On June 5th, 2024, amid the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas, Disfrutar in Barcelona was named The World’s Best Restaurant by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna. This accolade is a testament to the extraordinary culinary vision of its three chefs – Oriol Castro, Eduard Xatruch, and Mateu Casañas – and their unwavering dedication to gastronomic excellence.
A Decade of Dedication
2024 is a significant year for Disfrutar, as it celebrates its 10-year anniversary. The restaurant’s journey to the top has been nothing short of remarkable. It first appeared on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list in 2018, debuting at No.19. Since then, it has consistently climbed the ranks, reaching No.9 in 2019, No.5 in 2021, and No.3 in 2022. Last year, it narrowly missed the top spot, finishing second. This year, Disfrutar’s innovative approach to cuisine and relentless pursuit of perfection earned it the ultimate accolade.
Reflecting on this incredible journey, Xatruch shared, “We are always making 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 and being crowned The World’s Best Restaurant 2024, we’d have thought they were crazy. It’s just a dream.”
A Team Effort
Disfrutar’s success is deeply rooted in the strong bond and shared vision of its founders, who met and worked together at the legendary El Bulli. The restaurant, which dominated The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list with five top finishes, closed its doors in 2011, but its legacy lives on through its alumni. Disfrutar has developed its unique culinary language while paying homage to the pioneering spirit of El Bulli.
Casañas highlighted the importance of their team: “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 our team, we are nothing. The team in 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 is a joy for them and could make them feel that everything has been worth it.”
An Unparalleled Dining Experience
Disfrutar, which means “to enjoy” in Spanish, is known for offering an unparalleled dining experience. Diners can choose between two parallel menus, each offering around 30 courses. The Classic menu showcases the chefs’ greatest hits from the past decade, while the Festival menu is a testament to their unbounded creativity and meticulous culinary research.
Dining at Disfrutar is more than just a meal; it is a high-speed culinary rollercoaster that engages all the senses. The service style is dynamic, with dishes delivered rapidly over several hours, ensuring a constant flow of new and exciting flavors and textures. The presentation is playful yet professional, blending humor with high culinary art.
“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,” explained Xatruch.
Disfrutar Celebrating Excellence
The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2024 ceremony was a night filled with emotion and camaraderie. Following Disfrutar on the list was Asador Etxebarri in the Basque country, another Spanish culinary institution known for its mastery of grilled produce. Xatruch emphasized the sense of community among top chefs: “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.”
The rest of the top five included Maido in Lima, Peru, at No.5, Diverxo in Madrid at No.4, and Table by Bruno Verjus in Paris at No.3. The presence of five Spanish restaurants in the top 50 is a testament to Spain’s vibrant culinary scene and its global influence.
Casañas described the emotional rollercoaster of the awards night: “For us, all that has happened tonight, is crazy. When we come here to the ceremony like this – sometimes you are scared, sometimes you are emotional, but inside the ceremony, we have all the emotions at the same time.”
Looking Ahead
As Disfrutar joins the elite Best of the Best hall of fame next year, it will no longer be eligible for the main 50 Best ranking. This opens the door for other Spanish superstars to shine. With five restaurants in the 50 Best list found in España, there may well be something in the water that continues to propel Spanish cuisine to the forefront of global gastronomy.
A Moment of Reflection
Summing up the monumental win, Castro described the evening as “Amazing. Incredible. Un momento unico.” As the restaurant embarks on this new chapter, it remains dedicated to pushing the boundaries of culinary artistry and delivering unforgettable dining experiences.
For those eager to experience the magic of Disfrutar, the restaurant offers a journey through a decade of gastronomic innovation, where every dish tells a story, and every meal is an adventure. As the culinary world celebrates this remarkable achievement, Disfrutar stands as a beacon of creativity, passion, and excellence in gastronomy.
