El Bulli

For the second year in a row, el Bulli has topped our poll. Including its triumph in our inaugural 2002 list, it's now been voted Best Restaurant in the World an unprecedented three times.There's not a lot that hasn't been written about el Bulli and - to give him his full name - Fernando Adrià Acosta. This magazine has talked about his food as "21st Century tapas made by an eccentric scientist with an artistic bent" (2002); we've pointed out that "no other restaurant in the world concentrates more on what's in front of you on the plate" (2003); we've noted that when visiting, "the only thing customers know to expect is the unexpected" (2004) and - clearly written by a member of the Restaurant team with a shoe fetish - that in the kitchen Adria "paces the sections in his orange Prada sneakers and is always tasting, tasting, tasting" (2005).
For the second year in a row, el Bulli has topped our poll. Including its triumph in our inaugural 2002 list, it's now been voted Best Restaurant in the World an unprecedented three times.There's not a lot that hasn't been written about el Bulli and - to give him his full name - Fernando Adrià Acosta. This magazine has talked about his food as "21st Century tapas made by an eccentric scientist with an artistic bent" (2002); we've pointed out that "no other restaurant in the world concentrates more on what's in front of you on the plate" (2003); we've noted that when visiting, "the only thing customers know to expect is the unexpected" (2004) and - clearly written by a member of the Restaurant team with a shoe fetish - that in the kitchen Adria "paces the sections in his orange Prada sneakers and is always tasting, tasting, tasting" (2005).
This year, our spies tell us that some of the dishes that made their debut earlier this month include Fried Brioche Shanghai; Pita of Iberian Ham Fat and Veal Bone Marrow; Crab Marrakech; and The Sea.The last point to be made - and yes, we've made this one before too - is that, aside from what's coming out of the kitchen, the whole experience, from the setting to the service and the wine list, is world class.
Behind the stove:
Ferran Adrià and his two Executive Chefs Albert Raurich and Oriol Castro
Always on the menu:
New cooking techniques developed in the six months the restaurant is closed each year at the el Bulli Taller (lab/workshop) in Barcelona
Random fact:
Adrià took his first job in a restaurant as a pot wash to pay for a summer holiday raving in Ibiza
Wine list:

€15 - €3,500 (£10 - £2,377)
Menus:
The tasting menu is €185 (£125)
www.theworlds50best.com
Apartado 30, 17480 Roses en Cala Montjol, Spain
+34 97215 04 57 (after 3pm during the season)