El Bulli, the ground-breaking Spanish restaurant that introduced the world to both molecular gastronomy and the concept of chef as cultural influencer, closed in 2011 yet its name and reputation retain the power to spark conversation, adulation and mockery.
The restaurant was voted best in the world five times, handled more than a million booking enquiries per year and its chef Ferran Adrià has been dubbed genius, mad scientist, artist, visionary and revolutionary. He’s been compared to both Salvador Dalì and Steve Jobs. More people worked in the restaurant each day than ate in the 50-seat dining room. Chefs waited two years or more to secure a six-month unpaid stagiaire at El Bulli where, at the height of the season, they might work 12-plus-hour days, seven days a week.
Many of those who
