Restaurant in Sant Julià de Ramis, Spain
Roca brothers' second act, worth the detour.
Esperit Roca earns its Michelin star in a converted military fortress 10km from Girona, with a wine cellar holding over 80,000 bottles and two structurally unusual tasting menus. It's the right booking if you've already done El Celler de Can Roca and want a different angle on the same kitchen's thinking, at a slightly more accessible reservation window.
If you've already eaten at El Celler de Can Roca in Girona and want to understand where that kitchen's creative DNA comes from, Esperit Roca is the logical next booking. It sits inside a converted military fortress in Sant Julià de Ramis, just 10km from Girona, and it operates at Michelin one-star level with a wine cellar housing over 80,000 bottles. This is not a consolation prize for those who couldn't get a Celler reservation. It is a different experience, with its own menus and personality, and for returning visitors to this part of Catalonia it earns its place as a destination meal.
The Castillo de Sant Julià de Ramis gives Esperit Roca a physical scale that almost no other restaurant in the region can match. Cement and concrete dominate the dining room, but large picture windows pull the surrounding countryside into the space, softening what could otherwise feel austere. The entry sequence matters here: you arrive through a CCR exhibition that documents the creative processes behind El Celler de Can Roca, which functions both as context-setting and, if you're returning to this family of restaurants, as a genuinely interesting piece of culinary documentation. The wine cellar, topped by an impressive dome, makes the 80,000-bottle collection visible rather than hidden — a deliberate statement about how seriously wine is taken at this address. An academy-library and a working distillery that doubles as the restaurant's R&D; space complete the picture. You're not just booking a table; you're booking access to a compound built around a specific idea of what hospitality can be. See our full Sant Julià de Ramis hotels guide if you want to stay overnight and take the experience at a slower pace.
The 80,000-bottle cellar is the most significant wine program you will encounter at a one-star restaurant in Spain. At this price tier (€€€€), a serious cellar is expected, but the scale and visibility of Esperit Roca's collection places it in a different category from peers like Arzak in San Sebastián or Azurmendi in Larrabetzu, both of which run excellent lists but don't foreground wine as a physical architectural element. For returning diners who know the food format, the wine pairing choices here deserve particular attention: the Espíritu Salado and Espíritu Dulce menus (see below) create two very different pairing contexts, and the sommelier team has the depth of inventory to do something genuinely interesting with both. If wine is your primary reason for making the trip to this corner of Girona province, Esperit Roca justifies the journey. Explore our full Sant Julià de Ramis wineries guide for additional context on the regional wine scene.
À la carte draws on classic El Celler recipes with adjustments that give Esperit Roca its own register. The more interesting decision for returning visitors is which of the two set menus to choose. Espíritu Salado runs six savoury dishes and two desserts; Espíritu Dulce inverts that ratio with two savoury dishes and six desserts. The Dulce menu in particular is unusual in the Spanish fine dining context — most kitchens at this level treat dessert as a coda rather than a subject. If you've already eaten a conventional tasting menu format here or elsewhere and want something structurally different, Espíritu Dulce is worth serious consideration. For broader context on the creative cooking happening in this part of Spain, see our full Sant Julià de Ramis restaurants guide.
Book as far in advance as possible , ideally 6 to 8 weeks out for weekend evenings. Michelin recognition and the Roca name mean demand is consistent, and the fortress setting creates a fixed capacity that doesn't expand. This is a hard booking; treat it like one. The hotel on site (see our hotels guide) may offer some advantage for guests staying over, but confirmation of that policy should be sought directly with the venue. For reference on comparable booking difficulty in the region, El Celler de Can Roca typically requires months of lead time, making Esperit Roca considerably more accessible while still operating in the same family of experience.
Quick reference: Carrer Major, Entrada 1, Sant Julià de Ramis, Girona | €€€€ | Michelin 1 Star (2024) | Google 4.8/5 (169 reviews) | Book 6–8 weeks out minimum.
If you're building a wider itinerary in the area, Fontané is the most relevant local alternative. For a broader look at what's happening across Catalonia and the Basque Country at this price tier, compare notes with Mugaritz in Errenteria, Martin Berasategui in Lasarte-Oria, and DiverXO in Madrid. Further afield, Quique Dacosta in Dénia, Ricard Camarena in València, Cocina Hermanos Torres in Barcelona, Aponiente in El Puerto de Santa María, Arpège in Paris, and Jordnær in Gentofte represent the broader peer set for creative fine dining at this level. Also explore our Sant Julià de Ramis bars guide and our experiences guide for the full picture.
