El Bulli 2006 Reservations

[IanT]

for the 4th year in a row, I just got a no.

who wants to go to elBulli anyway? 

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Damn, I just got a no too.

[crosparantoux]

I asked for any day during the season, no restrictions. My rejection email said that they had to meet the requests of returning customers as well as the requests of new customers, and that the whole thing is overwhelming. Does this suggest a pecking order? Naively I thought el bulli was egalitarian. Business is business, so they can do whatever they want. But, if returning customers come first, how can anyone new slip in?

Very graciously, Mr. Garcia suggested I call/email just before the season begins or call after 3pm during the season for cancellations. Oh well, I'll turn 50 somewhere else in the world.

[saulbass]

Have not gotten a yes or no yet, but on another note I received an email from Juli Soler that the English edition of elBulli 1994-1997 will be available during the first few months of 2006 and the English edition of elBulli 2003-2004 will be available during the early Spring 2006. Still hoping for a reservation for the 2006 season...

[Silly Disciple]

I asked for any day during the season, no restrictions. My rejection email said that they had to meet the requests of returning customers as well as the requests of new customers, and that the whole thing is overwhelming.  Does this suggest a pecking order? Naively I thought el bulli  was egalitarian. Business is business, so they can do whatever they want. But, if returning customers come first, how can anyone new slip in?

Very graciously, Mr. Garcia suggested I call/email just before the season begins or call after 3pm during the season for cancellations. Oh well, I'll turn 50 somewhere else in the world.

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this is the standard rejection text.

[bigorre]

I am out ....not this year I guess....got rejected ! !!

[dfunghi]

This is all exactly like last years thread. Many get in many do not. It appears Luis is an upstanding, honest, very hard working person. I would not worry about the language you wrote in or whether you had a "code" or anything else. There are I believe something along the lines of 2600 seatings and about 300,000 requests. Luis must dread the flood of e-mail every Oct 15th yet he still keeps the same system so anyone ( not everyone) has a chance for a table.

I have heard of many cancellations at E.B. so if you are in the area why not keep trying as your dates get closer. Good Luck

David

[malachi]

Still waiting...

Still have fingers crossed...

[saulbass]

Same

Still waiting with high and increasing anticipation...

[Louisa Chu]

David - About 8000 seats each season. Last year they had about 400,000 requests - up 100,000 from the year before. They get about a 4% rate of cancellation. They don't dread it. They're stoic about it. It wasn't that long ago they had 0 requests. That was the time they started to experiment.

[Pweaver1984]

Been rejected My 1st time of applying though, little disapppointed to say the least! Though nearer the date will get in contact for any cancellations as Louisa quite rightly says.....

Well done for those who have been chosen.

Paul

[Corinna Dunne]

... my wait is over... I didn't get a reservation. I was beginning to believe I had after waiting so long. Best of luck to everyone else still in the loop.

[nimzo]

Still waiting, asked for August or any Saturday, getting more and more pessimistic by the minute as I hear of the failures.Anybody got any good news?

[ASM NY]

Reading this thread takes me back to my high school days when people were applying to college:

"ElBulli rejected me, I guess I will have to go to Celler de Can Roca or Arzak, my backups"

[Bux]

Perhaps like colleges, restaurants should consider the abilities of the applicants and the applications should require an essay and references.

Smiling and ducking.

[martback]

Also out. They did recommend booking at the hotel in Seville which was said to feature all of the recipes of the restaurant.

/ mart

[Corinna Dunne]

Perhaps like colleges, restaurants should consider the abilities of the applicants and the applications should require an essay and references.

Smiling and ducking. 

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If you haven't been there before, is it just a pure lottery? The odds are actually worse than they appear. For instance, 400,000 requests would probably equate to a min of 800,000 seats, and added to this, how much of the 8,000 allocation is already taken up by returning patrons? The odds will be even worse in 2007 as the number of patrons increases.

[molto e]

Perhaps like colleges, restaurants should consider the abilities of the applicants and the applications should require an essay and references.

Smiling and ducking. 

