El Bulli and its Cuisine
In the remote Cala Montjoi in Roses, in the heart of the Cap de Creus Natural Park (Girona), there was a restaurant that not only served meals but transformed the way we understand cooking. That place was elBulli, and its cuisine became the beacon that guided an entire generation of chefs around the world.
Although the restaurant closed its doors in 2011, its spirit remains alive in the elBulli1846 foundation-museum, a unique space that preserves the legacy of the greatest gastronomic revolution of the 20th century.
At The Sun Places we want to tell you everything about this legend of the Costa Brava: from its humble origins as a beach bar to its transformation into the best restaurant in the world; from the revolutionary techniques of Ferran Adrià to the museum you can now visit to learn about elBulli and its cuisine.
What is the history of elBulli?
📜 Origins: from mini-golf to world summit
The history of elBulli and its cuisine began in the most unexpected way. In 1961, German doctor Hans Schilling and his wife Marketta applied for a building permit for a mini-golf course in Cala Montjoi. For just over a year the business operated only as a mini-golf course, but they soon added a beach bar that became popular among divers and bathers who frequented the cove. The name, elBulli, came from the couple's French bulldogs, whom they colloquially called bulli.
In 1964 they built a kitchen and a terrace with a porch and turned it into a Grill-room, the first restaurant. From then on, different chefs passed through its kitchens, and in 1975 Jean-Louis Neichel arrived, who within just one year achieved the first Michelin star for the establishment. In 1981 Juli Soler joined as director, who together with chef Jean-Paul Vinay achieved the second Michelin star in 1983.
🍳 The arrival of the Adrià brothers
The destiny of elBulli and its cuisine would change forever when, in August 1983, a young chef named Ferran Adrià joined as a stagiaire. He came from military service and was only expected to stay for a month. However, his talent was so evident that they offered him to return the following season as a chef de partie. In 1984 he joined the staff and in November became head chef together with Christian Lutaud. The following year his brother Albert Adrià joined, who would begin a two-year apprenticeship in savoury cooking before going on to revolutionise the world of desserts.
In 1987 Ferran Adrià became the sole head chef, and that same year, during a demonstration in Cannes, he heard the French master Jacques Maximin utter the phrase that would mark his destiny: "Creativity is not copying". From that moment on, he began a path of constant research that would transform elBulli and its cuisine into an innovation laboratory. In the 1996-1997 season, Adrià spent more than seven months locked away experimenting in the kitchen, and the fruit of that work was the awarding of the third Michelin star in 1997, consolidating the restaurant as one of the greats of the world.
👨🍳 Ferran Adrià: the genius who revolutionised haute cuisine
Ferran Adrià was the creative mind that drove elBulli and its cuisine into unknown territory. His philosophy was based on turning each dish into a techno-emotional experience, where technique served emotion and gastronomy was transformed into conceptual art.
Revolutionary techniques and inventions
Among his most important contributions are:
- Spherification: A technique that allows liquids to be encapsulated within a thin membrane, creating small spheres that burst in the mouth releasing all their flavour. Applied to fruit caviar or the famous melon caviar, it opened up a universe of new textures.
- Airs and Foams: The first foam in history was served at elBulli in 1994: a white bean foam with sea urchins, which achieved a lighter texture than traditional mousse and allowed intense flavours to be transported with unprecedented subtlety.
- Hot Gelatins and Deconstructions: Ferran Adrià deconstructed classic dishes and rebuilt them with their ingredients in unexpected formats.
- Smoke Mousse (1997): An apparently empty glass filled with smoked foam that the diner ingested with almost no substance, pushing the concept of what a dish can be to the limit.
Awards and recognition of Ferran Adrià
The career of Ferran Adrià and his restaurant have accumulated unparalleled distinctions:
- Three Michelin Stars (achieved in 1997 and maintained until closing).
- Best restaurant in the world by The World's 50 Best Restaurants on five occasions: 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009.
- In 2010, the same list recognised him as Best Chef of the Decade.
- National Gastronomy Award for Best Head Chef in 1992.
- Doctor Honoris Causa by universities such as Barcelona, Aberdeen and the Polytechnic University of Valencia.
- Creu de Sant Jordi (2002) and Gold Medal for Merit in Fine Arts (2006).
🏆The legacy of elBulli and its cuisine: the disciples who changed the world
More than 2,000 chefs from around the world passed through the kitchens of elBulli and its cuisine throughout its history, and many of them became stars of international gastronomy.
World-class chefs who passed through elBulli:
- José Andrés – Restaurants in Washington, international figure
- Massimo Bottura – Osteria Francescana (three Michelin stars)
- René Redzepi – Noma (five times best restaurant in the world)
- Dani García – Restaurante Dani García (in Malaga and New York)
- And of course, Oriol Castro, Eduard Xatruch and Mateu Casañas, the three head chefs of the final elBulli era, who today run Restaurant Disfrutar in Barcelona, named best restaurant in the world in 2024.
