El Bulli Reservations Topic

[Suzi Edwards]

I've heard nothing either. I emailed and faxed (but the fax was engaged almost all day) I basically said I'd like to come on this date (which foolishly I've now realised is Easter Sunday....) but said I am at your mercy 10 days either way...

I would think they speak Catalan and Spanish.

Did anyone see the review in the times saturday magazine last week? Interesting that they saved a review from last year and published it last week.

[robert brown]

I don't know how long it will take for the restaurant to reply, but you have to take into account that on the 15th January the administration could have received literally thousands of requests for around 160 dinner seances. It has to take several days to assign each e-mail adn fax to a date (and think of all the ones that give the restaurant leeway) and decide who gets in and who doesn't. It could be awhile.

[Matthew Grant]

I read somewhere else that bookings opened at 10am local time - I'm pleased to report that my Fax was accepted first time at 10:07! I have still heard nothing in return, I hold out hope though, especially as I gave them 6 alternate dates including midweek. I'm hoping for a Friday or Saturday reservation to celebrate my Birthday.

[Nippy_Sweetie]

Do none of you know anyone who speaks Spanish and could organise reservations by phone for you? Or even find a Spanish student and bribe them with a bottle of wine to do it?

[Matthew Grant]

They are not answering the phone - it goes sraight to an answerphone message. Previous reports I have read suggest that a Fax. letter or E-mail is the only way to make a reservation

[Matthew Grant]

I'm guessing that nobody trying to secure a reservation has heard back yet? Another website had a post indicating that they had sent in a reservation request by E-Mail on 16th January and received a reply on 20th advising that all the tables for the season were now fully booked! On a more positive note, nobody who had applied on 15th January had received this message.

[Joe H]

My reservation for two was confirmed this morning. I had listed four consecutive dates and they gave us the fourth (which for us is our first choice). I sent an e-mail one week before the 15th asking for information to which they responded. When I made the initial request on the 15th I actually did this as a response to their e-mail (which was a response to mine (!). Additionally I sent a fax which took a long time to get through. I also followed these up with an additional e-mail and fax to confirm that they had received the originals. In all of these I noted that I was using both fax and e-mail so there would be no duplication.

Having said all this who knows why they will pick one over another. But in my original fax I did say that we were coming from the United States to Spain specifically to eat at their restaurant. Please post when you hear from them.

[dallardice]

Joe, I too did email and fax (stating the duplication) and offered a choice of 8 dates, all Fridays and Saturdays, saying that we would be making the trip from the UK specifically to eat there. No word yet - did they confirm to you by email or by fax?

[Matthew Grant]

Just Phoned El Bulli, they advised that they couldn't tell me now about my request but I should hear in the next few days. They obviously have a lot of faxes to send.

[Joe H]

They responded by e-mail. My wife, who indulges me, thinks I am crazy but we will travel from Washington, D. C. to Roses, Spain primarily to eat at this restaurant. (Of course it is also an excuse to have a long weekend in Barcelona also.) I should note that regardless of the experience their menu (assuming I can have one) will be framed and hung on our kitchen wall. If the meal is truly worth it I will buy a nice frame.

[Suzi Edwards]

i've just embarrassed myself in front of the whole office by doing a victory dance by the fax machine.

lord. i may have to resign.

el bulli have just faxed with a reservation on the very day i wanted. so that's lovely.

[Joe H]

Does anyone have any suggestions on where to stay in Roses or on the way back from Roses to Barcelona? Does two to two and one half hours on a Sunday morning sound like a reasonable amount of time to allow to drive from Roses to the Barcelona airport? Is El Bulli really THAT difficult to find when driving? (Michelin has pretty specific directions on their website that involve about five turns after arriving in Roses.)