It works for solo diners who are there for the food and wine program rather than the social dynamic. The setting is architectural rather than intimate, which suits a focused solo visit. The Espíritu Dulce menu , with its dessert-heavy format , is worth considering if you're dining alone and want a genuinely distinct structure. That said, the €€€€ price point means you should be clear on your priorities before booking solo: this is a commitment.
The most relevant local option is Fontané, which operates at a lower price tier and is easier to book. If your real question is about alternatives in the wider Girona area, El Celler de Can Roca is the obvious comparison, though it operates at a higher level of difficulty to book and at a higher price. See our full Sant Julià de Ramis restaurants guide for a complete picture.
Six to eight weeks minimum for weekend evenings. Weekday tables may open closer to the date, but given the Michelin star and the Roca association, don't assume availability. This is significantly easier to book than El Celler de Can Roca, which typically requires months of lead time, but Esperit Roca is not a walk-in venue.
Yes, and the setting does a lot of the work. The fortress, the wine dome, the exhibition sequence on arrival , the experience is designed to feel considered from the moment you get there. At €€€€ with a Michelin star, it clears the bar for a meaningful occasion. The Espíritu Salado menu is the safer choice for a celebratory meal; the Dulce format is better suited to diners who know what they're signing up for.
The fortress setting suggests there is capacity for groups, and the cultural centre format implies some event infrastructure, but specific group booking policies are not confirmed in available data. Contact the venue directly before planning a large group visit. At €€€€ per head, group costs accumulate fast , factor that into the conversation when you enquire.
At Michelin one-star level with an 80,000-bottle cellar and the Roca name behind it, the tasting menus represent fair value within the €€€€ tier. The Espíritu Dulce format , six desserts and two savoury dishes , is the option you won't find replicated at comparable venues like Arzak or Azurmendi, which makes it the stronger argument for the menu over à la carte if you're returning to this family of restaurants.
| Venue | Price | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Esperit Roca | €€€€ | Hard | — |
| Quique Dacosta | €€€€ | Unknown | — |
| El Celler de Can Roca | €€€€ | Unknown | — |
| Arzak | €€€€ | Unknown | — |
| Azurmendi | €€€€ | Unknown | — |
| Aponiente | €€€€ | Unknown | — |
How Esperit Roca stacks up against the competition.
Solo diners are well served here if you're engaged by the setting as much as the food. The CCR exhibition, wine cellar with 80,000 bottles, and academy-library give you plenty to absorb independently. At €€€€, solo dining is a real spend, so factor that in — but the à la carte format means you're not locked into a long tasting menu if you'd rather keep the meal focused.
Fontané is the most relevant local alternative in the immediate area. For the Roca creative DNA at a higher register, El Celler de Can Roca in Girona (roughly 10km away) is the obvious comparison — it's where Esperit Roca's à la carte recipes originate. If you're building a wider Catalonia itinerary, the Girona dining scene offers further options at different price points.
Book 6 to 8 weeks out for weekend evenings as a baseline. The Michelin 1-star recognition (2024) combined with the Roca name means demand is consistent rather than seasonal. Midweek slots are more forgiving, but don't rely on last-minute availability at this price tier.
Yes, provided the occasion suits a destination-style experience. Arriving through a converted military fortress, accessing the CCR exhibition, and dining in a room designed around picture-window views of the surrounding landscape all contribute to the event of the evening. Michelin 1-star (2024) gives the meal a credential to point to. It works better for occasions where the context matters as much as the food itself.
The scale of the Castillo de Sant Julià de Ramis complex — which includes a hotel, academy-library, and distillery alongside the restaurant — suggests the venue can handle larger parties more comfortably than a conventional fine-dining room. check the venue's official channels to confirm private dining or group arrangements, as nothing specific is documented publicly. At €€€€ per head, group bookings here are a significant commitment.
The two set menus — Espíritu Salado (6 dishes, 2 desserts) and Espíritu Dulce (2 dishes, 6 desserts) — are the more distinctive way to eat here, since the à la carte draws on existing El Celler de Can Roca recipes. If you've already eaten at El Celler and want a different angle on the Roca approach, Espíritu Dulce in particular is an unusual format that few restaurants of any tier offer. At €€€€, the tasting menu format justifies the price better than the à la carte for first-time visitors.
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