🍽️ The dishes that made history at elBulli and its cuisine
Ferran Adrià himself documented 1,846 culinary creations that came out of the Cala Montjoi kitchen, hence the number that accompanies the museum. These are some of the most iconic dishes of elBulli and its cuisine (all of them were served when the restaurant was active, before 2011). These are some of the most important:
Lobster Gazpacho
- Adaptation of a traditional dish to the avant-garde
Gaudí Red Mullet
- Homage to the architect and the "flavour of the Mediterranean"
Marrow with Caviar
- Combination of opposites: the humble and the luxurious
White Bean Foam with Sea Urchins
- First foam in the history of cooking
Smoke Mousse
- An "empty" dish that explored the limits of experience
Parmesan Macaron
- On the final menu, a "cloud with pine nut", one of the best bites in history
The philosophy of elBulli and its cuisine was served through a tasting menu with more than 30 courses, with a price that in 2011 was around 250 euros per person, but which had the longest waiting list in the world. In its final years, the restaurant received 5,250 reservation requests for only 8,000 diners per season.
🔒 Why did elBulli close in 2011?
On 20 November 2009, Ferran Adrià and his partner Juli Soler made a momentous decision: to close the restaurant. The announcement was made public in January 2010 at Madrid Fusión and on 30 July 2011, after 27 seasons of revolution, elBulli and its cuisine closed its doors for the last time.
The reasons were multiple. According to Adrià himself, the restaurant operated with annual losses of around half a million euros. But beyond the economic issue, the decision was strategic and creative: after years of constant innovation, Adrià felt that the restaurant format had completed its cycle and wanted to open a new phase dedicated to research and the dissemination of culinary knowledge.
The birth of the new elBulli 1846
🏛️ elBulli1846: the museum that preserves the living flame of elBulli and its cuisine
Far from disappearing, elBulli and its cuisine has been reborn in a unique museum in the world: elBulli1846. Located in the same place where the restaurant stood, in Cala Montjoi, this museum space of almost 4,000 square metres opened its doors in 2023 with the aim of safeguarding the legacy, promoting innovation and generating educational content for future generations of chefs.
elBulli1846 is more than a museum; it is a journey through the history of the greatest gastronomic revolution of the 20th and 21st centuries. The visit allows you to tour the areas where the techniques that are now common in haute cuisine were developed, pay homage to the elBulli chefs who transformed the world gastronomic map, and reflect on the relationship between creativity, knowledge and cooking. Important: no meals are served here, only the legacy of elBulli and its cuisine is exhibited.
The elBulli Foundation, established in 2013, was the vehicle to make this family project a reality, which has faced no few legal difficulties due to its location in the heart of a Natural Park. The investment has been eleven million euros, with the support of sponsors such as Telefónica, CaixaBank, Lavazza and Grifols; the museum needs an additional million euros each year for its operation.
🌊 elBulli and its cuisine and the Costa Brava: an inseparable bond
Cala Montjoi, in the municipality of Roses, is the heart of the Cap de Creus Natural Park, one of the wildest and most beautiful landscapes of the Costa Brava. Cliffs dropping into crystal-clear waters, hidden coves, clear skies and nature as the only witness made this corner the perfect refuge for the greatest revolution in universal cuisine.
Today, elBulli1846 is one of the area's great tourist attractions. Every year, thousands of gastronomy lovers travel the narrow road that winds down to the cove to learn first-hand about the legacy of Ferran Adrià. It is a journey that connects human genius with the natural environment that inspired it: the views of the Mediterranean, the sound of the waves and the smell of the sea are the backdrop to an experience that touches the soul.
🏠 Why visit elBulli1846 while staying with The Sun Places
The original restaurant no longer exists, but the legacy of elBulli and its cuisine lives on in the elBulli1846 museum. To discover it, you need a comfortable and well-located base on the Costa Brava. The Sun Places offers you luxury apartments in dream locations such as Roses, Cadaqués or Figueres. By staying with us you can:
- Plan your visit to the museum in advance (tickets often sell out).
- Combine the cultural experience with a gastronomic tour of the best restaurants in the area (many run by disciples of the master).
- Enjoy the landscapes of Cap de Creus without stress.
- Retire to the comfort and exclusivity of our apartments after a day of emotions.
- Remember: elBulli1846 does not serve meals. It is a museum dedicated to the history, techniques and creations of elBulli and its cuisine. For meals, we recommend going to other great restaurants on the Costa Brava.
- If you wish to enjoy an excellent meal, just a few kilometres away we can arrange a table for you at Restaurant Compartir in Cadaqués, where one of his disciples cooks.
📞 Discover the legacy of elBulli and its cuisine on the Costa Brava with The Sun Places
elBulli and its cuisine was not just a restaurant, it was proof that dreams can transform the world. Although you can no longer eat there, elBulli1846 is the sanctuary where that lesson is kept alive. Staying with The Sun Places is the best way to pay homage to this revolution while enjoying the Costa Brava in its purest state.
✨ Contact The Sun Places. The legacy of Ferran Adrià and the magic of Cala Montjoi await you (to visit, not to eat). ✨