Oriol Castro is one of the three chef-patrons of Disfrutar in Barcelona, the restaurant crowned the best in the world and holder of three Michelin stars. Together with his two partners, all former head chefs at Ferran Adria’s legendary elBulli, Oriol has built one of the most creative and celebrated restaurants on the planet.
Rooted in the avant-garde spirit of elBulli but entirely their own, the trio’s cooking is playful, technically dazzling and deeply personal – and it has taken Disfrutar to the very summit of world gastronomy.
TL;DR
- Catalan chef, one of three chef-patrons of Disfrutar in Barcelona
- Disfrutar was named the best restaurant in the world (2024)
- Holds three Michelin stars
- Former head chef at Ferran Adria’s elBulli
- Also behind the restaurant Compartir
Oriol Castro key facts
| Nationality | Spanish (Catalan) |
| Restaurant | Disfrutar, Barcelona (3 Michelin stars) |
| Opened | Disfrutar, 2014 |
| Background | Head chefs at Ferran Adria’s elBulli |
| Partners | Oriol Castro, Eduard Xatruch, Mateu Casanas |
The elBulli years
Oriol Castro met his two partners in the kitchens of elBulli, Ferran Adria’s revolutionary restaurant on the Costa Brava. Between the late 1990s and the closure of elBulli in 2011, the three rose to become head chefs and part of its creative team, helping to shape the most influential avant-garde cuisine of its era. After elBulli closed they stayed on to work on the Bullipedia project before striking out on their own.
Compartir and Disfrutar
Rather than leap straight into avant-garde fine dining, the trio first opened a more informal restaurant, Compartir – meaning ‘to share’ – on the Costa Brava. Then, in 2014, they inaugurated Disfrutar – meaning ‘to enjoy’ – in Barcelona. The restaurant quickly rose through the rankings, earning Michelin stars and climbing The World’s 50 Best list until, in 2024, it was named the best restaurant in the world and awarded a third Michelin star.
A shared creativity
What makes Disfrutar remarkable is its combination of three equal creative voices. Oriol Castro and his partners develop dishes collectively, drawing on the techniques and philosophy they honed at elBulli but pursuing a lighter, more joyful and intensely personal style. The result is a tasting experience full of surprise, humour and technical brilliance.
Signature style
The Disfrutar style is avant-garde but warm – inventive, technically extraordinary and designed above all to delight. The trio play with texture, temperature and expectation, turning each dish into a small piece of theatre, while keeping flavour and enjoyment at the heart of everything. It is cooking that carries the legacy of elBulli into a new era.
Oriol Castro in context
Oriol Castro is one of the trio behind Disfrutar, alongside Eduard Xatruch and Mateu Casanas, and part of the same elBulli lineage as Spanish chefs featured on Pickup Table 4 such as Sergi Arola.
Follow Disfrutar
Disfrutar Barcelona – official site
Oriol Castro FAQ
Who is Oriol Castro?
A Catalan chef, one of the three chef-patrons of Disfrutar in Barcelona.
What is Disfrutar?
Their Barcelona restaurant, named the best in the world and holder of three Michelin stars.
Where did the chefs train?
At Ferran Adria’s elBulli, where they were head chefs.
When did Disfrutar open?
In 2014, after they first opened the restaurant Compartir.
What kind of food do they cook?
Avant-garde, playful, technically dazzling tasting menus.
