The Andalusian chef brought together 30 of Spain’s most renowned chefs at his Leña restaurant in Barcelona to celebrate Joan Roca’s work with a unique menu of 21 dishes inspired by El Celler de Can Roca. The evening was full of friendship, emotion, and talent. Attendees included Ferran Adrià, Martín Berasategui, Elena Arzak, and Quique Dacosta. The event revived the spirit of Dani García’s famous ‘A Cuatro Manos’ (Four Hands) events.
Last night, more than 70 Michelin stars shone at Leña, Dani García’s first restaurant in Barcelona, located in the Grand Hyatt Barcelona. Thirty of Spain’s greatest chefs came together there to pay tribute to Joan Roca, the soul of El Celler de Can Roca, in an evening full of emotion, friendship and recognition. Family, colleagues and friends joined the tribute, which celebrated the gastronomic excellence and human qualities of the Catalan chef.
The 21-dish menu featured reinterpretations of iconic El Celler de Can Roca dishes by leading figures in the culinary world. These included Nandu Jubany’s wild boar royal, inspired by Roca’s brioche; Mateu Casañas’s olive tapa, a coca pizza with truffle; Dani García’s anchovies with truffle; Alberto Chicote’s fried crispy aubergine with Iberian ham essence and spiced burrata; ; Albert Adrià with a Chaud Froid of partridge and sea urchins; Quique Dacosta with a rice dish containing butifarra sausage and sea urchins; and the Puigvert sisters (Les Cols**) with a dessert of honey blossom, cottage cheese, walnuts and ratafia. This once-in-a-lifetime banquet brought together 120 guests.
Leading figures in attendance included Ferran Adrià, Pedro Subijana, Martín Berasategui, Elena Arzak, Toni Massanés and Carles Gaig, who joined in the applause and expressions of affection for Joan Roca, twice named the world’s best chef by The Best Chef Awards. Dani García highlighted Joan Roca’s humanity, saying: “As a person, he is even greater than as a chef”.
The evening culminated at midnight with a very special surprise: Christian Escribà and Patricia Schmidt burst in with a spectacular birthday cake designed in Roca’s honour. Visibly moved, Roca confessed to feeling ‘very fortunate to be a chef and to be your friend’, dedicating the tribute to his parents, who instilled in him the values of humility, generosity and hospitality that have shaped the philosophy of El Celler de Can Roca.
This heartfelt tribute marks the return of ‘A Cuatro Manos’ (Four Hands), the famous event organised by Dani García since 2014, which has featured renowned chefs such as Ferran Adrià, Robuchon, Nobu and Arzak. It was a night of talent, emotion and friendship at Leña, celebrating Joan Roca’s legacy and the spirit of gastronomy that transcends the kitchen.