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If you haven't been there before, is it just a pure lottery? The odds are actually worse than they appear. For instance, 400,000 requests would probably equate to a min of 800,000 seats, and added to this, how much of the 8,000 allocation is already taken up by returning patrons? The odds will be even worse in 2007 as the number of patrons increases.

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Actually, Bux was not that far off from how I got in last year.

Molto E

[Louisa Chu]

Bux - you deserve a slap for that.

Corinna - it's almost pure lottery. But the odds aren't quite that bad - the 400,000 requests means that number of seats requested - not the number of communiques - and a lot of people who've been once will never go back.

[Corinna Dunne]

Thanks Louisa. Actually I think that Bux's comment is fine. If I had a choice I'd go for the exam and skip the lottery!

[NYC Mike]

Also out. They did recommend booking at the hotel in Seville which was said to feature all of the recipes of the restaurant.

/ mart

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Has anyone been to the hotel in Seville that would be willing to comment on the experience? Anyone been to both?

[Bux]

Bux - you deserve a slap for that. 

Corinna - it's almost pure lottery. But the odds aren't quite that bad - the 400,000 requests means that number of seats requested - not the number of communiques - and a lot of people who've been once will never go back.

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A slap for being a fan of meritocracy? Not reasonable, especially when you'd be ahead of me.

[Louisa Chu]

Corinna - it's just that sometimes I want the person who has no expectations. Just extreme curiosity.

Bux - sez you. And that's just it - merits based on what??

[ASM NY]

Also out. They did recommend booking at the hotel in Seville which was said to feature all of the recipes of the restaurant.

/ mart

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Has anyone been to the hotel in Seville that would be willing to comment on the experience? Anyone been to both?

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I have been to their restaurant in Seville, it's called La Alqueria. There was a brief thread on this here.

I have not been to ElBulli, but I went with my parents who have been there twice. Essentially La Alqueria serves ElBulli dishes from past years. We went last year and we went with the tasting menu. Including all the "snacks" it came to roughly 15 or 16 dishes. The problem is that you are likely to try your fair share of dishes that were created before ElBulli exploded with creative ideas (for example, one of the dishes was a tuna carpaccio). There were only 2 dishes from that year's season (one snack and one dessert).

Don't get me wrong, the food and the service were very good, but according to my parents, it was a far cry from eating at ElBulli. It almost feels like a consolation prize for all of us that can't seem to get a reservation. You can go and try some interesting dishes (I found that ordering a la carte is a bad idea, as you'll only be able to sample 3-4 dishes, which are served in much larger portions than the usual ElBulli dish), additionally, don't expect them to cart out the "teppannitro" or produce any of their more groundbreaking creations.

I found the experience to be a good one, but it left me frustrated with wanting to experience the "real thing" even more...

hope this helps

[ASM NY]

One last thing... if anyone is considering going, bear in mind that the hotel is around 30-40 minutes outside Seville. It's a beautiful hotel, probably one of the nicest ones in and around Seville, however, if you want to tour the city, it's not very practical, not to mention that it's very expensive. I think that they use La Alqueria as a draw for people to stay in the hotel.

I went around April this year (I incorrectly said last year) in the earlier post. And the most recent dishes they served were from the 2004 season. They did not serve a single dish from 2005. I was shocked to see the restaurant was only about 60% full.

[nimzo]

I have eaten at both for the last 3 years, at Alqueria as a guest at the hotel.The hotel reckon on 60% of the hotel guests staying for dinner.

The best way to look at it is to forget Bulli and take it as a good 2 star rstaurant. Personally I enjoy the greatest hits from the past and always have a couple of dinners ALC which always seem to be accompanied by lots of snacks, some from last year but most from 2 years ago or further.The service is very formal and I have met a surprising number of staff who have moved on to top restaurants in Europe including Fat Duck and Can Roca.

I strongly recommend a few nights in the hotel in summer , the pool is marvellous and the breakfast is the best I have had anywhere. Seville is a trip away but once inSanlucar I rarely venture out as the natural sloth in me takes over.