Brutalist eatery, Esperit Roca, offers six decadent dessert courses for your culinary pleasure
Esperit Roca: A Culinary and Design Experience in a Historic Fortress
Nestled in the hilly outskirts of Girona, north-west Spain, lies Esperit Roca, a unique food and cultural center that has transformed a 19th-century fortress into a Michelin 1-star restaurant, hotel, wine cellar, academy-library, and research and development areas for the restaurant[1][4].
The restaurant's design, masterminded by Girona-based designer Andreu Carulla, is a harmonious blend of cement and concrete materials, with large picture windows that intentionally bring the surrounding natural landscape indoors, creating a striking visual and ambiance integration between the inside and outside environment[1]. The interior design aims to create a sense of nature with an austere, brutalist feel[2].
The wine cellar, housing over 80,000 bottles, is a sight to behold. Its structure, designed by Andreu Carulla, is built from steel pipes totalling 20km in length[2]. Diners enter via a giant dome housing this impressive collection.
Esperit Roca's menu offers a fusion of classic recipes from the Roca brothers' renowned Michelin 3-star restaurant, El Celler de Can Roca, but with inventive twists giving the dishes their own personality. There are two original tasting menus named "Espíritu Salado" (6 dishes and 2 desserts) and "Espíritu Dulce" (2 dishes and 6 desserts), which balance savory and sweet experiences, reflecting creativity and refinement[1].
Head chef Joan Roca emphasizes the availability of wild products, good agriculture, livestock, and fishing in the area. This is evident in the dishes served, such as an exquisite local lamb and prawns, an 'orange' salad with mussels, sea urchins, and citrus fruit, and a trilogy of turbot cuts, each with a different treatment[1]. Three different types of pumpkin are used in various presentations.
The restaurant's interiors are made primarily of stone, concrete, and wood, with neutral shades of grey and green. Vegetation sprouts from large, cylindrical concrete pots, and curtains and overhead lamps are made from shade cloths used in local farming. The design evokes the region's rocky landscape and also echoes the original castle's construction, which uses the same stone[1].
One of the most intriguing aspects of Esperit Roca is the unconventional desserts masterminded by pastry chef Jordi Roca. These include desserts infused with the aroma of old books and desserts featuring black chanterelle and powdered pine[1].
The visit to Esperit Roca is not just a sensory journey, but also an intellectual one. The restaurant offers a cultural exhibition on the creative process behind El Celler de Can Roca. Reviews praise the restaurant for exceptional quality food, impeccable service, and a cozy yet spectacular atmosphere in a privileged location[3].
Esperit Roca offers a multifaceted experience integrating historic architecture, cutting-edge culinary innovation inspired by the Roca brothers' flagship restaurant, and a strong connection to the natural surroundings and wine culture, all in a Michelin-starred setting near Girona[1][3][4]. The restaurant is located at Carrer Major, Entrada 1, 17481 Sant Julià de Ramis, Girona, Spain; website: esperitroca.com.
[1] Esperit Roca. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.esperitroca.com/en/ [2] Carulla, A. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.andreucarulla.com/ [3] Roca, J., & Roca, J. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.roca1860.com/ [4] Roca Brothers. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.roca1860.com/el-celler-de-can-roca/
Cooking at Esperit Roca is a fusion of global cuisines, with the Roca brothers combining classic recipes from their Michelin 3-star restaurant with inventive twists, creating dishes that reflect their unique lifestyle and food-and-drink philosophy. Additionally, the home-and-garden design of Esperit Roca mirrors the surrounding natural landscape, using materials like stone, concrete, and wood, and incorporating elements of local flora, such as vegetation growing in large concrete pots, which exemplifies the symbiotic relationship between the restaurant's design and the home-and-garden environment.
