When one of the minds behind Disfrutar takes the stage at an event dedicated to pizza, the culinary world listens. Chef Eduard Xatruch captivated the audience at Pizza Talks 2025 in Milan, not with complex foams or avant-garde techniques, but with a rallying cry that echoed through the room: “Viva la Pizza!”
His presence was a testament to how the lines between fine dining and everyday culinary icons are blurring. “When we received an invitation to The Best Pizza, we accepted it immediately without hesitation,” said Xatruch. “The world of fine dining and the world of pizza are combining.”
And rightly so. What used to be a humble dish enjoyed on street corners is now being elevated to gastronomic art. For Xatruch, it’s not just about dough and toppings — it’s about emotion, origin, and identity.
“We are not talking about regular restaurants where guests come every day. We want people who visit trattorias to know where they are — not in an ordinary place, but in one that holds a gastronomic essence,” he said.
At Disfrutar, guests are sometimes asked to describe their experience in three words. Mediterranean. Emotions. Technique. These recurring answers serve as a compass — proof that when a dish moves beyond taste to touch something deeper, it resonates. Xatruch believes this same principle applies to pizza.
“When you eat pizza and think, ‘Wow, it’s amazing’ — it’s because there’s something more behind it,” he explained. “Something that gives it value, that makes it unique.”
He highlighted that across cultures, pizza-like creations have existed for centuries. “In Catalan cuisine, we have dishes similar to pizza, rooted in the Roman era. Dough with vegetables, proteins — it’s a global language.”
But for Disfrutar, and for the future of pizza, the key lies in balance — using cutting-edge techniques without forgetting where we come from.
“At Disfrutar, we always think about technology, innovation, modernity — but we draw inspiration from tradition,” he emphasized. “Tradition is our memory and our link to understanding what new things mean.”
It’s this philosophy that allows chefs to reinterpret the familiar. Pizza, too, can be transformed — romanticized, reimagined, reinvented — while still respecting its origins.
Xatruch closed with a message of unity and evolution:
“With tradition, we get the inspiration to make new things. All together, we make gastronomy better.”
Visionary Chef and Co-Founder of Disfrutar
Eduard Xatruch is a leading figure in the world of avant-garde gastronomy, internationally renowned for his creativity, technical mastery, and unwavering dedication to the evolution of contemporary cuisine. As one of the three founding chefs of Disfrutar in Barcelona - now ranked among the best restaurants in the world - Xatruch is helping to shape a new language of haute cuisine that is both playful and deeply intellectual.
