Skip to content
Left arrow
FOUR Magazine logo
Search icon

Mateu Casañas, Oriol Castro and Eduard Xatruch

Chefs
|
26 Nov 2018
|
5 min read

This trio of multi-talented chefs is the culinary force behind 2 Michelin-starred Disfrutar in Barcelona and Compartir in Cadaqués.

Oriol, Mateu and Eduard met in the famed kitchen of Ferran Adrià’S elBulli more than 16 years ago. All 3 chefs trained here professionally, rising up the ranks until they all held top positions in the kitchen. Between 1998 and 2011 – the year in which elBulli closed – the three chefs were part of the creative team in the restaurant’s kitchen, alongside Albert and Ferran Adrià. When elBulli closed its doors in July of 2011 to become the elBulliFoundation, the three chefs stayed on the team until November 2014, actively working by Ferran Adrià’s side on the conceptualization of the Bullipedia.

It was in 2012 that they decided to become business partners and bring a long-standing thought of their’s to life: opening their own restaurant. And so, in April of 2012, Compartir was born in the idyllic setting of Cadaqués – place filled with magic and charm in the heart of the Mediterranean. The restaurant bases its gastronomic offers on dishes intended for sharing, which showcases modern cuisine blended with traditional cooking.

With Compartir Cadaqués becoming a quick success, the trio opened their second establishment, Disfrutar, together in Barcelona in December 2014. Disfrutar’s gastronomic offerings are avant-garde, and take on the form of a tasting menu. Disfrutar, which means “enjoy” in English, was conceptualised to provide guests with the ultimate level of enjoyment of creative cuisine. The tasting menus are designed to allow guests to feel relaxed, happy and to enjoy the innovative, Mediterranean-rooted cuisine. In short, Disfrutar is a restaurant with daring, fun and modern cuisine searching for taste as the main proposition.

Disfrutar’s premises, with its contemporary design, are as surprising as the cuisine . Located in the Eixample, just in front of the Ninot Market, Disfrutar’s interior is inspired by respect for the Mediterranean’s history and legacy, with ceramic being the common theme marking the interior. The entrance area is an ode to Barcelona, showing off the wrought iron of the Ninot Market and the colours of Mironian ceramics. The central corridor, made from ceramic with the colours and textures of clay, goes through the kitchen which is completely visible to clients and leads to the main dining room. This is inspired by small fishing villages and stands out as a bright, white space that transports one outside the city and connects with the terrace; a nod to Compartir.

It is the creative, high-quality cuisine paired with the intimate and welcoming manner of Disfrutar that has gained it 2 Michelin stars in The Michelin Guide.

Mateu Casañas

Born and raised in Roses, Girona, into a food-orientated family, Mateu’s first experience in the restaurant world was in the family business – a restaurant in Si Us Plau in Roses. He then went on to apprentice at elBulli, gaining experience in all sections of the kitchen. While working as part of the creative team for the elBulliFoundation part, Mateu was able to train in a variety of other kitchens, such as Restaurante Mas Pau under the direction of Toni Gerez and Xavier Sagristà; Restaurante Túria with Rafael Clarassó and Hotel Four Seasons at High Park Corner, London.

Oriol Castro

Born in Barcelona, Oriol started his culinary career training at Joviat School in Manresa and at the Gremi de Pastisseria de Barcelona school. Thereafter, Oriol worked in the kitchens of La Torre del Remei in Puigcerdà; Via Venetto in Barcelona; Jean Luc Figueras in Barcelona; Pastelería Totel de Paco Torreblanca and Martín Berasategui’s Lasarte. Thereafter,  at the end of the 1990s, Oriol started as a pastry chef apprentice at elBulli learning and growing as a chef until 1998, when he took charge, together with Ferran and Albert Adrià, of the creative team of elBulli, dedicating a large part of his work to the research and development of new dishes for the gastronomic offer of the restaurant.While working as part of the creative team for the elBulliFoundation, Mateu was able to train in a variety of other kitchens, such as Charlie Trotter in Chicago and Michel Bras in Laguiole.

