Some restaurants are destined to become legends.
From Barcelona Airport, it’s about an hour and a half by car to Girona — a quiet-looking town made famous by El Celler de Can Roca, twice named The World’s Best Restaurant.
El Celler de Can Roca@Jocelyn 華姐的tastytrip youtube
Geographically, Girona sits between the Pyrenees and the Mediterranean. The city has over two thousand years of history — once a Roman military fortress, later a center of Jewish culture during the Middle Ages until persecution in the 14th century. Today, the narrow El Call, Girona’s Jewish Quarter within the old town (Barri Vell), still preserves its medieval street plan and stone steps, making it one of the best-preserved Jewish quarters in Europe.
Upon arrival, I checked into Hotel Casa Cacao, the boutique hotel run by the Roca family. Located in the heart of the old town, it’s managed by Anna, wife of Joan Roca. Downstairs is their own chocolate workshop, and the entire building carries a soft, comforting aroma of cocoa.If you wish to get a sense of Girona’s rhythm, this is the perfect place to stay. The rooms, designed in earth tones and whites, feel warm yet refined. On the rooftop, there’s a bar and restaurant with excellent cocktails and well-executed small plates. Many small hidden hotels leave strong impressions but often fail on food — this one, built by a Michelin-starred team, fills that gap completely.
Just a few minutes’ walk away stands Girona Cathedral, a filming location for Game of Thrones. Built between the 11th and 18th centuries, it combines Romanesque, Gothic, and Baroque elements. A local two-hour guided tour offers a full glimpse of Girona’s past and present. To ease into the rhythm, I had dinner at Vii Girona, the Roca family’s tapas bar. Start with the jamón, then the marinated bluefin tuna with green beans, baby onions, ginger and sesame — clean, balanced and beautifully executed.The Bikini sandwich is another standout: crisp toast, perfectly melted cheese, high-quality ham. It sounds simple, but getting every detail “just right” is anything but. Each small plate lands like a gymnast’s perfect dismount — light but precise. As Josep Roca once said: “Each restaurant we open means one less franchise in the city.” That philosophy has helped Girona keep its culinary identity authentic and independent.
Marinated red tuna (left), Bikini sandwich (right) @viigirona
Lunch at Restaurant Normal, another Roca venture — a bright, cozy bistro with precise details. They describe the food as “direct and spontaneous ,” and that’s exactly what it is: approachable, confident, deeply satisfying.My favorite dish was various green pea in different textures with grilled cuttlefish tagliatelle, mustard, and basil. Fresh vegetables, the gentle heat of mustard, the herbal notes of basil, a faint charcoal aroma — simplicity, perfectly controlled.Each plate felt effortless, with rhythm and restraint — like tai chi: calm yet powerful.
Dinner at El Celler de Can Roca always feels like a performance — but never a pretentious one. After entering through an understated doorway, guests step into a serene courtyard for aperitifs before the meal begins.The opening act: The Trilogy of Broths — beef, mushroom, and sherry with cocoa, poured in three sequences. At the bottom of the bowl are 3D-printed profiles of the three brothers; with each pour, one silhouette appears, symbolizing their unity and story.
Edible olives return as a classic — fragrant and perfectly textured. Sherry-steamed lobster with almond foam and vanilla oil — elegant, delicate, the texture balanced between firm and tender. Cod fish cheeks (cocochas) pay tribute to Basque tradition, reinterpreted with scallions and citrus. Duck with blood orange and savory xuixo — nostalgic and subversive, transforming a Catalan dessert into a dramatic savory finale.The entire menu is expansive yet never excessive — refined, powerful and full of emotion.
“Xuixo” of duck stew (cr. Edward Hu)
Jordi Roca’s desserts always move between scent and emotion. A neurological disorder once damaged his vocal cords, making speech difficult —but he never let that stop him. Instead, he found another voice through pastry.As he said in Chef’s Table: Pastry: “I can’t speak with my voice, but I can speak through dessert.” His creativity only grew stronger.
His videos and works are full of energy, color and imagination.Recent themes revolve around emotion and aroma — like the Chocolate Forest, where cocoa foam meets cedar and berry acidity; or Jasmine 80% Chocolate, a soft contrast between floral lightness and dark chocolate bitterness. At the end of the meal, guests receive mixed-reality headsets —suddenly entering the world of the cacao bean: soil, sunlight, fermentation, roasting.The visuals surround you as a piece of Casa Cacao chocolate melts slowly in your hand. In that instant, sweetness becomes something living, sensory, unforgettable.
Author and Jordi Roca
The next day, I drove 20 minutes uphill to stay at Hotel Esperit Roca, inside Castell de Sant Julià de Ramis, a former military fortress now transformed into a complex of design, culture, and gastronomy.The atmosphere is remarkable — earthen ceilings, natural light, and an open pool. During renovation, the architects preserved the natural materials, using compressed-earth textures on the ceilings to harmonize with stone, concrete and wood.From the terrace, you can overlook all of Girona — the rhythm slows, and solitude feels peaceful.
Hotel Esperit Roca
Dinner at Esperit Roca Restaurant, newly awarded a Michelin star in 2025. The menu is compact but includes reinterpreted classics from El Celler de Can Roca — fine dining quality, without the formality. It feels like a miniature version of the flagship — perfect if you can’t get a reservation at the main restaurant.
The most breathtaking part is the Cellar — a vast domed space housing more than 80,000 bottles. Josep Roca calls it “a natural cathedral of wine.”Soft music plays as light drifts along curved walls — it feels less like storage, more like a sanctuary where time pauses. Reserve in advance; it’s truly worth it.
Girona and the Roca Family
Roca三兄弟几乎可以说是改变了一整座城市。他们没有选择到大城市开分店，而是坚持留在家乡。
Today, the Roca family operates over seven distinct spaces in Girona — from El Celler de Can Roca, Normal, Casa Cacao, Rocambolesc and Vii, to Esperit Roca. Together they’ve created more than 300 jobs and generate nearly €20 million in annual revenue (according to El País, November 2024).More importantly, they’ve reshaped Girona’s culinary and tourism ecosystem.
(Left to right) Jordi Roca、Joan Roca、Josep Roca
Their success has inspired a new generation of chefs to stay in Girona, and local farmers, fishermen and vineyards have all benefited from working with El Celler de Can Roca. They even established La Masia (I+R), a research and innovation center nurturing young chefs and promoting sustainable gastronomy — turning “local flavor” into an evolving, living subject.
The Roca brothers’ bond with Girona is like Massimo Bottura with Modena, René Redzepi with Copenhagen or Xin Rong Ji with Taizhou. They didn’t just open a legendary restaurant — they changed the soul of a city. Always moving forward, yet never forgetting their roots — cooking that connects, and moves people.
Before leaving, I stopped by to buy Jordi’s chocolate nose — once the feature he was teased for as a child, now proudly displayed in his shop, price tag and all.Humorous, honest, and deeply human — just like him, and just like Girona.
Author: Jocelyn 华姐
Photo: Jocelyn 华姐、Edward Hu、instagram@cellercanroca、@viigirona、@normalrestaurant
