Carme Ruscalleda comes from a Catalan family with rural roots, but she has a spirit that is universal. She channeled her artistic aspirations into the culinary world when, 15 years ago, she opened her Sant Pau restaurant in a small coastal village 50 km from Barcelona. In this rustic setting, the greatest Spanish woman chef of all time - as well as the simplest - has the freedom to create, drawing inspiration from traditional Catalan recipes… and from her own imagination. With a deep respect for the natural cycle of foods, and disdainful of arbitrary combinations, Carme executes dishes that are not only technically perfect, but that also have a distinctly human aspect, reflective of her own personality.

Chef Carme Ruscalleda's magnificent degustation menu is a culinary Spanish tour de force: a three-hour cutting-edge Catalan adventure. The meal includes eight courses, with superbly crafted dishes like stuffed calamari and Iberian pork shoulder, but you'll also be treated to multipart "micro menus" at either end of the meal, with bite-size surprises like anchovy ice cream (a starter) and a tiny brochette of rabbit and kiwi fruit.