Remember El Bulli? You can sleep there for free

The unique opportunity appears to be a one-off on Airbnb, but you get to personally meet Ferran Adria

Do you remember El Bulli? The Catalan restaurant topped all rankings in the world at the beginning of the 21^st century thanks to the revolutionary approach of its head chef Ferran Adrià, who made “molecular gastronomy” a mainstream term. No, it’s not re-opening but now a lucky pair can get the chance to spend a night there in October and meet Mr Ferran Adrià in person. Best of all, it won’t cost them a dime.

Ever since El Bulli, located on the shore of the rugged and beautiful Costa Brava, closed down in 2011, it has remained a legendary establishment in the memory of those who’ve had the chance to dine there and experience a modernist fusion between gastronomy, chemistry and art.

These days, the building is part of the El Bulli 1846 Foundation, and it is being run as a museum that is open to the public.

Surrounded by murky details

Regarding the opportunity to spend a night there, the information that has been publicized reveals probably as much as it hides.

For one, the booking has to be made on Airbnb, where candidates can see pictures of the property and the rather intriguing-looking bed where they will spend the night on 16 October.

Applications will open on 17 April, however, given the exclusive opportunity, it’s not very clear what the selection process will be. The listing description only says that candidates need to be over the age of 18, they need to have a verified Airbnb profile with good reviews, and they have to describe in their request to Mr Adria the person they are planning to take along for the experience. To say that the selection criteria are foggy would be an understatement.

The only other requirement for the willing visitors is that they should have the ability to cover their own transport to the town of Roses, which is the nearest to El Bulli.

The Costa Brava town, however, will also feature as part of the overall experience since the lucky pair will be taken by Ferran Adria to his favourite restaurant there. Plus, there will be a visit to his brother’s restaurant, Enigma - also in Roses.

Thus, the experience will definitely include a gastronomic dimension. But be warned, there is no shower at El Bulli, you’ll have to do with wet wipes.