Eduard Xatruch

Born in Vila-seca, Tarragona, Eduard started off in the culinary industry training at Escola d’Hosteleria de Cambrils, followed by Restaurant Quim Font in Salou; 2 Michelin-starred Ousteau de Baumanière at Aix-en Provence in France and 3 Michelin-starred Arzak in San Sebastián. Eduard then started as a chef de partie in the kitchen of elBulli and during his years working as part of the elBulli team, he gained additional training with periods of work experience in different restaurants such as Pastelería Escribà in Barcelona; 3 Michelin-starred The Fat Duck in Bray, United Kingdom and 3 Michelin-starred Le Calandre in Padova, Italy. From 1999, Eduard had the chance to work in all the areas of elBulli, eventually taking on positions of maximum responsibility. From 2005, Eduard also took charge, together with Ferran and Albert Adrià, of the creative team of elBulli, dedicating a large part of his work to the research of products.

Awards for Compratir
  • B de Bulthaup 2013 Gastronomy Award 2013
  • A Sun in the 2013 Repsol Guide
  • Two Suns in the Repsol Guide | 2014-2018
  • A mention in the Michelin Guide | 2016-2019
  • Number 11 on the Top 100+ European Gourmet Casual Restaurants 2017 by Opinionated About Dining (OAD)
  • Number 7 on the Top 100+ European Gourmet Casual Restaurants 2018 by OAD
Awards for Disfrutar
  • Best Restaurant of the Year 2015 by the Gastronomy and Nutrition Catalan Academy
  • Culinary Innovation Award by Confraria Gastronòmica Costa Daurada 2015
  • First prize in the category Surface Interiors of Restaurant & Bar Design Awards 2015
  • Special Mention in the 2015 ASCER Awards
  • A Michelin Star in the Michelin Guide 2016
  • Two Suns in the Repsol Guide 2016
  • Jury Award for Best Creative Restaurant in ABC Salsa de Chiles’ Gastronomic Awards
  • 2016 Best New European Restaurant Award and restaurant number 38 at OAD’s (Opinionated About Dining) list
  • Barcelona Best Restaurant in Macarfi Guide | 2017 – 2019
  • A Michelin Star in the Michelin Guide 2017
  • Two Suns in the Repsol Guide 2017
  • INSIGNA distinction by Gremi de Restauració de Barcelona
  • The Miele One To Watch Award 2017 by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants
  • Best new entry on the list 51-100 of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2017, reaching number 55
  • Number 29 on the Top 100+ European Restaurants 2017 list of Europe’s best restaurants by OAD
  • Best Foreign Chef of the year award assigned by Guida di Identità Golose 2018 (Italy)
  • “Entendedor” of the year award for the promotion and the divulgation of the olive oil by CRDOP Siurana 2018
  • Two Michelin Stars | The Michelin Guide 2018-2019
  • Three Suns in the Repsol Guide 2018
  • Number 12 on the Top 100+ European Restaurants 2018 list of Europe’s best restaurants by OAD
  • Best Restaurant Business Project 2018 award by Escola d’Hoteleria Joviat
  • Highest New Entry on the list of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2018 reaching number 18
FOUR questions with Mateu Casañas, Oriol Castro and Eduard Xatruch

Describe your culinary philosophy in FOUR words:

Creativity, mediterranean, tasty and honest.

What is your greatest inspiration?

The every day work and keeping in touch with the kitchen.

What would you take to a desert island?

We would take a knife and a matchbox.

If you could take a plane ride to any restaurant in the world, just for one meal, where would you go?

We would like to go to elBulli if the restaurant was still open… We worked there for many years but we never ate in it as guests.

