From 2006 to 2009, Spain’s El Bulli restaurant was named “The Best Restaurant In The World” by Restaurant magazine, though they slipped to second place in 2010.
El Bulli sits high in the mountains of Catalonia, Spain at the end of a winding one-lane road.
The Amateur Gourmet documented the 30 course meal (!) they had at El Bulli back in 2009 and it still makes my mouth water.
Unfortunately El Bulli is getting out of the restaurant game. They’re closing on July 30th and aren’t accepting any more reservations.
They’re going to reopen in 2014 as a “creativity center” for molecular gastronomy. Which, I think, is a fancy way of saying “We made a ton of money. We’re going to sit around and eat plain old steak and lobster – with no funny business – until we die. Adéu.”