Tarka: I'm curious-what month is your reservation for? I ask this because mine is for their second weekend of operation and perhaps they are going chronologically in sending out the confirmations. Also, how many people is your's for? Mine is for two. I know of someone else who posted that El Bulli was fully booked for the year in a response they received to their request for six on January 16th. I am wondering if having more than four people lessens the chances of getting in.

Anyway, congratulations and good luck.

[baphie]

Does anyone have any suggestions on where to stay in Roses or on the way back from Roses to Barcelona?  Does two to two and one half hours on a Sunday morning sound like a reasonable amount of time to allow to drive from Roses to the Barcelona airport? Is El Bulli really THAT difficult to find when driving?  (Michelin has pretty specific directions on their website that involve about five turns after arriving in Roses.)

We stayed at a hotel called Terrassa which was suggested by the staff at El Bulli. Pleasant and functional and inexpensive (two rooms for two nights < 200 $) and right on the beach. The biggest plus was a beachside cafe about one hundred meters away that had perfect roast chicken.

El Bulli is not hard to find - you just drive from Roses through a lot of curves and you are there. I don't recall too many choices. The intial turns involve navigating Roses itself which is stretched out along the beach.

I would allot 2.5 hours for the drive. Even on a Sunday AM, there were a lot of wierd slow-downs and other problems that prevented optimal driving. I also remember the rental car return being extremely slow and time-consuming. OTOH, we were flying out on the first plane to the US post 9/11 so my time recollections will be a little subjective.

A.

[guajolote]

Does anyone have any suggestions on where to stay in Roses or on the way back from Roses to Barcelona?

We stayed at the Almadraba Park hotel (http://www.almadrabapark.com/ - their website doesn't seem to be working) and loved it. The rooms were kind of spartan but the grounds are beautiful. Every room has a large balcony overlooking the bay of Roses. The restaurant at the hotel was realy good. We had our 2 1/2 year old daughter with us and the staff at the hotel treated her like a princess.

The road to El Bulli is really hard to find, but once you're on it there is nowhere to get lost. Take a dramamine if you get carsick.

Try to go to the Dali museum if Figueres if possible.

[robert brown]

The Vistabella is the best hotel in Rosas, although if you are going there before Palm Sunday, it is closed. I won't stay in a hotel that is less than three roofs in the Michelin, so it looks like the nearest comparable place in early April is WSW of Figueras by a golf course. You also have to know where to get off the main road that goes through Roses to get on the road that goes to El Bulli. It is on the left, obviously, as you head away from Figueras. For those of you going after Palm Sunday, the Vistabella is quite decent, but not real luxurious. It's on the sea, has a small indoor swimming pool and, according to my wife, a great masseuse. If you stay two night, don't miss Adria's favorite restaurant in the town, which is a barebones grilled fish place called Rafa's. He has no sign, but it is on the main walking street next to an Italian ice cream shop. Calle Sant Sebastia, 56. (972-254003.) It is as memorable in its way as El Bulli itself.

[lizziee]

I would second Robert's suggestions. Also, I would add that driving to El Bulli should not be done at night. The road is treacherous and although getting there might be OK, getting back is a nightmare, particularly after a meal with wine.

[robert brown]

Joe H;, Last year's menu, at any rate, was similar to a small greeting card with the restaurant's omnipresent black and white "corporate identity" of the shadowy rendition of a bulldog on the cover as you see it on the web site. Pages two and three list the dishes in small, simple classic computer type. You may want to buy one long and narrow frame. I suggest a double window mat, each window bevelled, one surrounding the cover and the other the two inside pages. Consider a narrow "float" between the object and the inside edges of the window. Keep it simple , perhaps with a narrow black molding for the frame. If you want the menu for the ages, tell your framer to use archival materials so that there is no acidity that will form. Of course get at least two menus and keep the other one in a dark place. I think you can also get a menu with a red cover and a separate card listing your wines. Most of all, have a tremendous time. I admire your making the trip.

