El Bulli 'World's Best Restaurant' to Close

MADRID, Spain, Jan. 26, 2010— -- Spanish chef Ferran Adria says he will close his acclaimed restaurant elBulli in 2012 and 2013 to focus on new ideasfor the so-called molecular cuisine he has pioneered.

The restaurant, in Gerona province north of Barcelona, has three Michelin stars and was voted the world's best last year by the British magazine Restaurant. It was the fourth straight year it received that honor.

Adria says he is not retiring, but rather taking time to think and experiment.

Adria made the announcement Tuesday at a gastronomic fair called Madrid Fusion.

The Spaniard is known for trailblazing techniques in which ingredients are "deconstructed" and reassembled in unexpected ways, creating dishes like ravioli made of squid or freeze-dried foie gras.