El Bulli ..here we come
May 15th, 2011, 09:37 AM
#1
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El Bulli ..here we come
Dear Fororites,
We just received our reservation notice from El Bulli for our anniversary dinner party.
Here is part of what the note said:
LAURA
Ferran Adrià will prepare a personalised tasting menu. You will try many different creations which use many different produce.
We accepted the reservation with great pleasure.
We are very excited to have the opportunity to dine there .. El Bulli the long extolled unique dining experience in the world.
We just received our reservation notice from El Bulli for our anniversary dinner party.
Here is part of what the note said:
LAURA
Ferran Adrià will prepare a personalised tasting menu. You will try many different creations which use many different produce.
We accepted the reservation with great pleasure.
We are very excited to have the opportunity to dine there .. El Bulli the long extolled unique dining experience in the world.
May 15th, 2011, 01:19 PM
#2
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You must be one of the last...
El Bulli Season 2011
First of all we would like to thank everybody who has shown an interest in visiting us to enjoy the El Bulli experience during these fifty years as a restaurant. Also to all the professionals who have been part of the team and helped make it happen.
On July 30th 2011 El Bulli will have completed its journey as a restaurant. We will transform into a creativity center, opening in 2014. Its main objective is to be a think-tank for creative cuisine and gastronomy and will managed by a private foundation.
We regret not being able to fulfill any more reservation requests. Demand has immediately exceeded our scarce availability. This has been the case over the last few years and is certainly the most bitter note. It makes us very sad.
The format and structure will be completely different from the current model and, therefore, we regret to announce reservations are now closed.
We believe that this foundation will be a commitment to the cultural future of creative cuisine and we feel that El Bulli can offer the lines of action to attain great objectives in this field.
Due to the demand received and this being the last year for reservations, we must inform you that this message is our last and request no further applications.
El Bulli Season 2011
First of all we would like to thank everybody who has shown an interest in visiting us to enjoy the El Bulli experience during these fifty years as a restaurant. Also to all the professionals who have been part of the team and helped make it happen.
On July 30th 2011 El Bulli will have completed its journey as a restaurant. We will transform into a creativity center, opening in 2014. Its main objective is to be a think-tank for creative cuisine and gastronomy and will managed by a private foundation.
We regret not being able to fulfill any more reservation requests. Demand has immediately exceeded our scarce availability. This has been the case over the last few years and is certainly the most bitter note. It makes us very sad.
The format and structure will be completely different from the current model and, therefore, we regret to announce reservations are now closed.
We believe that this foundation will be a commitment to the cultural future of creative cuisine and we feel that El Bulli can offer the lines of action to attain great objectives in this field.
Due to the demand received and this being the last year for reservations, we must inform you that this message is our last and request no further applications.
May 15th, 2011, 05:24 PM
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We are so glad to be there to not only mark our 36 anniversary, to be there for their closing.
The honor to have been asked in several e-mails to wait patiently for a response of a yes or no to getting a booking seemed almost as good as if we had gotten a booking. Yes, there are many other restaurants which serve unique creations; none have the history nor panache as does El Bulli...we are pleased.
This past Friday the 13th my husband and I along with another couple dined at The Bazaar at the SLS hotel in Los Angeles. Very interesting experience; somewhat (though distantly) similar to El Bulli. Has anyone dined there, if so what is your opinion.
The honor to have been asked in several e-mails to wait patiently for a response of a yes or no to getting a booking seemed almost as good as if we had gotten a booking. Yes, there are many other restaurants which serve unique creations; none have the history nor panache as does El Bulli...we are pleased.
This past Friday the 13th my husband and I along with another couple dined at The Bazaar at the SLS hotel in Los Angeles. Very interesting experience; somewhat (though distantly) similar to El Bulli. Has anyone dined there, if so what is your opinion.
May 15th, 2011, 06:00 PM
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I think it might be very interesting to be there close to their closing. Will they be nonchalant? Not care about what they serve? It's certainly been a unique and inventive culinary mecca for many years, and it will be interesting to see how they serve their last customers. I think one of the hallmarks of a great restaurant must be how they treat the very last of their customers. Please report on what the experience was like.
And happy anniversary!
And happy anniversary!
May 15th, 2011, 06:07 PM
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Thank you for the good wish for us..both for our anniversary and for a meal super well prepared and served. Yes, I certainly will write about that experience as well as other events.
May 15th, 2011, 07:34 PM
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Ferran Adrià teaches at Harvard and is opening or has opened two new restaurants in Barcelona with his brother. He has reputation to maintain that has been under attack by other Spanish chefs. I would be surprised if he did offer the food and service for which El Bulli is known.
The two new restaurants are on Paral.lel.
The two new restaurants are on Paral.lel.