[Suzi Edwards]

hi joe,

my reservation is for easter sunday (april 20th) and it's for two people so i guess they've gone sequentially. as i remember that's the first month they're open...

thanks for the suggestions on hotels everyone. much appreciated.

[Matthew Grant]

My requests were for May and I'm still waiting

[jordyn]

(tarka -- Removed the day within January for calling from your original post? How bad could competition from eGulleteers be?  )

Just to follow up on this point. Although everyone's entitled to do whatever they want, sharing information like "how to get a reservation at El Bulli" seems to be one of the strengths of eGullet. Even though I didn't start reading the thread until after the 15th, I must admit that I feel disappointed that the date was edited out so that some eGulleters might benefit at the expense of others.

[dallardice]

8 dates during the course of the year from April to Sept, for two people, and I'm still waiting...

[leonr]

I e-mailed on 22nd asking for a reservation between Apr30 and May4. Received this response.

Dear sirs,

We regret that we can not attend your reservation request. Due the extraordinary demand that we have received and our limited dinner room capacity we do not have any places more available for this season 2003.

I hope you accept our apologies

It came in spanish, english and french, just to be on the safe side.

Have to try earlier next year.

Edited January 26, 2003 by leonr (log)

[Joe H]

The ONLY chance you have is the very first day. Another post on here mentioned that he e-mailed them on the 16th and received a message three or four days later similar to your's. He had also asked for a table for six which may have been counterproductive. I know of four separate people who have received confirmations thus far and every single one sent an e-mail (perhaps all additionally sent faxes but I am not certain of this) sometime between 12:01AM January 15th Spanish time and 10:15AM. I do not believe that any asked for more than four people and it is possible that all asked for only two. I also sent an e-mail along with a virtual "plea" several days earlier and when I sent my e-mail request on January 15th I actually did this as a response to their response to my earlier e-mail "plea." (i.e. the same thread) If I had not gotten a reservation my fall back plan-for next year=was to send a letter by Federal Express targeted to arrive the first day along with an e-mail and a fax as well as an earlier postal letter and e-mailled "plea". Additionally I was not going to specify a date-I was going to specify a MONTH. I don't think that I left out any possibility but this seemed like the only alternative if I wasn't "accepted" this time. Fortunately (famous last words!) we "got in."

Somehow, that's what this now seems to be about. The fraternity of "getting in" of being accepted by El Bulli. If anyone thought the French Laundry was a difficult reservation, hah! That's the minor leagues next to this which is truly a world class effort.

The worst part is that if it really lives up to the billing how the hell do I get in again!

[Suzi Edwards]

in my defence jordyn, there was an immediate response to my mail that suggested i remove the information. i took a judgement and removed the info. i'm new here.

i got my information (the actual date when reservations opened) from a number of sources including "another leading food site" so i was working on the assumption that it anyone was serious about getting a table at el bulli they would have done what i did and scoured the internet for information. i then posted the info on here with a request for help. interstingly, until i posted there was no mention on here of when reservations opened....but people obviously knew...

this was one of the most viewed (but interestingly) not most posted to threads for a while. more importantly to me, the person who personal messaged me asking for the info was given it...

so please, chill out and don't berate me for doing what it was suggested i do. :-)

[Joe H]

As I mentioned before I both called them and sent an e-mail to them several days before January 15th. I would like to believe that because of my earlier, pre January 15th e-mail, I was favored. I found out about the date itself because of my earlier contact. I also put a post on Chowhound several weeks ago about El Bulli and the correct date prior to it. I am sure that many people look at both boards plus I have always called European restaurants directly. I did think that I might be hurting my own chances but while eGullet posts the number of views Chowhound does not. I really have no idea how many people might be looking at a particular post. Even knowing the number I can only guess at how many may actually try to reserve a table and how many will try to reserve it for the same night/nights that I am trying for. At some point I made the decision that anyone who really wanted to go would just call the restaurant and my post would make little difference. But that was me that night. The night night I might have made a different decision.