[Girona, Spain] Rocambolesc is an ice cream parlour brought by Jordi Roca, the youngest of the Roca brothers from El Celler de Can Roca. Yes, the 3 star Michelin restaurant which also won The World’s Best Restaurant award in 2013.
A discreet shop along the streets of Girona, you may just walk past and miss it. But as you enter, you would have thought you entered a magical shop by Dr Seuss with its industrial red and white striped pipes, a slushy machine and a bicycle on the side.
If you have dined at El Celler de Can Roca, you would unquestionably remember its petit fours served on a candy-store trolley. Jordi Roca wanted to bring that to an ice cream shop, thus the birth of a a fantasy place which interior is inspired by Willy Wonka’s land from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
There are only six flavours to choose from, such as Carrot, Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberry and Baked Girona Apple. Along with a total of 34 toppings from fresh fruits, sugared cocoa beans, popping-candies, home-made cookies, assorted nuts and take this… cotton candy made on the spot.
The ice cream bases are prepared in El Celler de Can Roca’s kitchen and ferried to the shop by bicycle. A scoop with 3 toppings is only 3.75 €! Plus you can mix flavours.
I picked a chocolate and vanilla gelato and chose to eat it at the bus stop seat right outside Rocamboles, watching the world go by.
Is this the best ice cream I ever eaten in my life? Possibly yes.
It wasn’t exactly an oh-my-god moment, but the type that you would slowly savour and life’s beautiful moments would gently flow through your mind.
The sweeter carrot and baked apple combination was not as memorable, but still enough to make me smile.
I got a whiff of sadness when I was leaving Girona. “Am I not going to have this ever again?”
There is a legend that if you kiss the lion statue at Plaza de Feliu, you would return to Girona. When I first heard about it, I thought it was downright silly. Evening came, I went back, climbed the wooden stairs and kiss it.
Girona is located north of Barcelona and can be reached from there by train in about less than an hour (check the Renfe trains schedule). Yes, I want to be back one day to try Rocambolesc’s ice cream again.
Rocambolesc Gelateria
Carrer de Santa Clara, 50, 17001, Girona, Catalonia Spain, Tel: +34 972 416 667 http://www.rocambolesc.com
Opening Hours: 12pm-10pm (Sun-Thurs), 12pm-12am (Fri), 12pm-12am (Sat)
