Kidding. We didn’t go to El Bulli, though we probably should have. Instead, we went to Ferran Adria’s favorite restaurant, Rafa’s, a small family restaurant in Roses, Spain. (as claimed in Anthony Bourdain’s episode of “Decoding Ferran Adria”)
Rafa’s specialty is seafood. They do not have a menu as it changes every day, depending on market catches. If one of the top chefs in the world and Bourdain rave about it – it’s got to be amazing right? And it is.
Restaurant Exterior – No big signs, not an easy place to spot. I took these photos the first time we made it to the restaurant. We didn’t call or make reservations, and of course it was closed. Don’t make the same mistake.
The interior – that’s the kitchen you’re looking at. The catches of the day are displayed behind the glass and all the magic happens on the grill at the back. The restaurant is as unpretentious as it can be. Simple, local, perfect.
Ok the Food!
sea snails
- A good start to the meal. These were served with a side of some olive oil-based sauce. The snails were so fresh that the sauce wasn’t even necessary.
little clams
- Great to look at, great to eat. So good we ordered another round of these.
big clams
- very juicy, cooked to perfection. Don’t forget to wipe the dish clean with bread
sea cucumber
(P.S. these aren’t called sea cucumbers in Asia) – I’ve never had sea cucumber cooked this way before and these were insanely good. Definitely my favorite dish of the entire meal and also ordered a second round. They were perfectly salted and had just enough crispy bits. Highly recommended if they are available.
squid
- Possibly the best grilled squid I’ve ever had. Delicious. You just can’t cook them the same way in your own kitchen.
langoustine
- Mmmm. Yet another superb dish.
prawns
- Juicy, super fresh. Warning about the head bits…they’re pretty potent.
The Remains
Not a single dish was disappointing. The seafood was incredibly fresh, each dish was cooked to perfection using the simplest techniques and ingredients. Even the bread was amazing and we must’ve finished off at least four to five baskets. We actually left the restaurant without realizing we still had a full bottle of wine left and that’s definitely a first. That goes to show how good the food was.
The only unfortunate thing was that they had run out of John Dory by the time we were ready for some fish. They had other kinds available, but we decided to scrap it and order second servings of the shellfish instead. I have to say though, we saw a couple next to us eating some fish and it looked pretty damn good too.
We left extremely satisfied, maybe a little seafood-ed out, but it was so worth the two hour drive from Banyoles to Roses. (1 hr stuck in traffic). This was undoubtedly one of the best meals I’ve ever had and this place beats most of the Michelin-starred restaurants I’ve been to. I’m serious. MUST GO.
Rafa’s Restaurante
C/ Sant Sebastia, 56
17480 Roses
Spain
T: +34 972 254 003
Closed Mondays
Be sure to make reservations ahead of time. Call the day of again to check as they do not open if they don’t deem the market catches fresh enough.
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Wow, that is mind-boggling. Can I trade lives with you?
haha sure. you probably won’t live very long though :p