May 15th, 2011, 08:43 PM
#8
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Good luck with the drive! We have been TO the restaurant - not in it. We were in Rosas, and decided to have a look on a day when it was closed. This was several years ago, but the road was twisting and turning - and rough. (And we live in France, so are used to narrow roads) We wondered how many guests they lost on the way home. Figured perhaps people came on their private yachts and anchored them in the harbour!
May 15th, 2011, 09:44 PM
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Oh my..Carlux, we are not arriving via yacht ..well if you consider our rental car yachtich...We are staying in Roses for 6 days and anticipate being familiar with the area.
If you are so inclined..please offer some of your haunts in the France/Roses neighborhood. My husband and I stayed in Plage de Pins (1 week), driving all about and wish to know more.
If you are so inclined..please offer some of your haunts in the France/Roses neighborhood. My husband and I stayed in Plage de Pins (1 week), driving all about and wish to know more.
May 15th, 2011, 11:59 PM
#12
Curiousaboutit - we took a cab from Roses and after we arrived at El Bulli (hence having observed the driver's driving) asked him if he would pick us up. Our reservation was for 8pm and he said he would be back for 11:30 but prepared to wait until we were done, which was about 11:45. If you want to enjoy the wine list it's the best way to go.
We described our visit to El Bulli in 2004 as 1/3 Theatre, 1/3 Food and 1/3 Art. It was spectacular, including the balloon course!
Our visits to El Bulli were separated by almost 20 years - in 1985 Adria had been there only a year; the restaurant was half the size and the bill was 45E!
We described our visit to El Bulli in 2004 as 1/3 Theatre, 1/3 Food and 1/3 Art. It was spectacular, including the balloon course!
Our visits to El Bulli were separated by almost 20 years - in 1985 Adria had been there only a year; the restaurant was half the size and the bill was 45E!
May 16th, 2011, 02:05 AM
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Congratulations! I hope you will give us stay-at-homes the full report!
The rest of us can make to with the Adrias' new Tickets in Barcelona, which I thought was excellent, but which should hardly be mentioned in the same breath at the mother ship!
The rest of us can make to with the Adrias' new Tickets in Barcelona, which I thought was excellent, but which should hardly be mentioned in the same breath at the mother ship!
May 16th, 2011, 12:15 PM
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Cathinjoetown, the restaurant is closing in July. We have been waiting since December to learn if we "won the lottery" to get one of the coveted dinner bookings. The e-mails of which I speak refers to ones sent to me from El Bulli. I remained hopeful and voila..we are slated to dine there.
StCinq...Regardless of the closing of it's doors, we do anticipate the preparation of their unique cuisine, service, and attention to detail will be as crisp as it's reputation.
StCinq...Regardless of the closing of it's doors, we do anticipate the preparation of their unique cuisine, service, and attention to detail will be as crisp as it's reputation.
May 17th, 2011, 09:56 AM
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We are quite happy to have the opportunity to dine at El Bulli for several reasons..some of which are silly. We certainly are intrigued by the "design" for the food creations which are touted to be robust with flavor and "cute" to the eye. The science that is used to establish the visual and keep the flavor integrity is a main reason for our wish to go there as well as see what all the hubbub is all about. Another reason is to be a tiny part of culinary history..share the experience with you and for our memories. We photograph every element of our European dines; doubt El Bulli will allow such a déclassé behavior. I imagine they have copyrights on their creations.
Friday the 13 we, along with another couple went to The Bazaar by Jose Andres in the SLS hotel in Beverly Hills. His restaurant is a bit (on the somewhat bit side) similar in food design to El Bulli. Cotton candy with foie gras, pea puree globe on a porcelain spoon, olives with ?, and more. We enjoyed the over the top environment .. it is a huge space fashioned with many focal points not just for dining. We arrived at 7 PM and left at 1:30 AM and it was still packed with diners, desserters, and imbibers. A truly happy place.
Friday the 13 we, along with another couple went to The Bazaar by Jose Andres in the SLS hotel in Beverly Hills. His restaurant is a bit (on the somewhat bit side) similar in food design to El Bulli. Cotton candy with foie gras, pea puree globe on a porcelain spoon, olives with ?, and more. We enjoyed the over the top environment .. it is a huge space fashioned with many focal points not just for dining. We arrived at 7 PM and left at 1:30 AM and it was still packed with diners, desserters, and imbibers. A truly happy place.
May 17th, 2011, 10:59 AM
#20
Curiousaboutit - we took lots of photos at El Bulli, as were many diners and the staff were great hams, in fact. One comment I forgot to make that I said at the time is that it is the most "fun" I've ever had in a 3 star. You laugh during dinner and they really don't take themselves too seriously (well, how could you with a balloon course?)
