Full Feast Menu at El Celler De Can Roca (*), Girona, Spain
Full Feast Menu at El Celler De Can Roca (***), Girona, Spain
by YoungMango23
5 Comments
YoungMango23
(I don’t think I have space to post desserts, do I?)
Went as a solo diner a week ago, signed up for the waiting list and lucked out with getting a spot.
This was my first 3* and it was a wonderful meal, and probably the best meal of my life. My previous highlights would be Maido in Lima (sorry but Central was mid) and 180 in Dubrovnik, but I’ve had much more formal service in 2* in Paris. The service at El Celler is very relaxed and professional.
I unfortunately couldn’t go for the full wine pairing as I had to drive the next morning (their wine pairing is 17 half-glasses) but I asked the som to give me a few glasses here and there. The wines were absolutely insane, probably more of a surprise than the food. I was served a Riesling 2021 apotheke that did something I didn’t know wine could do. I was also served a sweet wine that was super intense and perfectly balanced.
I added short descriptions of my impressions to each dish. In general, I wouldn’t necessarily say that there was any particular flavour I hadn’t tasted before, but the dishes were so consistently good, there was so much food and the flavours were so varied that I was left impressed. I was also surprised by the almost complete absence of asian influences, which seems to be very common otherwise. The full menu consisted of roughly 40-45 different dishes in 25 servings or so. I’m a very hungry person (and had several bread servings) but I was really really stuffed at the end of it—perfect!
Desserts are not pictured (due to 20 picture limit) but I can’t say that I loved them. The first one was a sphere which you crushed with your spoon, second one was the famous cloud over berries and the third was almonds and apricot. They were good and showy but … I’ve had better, for instance 10 renditions of cacao at central or matcha at maido.
My favorite bites were the truffle cannellone, the vegan surf & turf, the foei+nougat bite, the zucchini dish, the ‘ripe’ part of the ‘fresh & ripe’, the langoustine+poularde, and the Duck in pastry.
Full menu price was 315€, and wines were very cheap. My total bill came out to 375€, with some (incredible) glasses of wine costing only 8€.
FCYChen
Great review and so glad that they accept solo diners. May I ask which day of week did you go?
Firm_Interaction_816
Looks fantastic, not least of all for how affordable their wines are. Still my number #1 “to try” restaurant in Spain.
‘I was also surprised by the almost complete absence of asian influences’
Much as I love Asian flavours, I’m sort of glad to hear this. I’ve heard of and experienced too many restaurants that have tried forcing Asian influences into their dishes (as if a salmon pithier needs a dashi broth/wasabi puree).
Really_Cool_Dad
First pic looks like a butthole.
joykin
Thanks for sharing and for adding captions to each individual photo, I’d love a part 2 with the desserts if possible!
5 Comments
(I don’t think I have space to post desserts, do I?)
Went as a solo diner a week ago, signed up for the waiting list and lucked out with getting a spot.
This was my first 3* and it was a wonderful meal, and probably the best meal of my life. My previous highlights would be Maido in Lima (sorry but Central was mid) and 180 in Dubrovnik, but I’ve had much more formal service in 2* in Paris. The service at El Celler is very relaxed and professional.
I unfortunately couldn’t go for the full wine pairing as I had to drive the next morning (their wine pairing is 17 half-glasses) but I asked the som to give me a few glasses here and there. The wines were absolutely insane, probably more of a surprise than the food. I was served a Riesling 2021 apotheke that did something I didn’t know wine could do. I was also served a sweet wine that was super intense and perfectly balanced.
I added short descriptions of my impressions to each dish. In general, I wouldn’t necessarily say that there was any particular flavour I hadn’t tasted before, but the dishes were so consistently good, there was so much food and the flavours were so varied that I was left impressed. I was also surprised by the almost complete absence of asian influences, which seems to be very common otherwise. The full menu consisted of roughly 40-45 different dishes in 25 servings or so. I’m a very hungry person (and had several bread servings) but I was really really stuffed at the end of it—perfect!
Desserts are not pictured (due to 20 picture limit) but I can’t say that I loved them. The first one was a sphere which you crushed with your spoon, second one was the famous cloud over berries and the third was almonds and apricot. They were good and showy but … I’ve had better, for instance 10 renditions of cacao at central or matcha at maido.
My favorite bites were the truffle cannellone, the vegan surf & turf, the foei+nougat bite, the zucchini dish, the ‘ripe’ part of the ‘fresh & ripe’, the langoustine+poularde, and the Duck in pastry.
Full menu price was 315€, and wines were very cheap. My total bill came out to 375€, with some (incredible) glasses of wine costing only 8€.
Great review and so glad that they accept solo diners. May I ask which day of week did you go?
Looks fantastic, not least of all for how affordable their wines are. Still my number #1 “to try” restaurant in Spain.
‘I was also surprised by the almost complete absence of asian influences’
Much as I love Asian flavours, I’m sort of glad to hear this. I’ve heard of and experienced too many restaurants that have tried forcing Asian influences into their dishes (as if a salmon pithier needs a dashi broth/wasabi puree).
First pic looks like a butthole.
Thanks for sharing and for adding captions to each individual photo, I’d love a part 2 with the desserts if possible!