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On June 5, 2024, amid the glitz and glamor of the world's entertainment capital, Disfrutar in Barcelona was named The World's Best Restaurant, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna. The trio of ultra-creative chefs—Oriol Castro, Eduard Xatruch, and Mateu Casañas—reflect on the significance of this accolade and acknowledge their indispensable team.
This year marks a milestone for Disfrutar in Barcelona. Celebrating its 10-year anniversary, the restaurant has been officially recognized as The World's Best Restaurant 2024.
Disfrutar first appeared on The World's 50 Best Restaurants list in 2018 at No. 19 and has been climbing continuously ever since: No. 9 in 2019, No. 5 in 2021, No. 3 in 2022, and narrowly missing the top spot in 2023 at No. 2 before finally being crowned No. 1 in 2024.
Owned and operated by chefs Oriol Castro, Eduard Xatruch, and Mateu Casañas, Disfrutar is celebrated for its imaginative dishes, technical mastery, and playful presentation. Reflecting on their win, Xatruch remarked, “We are always doing all that we can: gastronomy, building things, and working hard every day. If someone had told us, 10 years ago, when we started Disfrutar, that we'd be here in Las Vegas being crowned The World's Best Restaurant 2024, we'd have thought they were crazy. It’s just a dream.”
During an emotional moment on stage, Xatruch dedicated the award to the gastronomy of their country and all the people who have worked and continue to work to build this marvelous profession.
Much will be said about the chefs' shared background at the legendary El Bulli (which topped The World's 50 Best Restaurants a record-equalling five times), where they met and worked together from a young age until its closure in 2011. However, Disfrutar has carved its own unique culinary identity, influenced but not overshadowed by El Bulli. Casañas said, “For us, it's incredible. We cannot believe this… We have around 70 people working at Disfrutar, and 120 people across our teams. They will be so happy; we can’t be here without them.”
Xatruch added, "We also want to thank our team. Without them, we are nothing. The team at Disfrutar and Compartir has been with us since day one. And of course, we want to dedicate this to our families who have always supported us and suffered with us. We hope that this award brings them joy and makes them feel that everything has been worth it.”
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At Disfrutar, diners can choose between two parallel menus, each featuring around 30 courses. The Classic menu offers a greatest hits collection from the last decade, while the Festival menu showcases the latest in the team's creative endeavors, underpinned by meticulous culinary research.
With 30 dishes to savor, the service style sees dishes delivered rapidly over several hours, offering diners a high-speed culinary rollercoaster. The dining experience includes elements of table theater and interaction, blending professionalism and humor.
Describing the dining experience at Disfrutar, Xatruch said: “Disfrutar means to enjoy: you come for the taste and different textures, you enjoy the gastronomy, but you also feel emotions. For us, this is the important thing.”
Following Disfrutar in The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2024 ranking is another Spanish restaurant, Victor Arguinzoniz's Asador Etxebarri in the Basque country. Xatruch expressed admiration, saying, “We love Victor Arguinzoniz and his work. In the same way, last year Central achieved No.1, and we were so happy for the team. If Victor had taken No.1, we'd be happy for him. Gastronomy isn’t a competition.”
Humble and full of camaraderie, Casañas described the emotions experienced at The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2024 ceremony: “For us, all that happened tonight is crazy. When we come to ceremonies like this, sometimes you are scared, sometimes you are emotional, but inside the ceremony, we experience all the emotions at the same time.”
As the tension built, Mitsuharu 'Micha' Tsumura's Maido in Lima, Peru, was revealed as No. 5. The top four restaurants are all in Europe: Diverxo by Dabiz Muñoz in Madrid at No. 4, Table by Bruno Verjus in Paris at No. 3, and Asador Etxebarri at No. 2.
Summing up the evening, Castro described the win as “Amazing. Incredible. At a single moment.”
Next year, Disfrutar will join the elite Best of the Best hall of fame, making it ineligible for the main 50 Best ranking. Will another Spanish superstar join the club next year? With five restaurants in the 50 Best list located in Spain, there may be something special in the water.
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