El Bulli To Close?

[zuriga1]

I've been told that El Bullie is closing. Is this permanently, just for awhile? Does anyone know the real story?

[Quimbombo]

El Bulli will be closed for 2 years. Adria supposedly will be experimenting and bringing new dishes to light.

http://eater.com/archives/2010/01/26/...

[MikeG]

Apparently they later decided to close it permanently: http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.co...

[SnackHappy]

Adrià has denied the info published on the NYT website:

http://www.elpais.com/articulo/cultura/Bulli/convertira/fundacion/elpepucul/20100213elpepucul_1/Tes

http://www.abc.es/20100213/vivir-viaj...

[MikeG]

Interesting. Tempest in a Pacojet? This article in El País goes into more detail, and it seems to me he's not quite denying it "all" with the vehemence that ABC.es suggests, with Adrià calling it a "misunderstanding." I might be reading more into it than is warranted, but it seems to me he's pretty vague/hedgy about what exactly will be reopening in two years...

http://www.elpais.com/articulo/cultur...

[butterfly]

This interview explains it better. The restaurant was never profitable (it couldn't be--I realized this instantly when I ate there--there is no place that puts so much human capital into a plate of food). It sounds as if he wants to refocus efforts on innovation in a direction that doesn't require him to seek out and maintain the accolades associated with being the "best" restaurant in the world: http://www.elpais.com/articulo/portad...

It's clear from this and other interviews that whatever reopens won't be the same as before. He has expressed time and again that he is very interested in feeding more than a tiny group of wealthy food obsessives.

[arobmadrid]

I suppose you're including yourself in that group? Just joking
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkxfsI...

[butterfly]

¡Para nada! We ate a lot of lentejas to make up for it.

[zuriga1]

I'm going to assume that we will all know in due course. :-) Ah, the media....

[MikeG]

Ah, the media....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Not to mention those zealously protective of their "brands" ;) . Apparently the "confusión dialéctica" has now been clarified (or "elaborated upon" depending on one's perspective!) to everyone's satisfaction (lol): http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.co...