gironaare a week-long city festival which are also referred to as Sant Narcis, Girona’s patron saint, held from 24th October -1 November. Legend has it that Read more

Fish Auction

The remarkably preserved fishing villages of the Costa Brava offer a beautifully blue and tranquil setting for restaurant visitors who want to eat the best seafood dishes available on the Mediterranean. But foodies who want to familiarize themselves more with this valuable seafood can go much farther than ordering Suquet for dinner -they can join us on our Spanish Gastronomic Tours and visit with us an authentic fish auction!

When going straight to the source at a local fish auction, like the one in Palamós, foodies can see first-hand how early local fishers set out to sea, catch fresh prawns, squid, octopus, monkfish and more then auction it to early-morning buyers. On the same day, all these fish are shipped to be sold fresh at morning markets all over the Catalonia region. If you make a dish like paella later in the day with a cooking class instructor, know that the seafood you’re cooking with was swimming around in the Mediterranean that very morning. One of Catalonia’s biggest prides is its variety of fresh, delicious seafood!

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. 

 

Calella de Palafrugell and Llafranc

Costa Brava. Calella de PalafrugellCalella, songs Cuban in summer time

Hidden away from mass tourism, unlike some unfortunate resorts further down the shore by Barcelona, the neighboring villages of Calella de Palafrugell and Llafranc offer a relaxing break from Spain’s busier spots. On a Gourmand Breaks Tour you can enjoy these peaceful fishing villages which have some of the most tranquil seaside walkways in Spain. Visitors get intimate views of a gorgeous blue shoreline while walking past the colorful fishing boats that dot the shore or enjoy meals at several shore-front restaurants- some of which are home to the best seafood on the coast!

Calella de Palafrugell is also known for its havaneres—old songs Cuban immigrant fisherman sung for over 100 years in local taverns. Before the tradition completely died out in the 1960s, the community started a summer festival to celebrate the custom and it is still popular to this day. On Sant Joan’s Day in June, Calella de Palafrugell lights up with exciting fireworks that are especially charming from a terrace overlooking the sea.

A number of Gourmand Breaks private tours include a day trip to Calella de Palafrugell and Llafranc  including our Luxury Mediterranean Cuisine Tour – perfect for those who don´t like to stray too far from the sea and like to spend relaxing afternoons feasting on some of the best seafood in Spain!