There is no such thing as the best restaurant in the world, pursuant to the same rationale there cannot be a second one. St. Pellegrino's classification is polemic and based on personal experiences and preferences that most certainly have gone to many different restaurants during their life, but probably not enough to positively state that one is the best in the world. The restaurants change every year (if not every month) and nobody could ever experiment all the best in only one year (well, maybe some people can, but it is highly unlikely). Finally, there are also personal considerations and everyday mood that influence each review...and so many other factors that impact on each evaluator opinion.
Having said this and taking into account that I have only been to a handful of top restaurants in the world, I can understand the reason why El Celler was considered the second best in the world and is a fair holder of 3 Michelin stars.
In the centre of Girona in a discrete house is located the magnificent Roca brothers' food temple. Josep, Joan and Jordi, the triple Js Rocas, run a machine so close to perfection that seems impossible. The service, the communication between the kitchen and front of house, the creativeness and excellence present in each dish and the cheerful enthusiasm with which the brothers welcome you to their "home"...
Other than that, Michel Roux, the famous chef of Le Gavroche in London, was the main guest for this mid-week lunch and sitting right next to us savoured his experience with appetite and we could sense a positive sign of envy and admiration for his fellow hosts.
Service: 19/20
When you say 19/20 it says everything.
Notwithstanding here are a few remarks to justify the 19. Precision on the coordination between the kitchen and the front of house, perfect timing, sensible judgement when approaching the table with a pleasant informality but tremendous competence and attentiveness. On top of that, the reception and regular visits to the table from the charming and entertaining Josep Roca, the somellier brother.
Ambiance and décor: 18/20
It is a high end restaurant and therefore it is not uncommon that you hear people whispering instead of talking normally. Apart from this you could perfectly be sitting in a trendy and informal place that you would not notice. From the outside and after passing through Girona, you would not believe the beauty of the inside. The entrance to a yard with plenty of colours and flowers elegantly decorating the old façade of the building, a modern looking building lay right next to it. In the middle of the year, comfortable chairs and tables invite us for an aperitif and an ending cigar with digestive.
After invited to see the kitchen, located in the old building, by Josep we meet his brother, Joan, the head chef. Jordi, the pastry creative genious, was not around. The kitchen half traditional, half laboratory, is the dream of every wannabe chef.
The rest of the restaurant is smooth and tranquilizing in clean white, light brown and transparent with an indoor garden.
Food: 19,5/20
Magic, creativity, quality, consistency, perfection, textures and colours, multi sensorial are just a few words to qualify the Roca brothers' state of the art cuisine.
It is hard to tell how many dishes and non-dishes edible "things" came to the table, in my head there would only be a blur image of extraordinary colourful ingredients, in awkward harmonious combinations, from solid to liquid, hot and cold, if not for the pictures taken during the lunch.
Two different menus are offered to the guests. We opted for the Menú Festival, the longest and more complete, to enjoy a relaxed, pleasant and long afternoon in El Celler (6:30 hours).
There was not any let down during our lunch, but as individuals we all have our preferences and amongst all the dishes that we had the opportunity to taste here are a few that deserve an extra mark for excellency: 
(ii) the espárragos blancos con consomé de ibéricos (a comfortable combination with a fresh image);
(iii) toda la gamba (how to eat a whole Denia prawn? ask Joan, incredible technical work behind such a simple dish, the buttery and meaty prawn dissolved itself with the touch of the knife, the legs cracked in the mouth...);
(v) bacalao en brandada (with, among other things, cod foam, gut stew, olive oil, with scallions with honey and thyme...delicious, complex, deeply satisfying);
(vi) cochinillo ibérico en blanqueta al riesling (with mango terrine, beetroot, melon, beetroot pure, black garlic, onion and orange - a palette of colours and array of sensations...and the crispiness of the cochinillo); 
(vii) mollejas y ventresca de cordero a la brasa con setas de primavera (it is odd this dish, but incredibly linked together with a complex sauce and the setas, it came to the table with a lid and a wonderful aroma spread into the air, the meat impeccably cooked, spot on!); 
(ix) flower bomb (just look at the picture! It was by far the most extraordinary dessert I have eaten all my life.)
(x) and the desserts cart...
These dishes were from another world, the others were "only" perfect. For ease of reference, the pictures of the dishes above are displayed from top to bottom in accordance with the list and description above.
Overall: 19,5/20
Pros: Everything, service, ambiance, décor, food, the Rocas,...
Cons: maybe the traditionalists won't like it or understand this form of art.
El Celler de Can Roca
Calle de Can Suyer, 48, 17007, Girona, Spain
http://www.cellercanroca.com
Price: €160 (Menú Festival) Wine pairing (€75)
Michelin: ***
St. Pellegrino World's Best Restaurants: 2nd (2012)
Date of visit: Spring 2012
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