Oriol Castro: "It's not enough to be a great chef: you have to have a story"

Ferran Adrià has defined him as "one of the best chefs in the world." But Oriol Castro is not concerned with epithets or all the grandiloquent discourse built around stars. Despite leading, along with Eduard Xatruch and Mateu Casañas, the restaurant Disfrutar, three Michelin stars and recognized as Best Restaurant in the World in The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2024, the Catalan chef continues to speak more about work, effort, dedication, learning, and leadership than about success and recognition.

Perhaps it is a legacy of the years shared at El Bulli, where he was part of the creative core that revolutionized contemporary gastronomy for fourteen years. Or perhaps it is simply a way of understanding the profession. The truth is that, behind some of the most innovative dishes in current haute cuisine, Castro maintains a surprisingly simple vision of things: excellence is not achieved with strokes of inspiration, but through constancy, effort, and the ability to question oneself every day.

And it is that, when asked how one manages the fact of leading the best restaurant on the planet, he does not mention rankings or recognitions. He speaks of responsibility. Of continuing to deserve every day the trust of those who cross the door of Disfrutar.

"When we are given the award for the best restaurant in the world, people arrive with very high expectations and we have to earn those customers," he explains. A phrase that summarizes quite well his way of understanding the profession. Because behind every recognition, he insists, there is a less visible reality: hours of research, search for new products, development of techniques, creation of concepts, and an enormous collective effort.

Behind success there is teamwork

"Sometimes people might think that everything is very easy, but behind a success there is a great team effort and a lot of work that is not seen," he states. Perhaps that is why one of the concepts he repeats most during the conversation is that of growing inwards. While a good part of the restaurant industry seems obsessed with expanding, opening new premises, or multiplying formats, Disfrutar has chosen to reinforce its creative structure, expand its research teams, and dedicate more resources to thinking, developing, and creating.

The reason is simple: for Castro, creativity is not a spontaneous inspiration, but a work methodology. A discipline that demands rigor, constancy, and a permanent review of everything that is done. "The secret to balance is very simple: constancy, work, and effort," he assures. And he adds a reflection that could summarize his entire professional philosophy: "What we did yesterday is no longer valid tomorrow, and we have to keep evolving and growing."

At a time when some sectors of gastronomy question whether innovation continues to advance at the same pace as in previous decades, the chef does not share pessimistic diagnoses. On the contrary. He believes that ideas evolve, transform, and find new paths.

"Creativity never stops"

What has changed, he acknowledges, is the relationship between the restaurant and the diner. The emergence of social media has transformed the way gastronomy is discovered. Today it is more difficult to surprise because many experiences begin even before sitting at the table.

"Surprising diners is increasingly difficult for several reasons. When we didn't have social media and knowledge wasn't shared so quickly, there was much more surprise and emotion when a client went to a restaurant without having previously seen images or references. Today, the panorama has completely changed. We have social media where a dish is created, and a client shares it with everyone. That surprise effect has diminished because it no longer exists in the same way," the chef emphasizes.

Given this reality, Castro believes that the challenge is not only to innovate but to excite. To build coherent and meaningful experiences. In an increasingly technological society, he perceives that clients are looking for more human, closer proposals capable of emotionally connecting with them. "I believe that, in reality, the client now seeks a global experience. We are living in a very technological world, and people want more human things, closer to the heart and sensitivity. Storytelling, with a powerful narrative behind it, is increasingly important," he adds.

"Everything you do must have meaning and coherence," he maintains.

Catalan cuisine

That vision also explains his defense of Catalan cuisine, a tradition he considers fully alive and constantly evolving. "But I believe that Catalan cuisine is experiencing a great moment," adds Oriol Castro. "We have great chefs in Catalonia, such as Can Roca, the Torres brothers, Lasarte, ABaC, Alkimia and many other restaurants that make incredible Catalan cuisine."

For him, contemporary Catalan cuisine is not limited to preserving a legacy, but continues to be built from creativity and innovation without renouncing its roots. Because if there is one thing he champions throughout the conversation, it is the importance of maintaining a link with the territory.

"The important thing is to have your feet on the ground and know where we come from," he reflects when talking about his participation in both large international congresses and events closer to the product and the producer, such as GastroPirineus, Trufforum or Tast a la Rambla.

About the new generations

Oriol Castro is also a judge of the Chef of the Year Contest, a competition that also allows him to see and evaluate new promises. And his perception could not be more optimistic: "We have a generation of young chefs who are growing with extraordinary preparation and with a great future ahead. In addition, they are helping to transform gastronomy and open new paths."

In fact, when asked what he looks for in an excellent chef, his answer transcends technique. He values creativity, attitude, the ability to transmit, order, cleanliness and professionalism. In short, a global vision of the profession. "It's not enough to be a great chef. It's also important to have a discourse, a story to tell, to work with cleanliness, order and professionalism. Excellence is the result of a set of factors," adds the chef.

Perhaps therein lies one of the keys to his own career. After having achieved some of the greatest distinctions in world gastronomy, Oriol Castro still speaks like someone who continues to learn. In fact, the most revealing reflection of the entire conversation comes almost at the end. "Every day I realize that I know less than I thought I knew."

Far from sounding like false modesty, the phrase explains a good part of his professional journey. Because behind the creativity, the technique, and the awards, the curiosity of someone who continues to enter the kitchen every day convinced that there is still much to discover remains intact.