Disfrutar
c/ Villarroel
163 – 08036
Barcelona
+34 933 486 896
Disfrutar Restaurant
@
disfrutarbcn
Compartir
c/ Riera Sant Vicenç,
s/n – 17488
Cadaqués
+34 972 25 84 82
Compartir Restaurant

@compartir_restaurant

Profile Images © Joan Valera
Food Images © Francesc Guillamet
Restaurant Interior Images © Adrià Goula

World’s best winner 2014 | World’s best luxury lifestyle media brand 2022

About

|

Editions

|

Contact

|

Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2023 Four magazine

|

All Rights Reserved

About

|

Contact

|

Editions

|

Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2023 Four magazine

|

All Rights Reserved

four-magazine.com use cookies to deliver an optimised experience. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of all cookies used.
Cookie settingsaccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.

CookieDurationDescription
__cfduid1 monthThe cookie is used by cdn services like CloudFare to identify individual clients behind a shared IP address and apply security settings on a per-client basis. It does not correspond to any user ID in the web application and does not store any personally identifiable information.
_abck1 yearThis cookie is used to detect and defend when a client attempt to replay a cookie.This cookie manages the interaction with online bots and takes the appropriate actions.
bm_sz4 hoursThis cookie is set by the provider Akamai Bot Manager. This cookie is used to manage the interaction with the online bots. It also helps in fraud preventions
cookielawinfo-checbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-advertisement1 yearThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Advertisement".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
ts3 yearsThis cookie is provided by the PayPal. It is used to support payment service in a website.
ts_c3 yearsThis cookie is provided by PayPal when a website is in association with PayPal payment function. This cookie is used to make safe payment through PayPal.
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.

Functional

Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.

CookieDurationDescription
akavpau_ppsdsessionThis cookie is provided by Paypal. The cookie is used in context with transactions on the website.
nsidThis cookie is set by the provider PayPal. This cookie is used to enable the PayPal payment service in the website.
tsrce3 daysThis cookie is set by the provider PayPal. This cookie is used to enable the PayPal payment service in the website.
x-pp-ssessionThis cookie is set by the provider PayPal. This cookie is used to process payments from the site.

Performance

Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.

CookieDurationDescription
YSCsessionThis cookies is set by Youtube and is used to track the views of embedded videos.

Analytics

Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.

CookieDurationDescription
_ga2 yearsThis cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to calculate visitor, session, campaign data and keep track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookies store information anonymously and assign a randomly generated number to identify unique visitors.
_gid1 dayThis cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to store information of how visitors use a website and helps in creating an analytics report of how the website is doing. The data collected including the number visitors, the source where they have come from, and the pages visted in an anonymous form.

Advertisement

Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.

CookieDurationDescription
_fbp3 monthsThis cookie is set by Facebook to deliver advertisement when they are on Facebook or a digital platform powered by Facebook advertising after visiting this website.
fr3 monthsThe cookie is set by Facebook to show relevant advertisments to the users and measure and improve the advertisements. The cookie also tracks the behavior of the user across the web on sites that have Facebook pixel or Facebook social plugin.
IDE1 year 24 daysUsed by Google DoubleClick and stores information about how the user uses the website and any other advertisement before visiting the website. This is used to present users with ads that are relevant to them according to the user profile.
test_cookie15 minutesThis cookie is set by doubleclick.net. The purpose of the cookie is to determine if the user's browser supports cookies.
VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE5 months 27 daysThis cookie is set by Youtube. Used to track the information of the embedded YouTube videos on a website.

Others

Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.

CookieDurationDescription
_gat_gtag_UA_120081375_11 minuteThis cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to calculate visitor, session, campaign data and keep track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookies store information anonymously and assign a randomly generated number to identify unique visitors.
_gat_gtag_UA_83740222_11 minuteThis cookie is installed by Google Analytics. The cookie is used to calculate visitor, session, campaign data and keep track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookies store information anonymously and assign a randomly generated number to identify unique visitors.
_mcid1 yearNo description
ak_bmsc2 hoursNo description
CONSENT16 years 9 months 2 days 6 hoursNo description
ec_store_chameleon_fontsessionThis cookie is provided by Ecwid and it is used to save the font utilised in the website's online store.
enforce_policy1 yearNo description
l7_az30 minutesNo description
LANG9 hoursNo description
x-cdnThis cookie is provided by Paypal and is used in context with shopping transactions on the website's store.