Latest news with #ElCellerdeCanRoca
India Today
3 days ago
- India Today
Hospitality with a heart
With exquisite food, breath-taking views, and unparalleled luxury on offer, it's little wonder that Esperit Roca, the latest enchantment from the Roca brothers is making waves and not just in Girona, Spain, where it is located. The culinary wizardry of the Roca brothers has already been well documented with the El Celler de Can Roca in Girona—their flagship restaurant boasts three glittering Michelin stars and has topped the coveted World's 50 Best list twice. Not among those who rest on their laurels, these maestros have opened charming ice cream parlours, the boutique haven of Casa Cacao, and Girona's beloved Restaurant Normal, all of which inspire awe. However, last year, the Roca brothers unveiled their pice de resistance: a grandiose countryside retreat just a smidge north of Girona, perched majestically atop the St Julia Mountain. This is not just a passion project; we're talking a sanctuary featuring a 15-room hotel, an exhibition space to ignite your imagination, a distillery for the finest spirits, a wine cellar with over 80,000 bottles, a glass recycling centre and a fresh culinary jewel of a restaurant. Suckling Pig with Pig's Feet and Sea Cucumber
Eater
21-05-2025
- Eater
Paella Beach Shacks, Michelin-Starred Dining, and More Just Outside Barcelona
If you've been to Catalonia, you've probably spent time among the crowds in Barcelona. The global destination is dealing with historic overtourism, leaving many locals and visitors dreaming of escapes outside the city. Some venture south along the coast to the golden sands of the Costa Dorada or go elsewhere in Spain. But the real action is up the coast in Girona, home to the aquamarine coves of the Costa Brava and some of the region's most celebrated chefs. Culinary talent flocks to the area because it's where most of Catalonia's produce grows. In the far northeastern region of Empordà, you'll find a mix of apple orchards, olive groves, rice paddies, and vineyards. Further inland, in La Garrotxa, dairy farms and fertile volcanic lands yield local specialties like white Santa Pau beans, potatoes, buckwheat, and red turnips. Down on the coast, at the fish markets of Palamós, L'Escala, and Roses, the day's catch from the Mediterranean goes under the hammer. The city of Girona, which shares its name with the low-key province, is best known for the Roca brothers — head chef Joan, pastry chef Jordi, and sommelier Josep — behind the three-Michelin-starred El Celler de Can Roca, which was named the World's Best Restaurant in 2013 and 2015. Since then, the Rocas, who are considered local heroes, have gone on to build quite the culinary empire in their hometown. In addition to Celler, they have a natural wine bar, a Catalan comfort restaurant, a chocolate factory, a boutique hotel, a candy and ice cream store, and as of last year, a new project set in a converted fortress on the outskirts of the city. Meanwhile, an hour away in the medieval town of Olot, a new star is rising; Fina Puigdevall and her three daughters champion the volcanic cuisine of the Garrotxa region at Les Cols, and Martina, the middle daughter, was named Young Chef of the Year by the Spanish Michelin Guide in 2024. But it's not all fine dining. Far from it. Driving around the region — and you will need a car, given the lack of public transportation — you'll find tapas joints, beach shacks serving great paella, and more local village restaurants than you can shake a calçot at. What's the food like in Girona? Girona and the surrounding area is the best place to sample Catalan food in its truest, most rustic form. Visit anytime between March and November; in the fall hearty stews and soups are a highlight, and the spring brings a bounty of produce. It can get hot in the summer, but so much the better for the beachy restaurants and crisp local wine. Paella, or simply arroz (rice) as it's more commonly known, is a highlight across the region, often made with local rice from the town of Pals. Many of the best versions are served with squid, shrimp, and mussels, or in a Catalan surf-and-turf style called mar i muntanya, which could include monkfish with wild mushrooms, or chicken with crayfish. The other most important Catalan dish to know is pa amb tomàquet , the national dish of Catalonia: bread with tomato, often topped with anchovies from L'Escala or different types of sausage like butifarra, fuet, or llonganissa. The rest of the Catalan canon is just as thrilling: escalivada (grilled bell peppers, eggplant, and onion served cold and drizzled in extra-virgin olive oil), escudella i carn d'olla (a meat and vegetable soup popular in winter), fricandó (slow-cooked beef and mushroom stew), suquet de peix (fish and seafood stew), and xató or xatonada (a salad made with curled endives, black olives, anchovies, and salted cod), among others. Sweets include flan (baked vanilla custard), mel i mató (fresh goat cheese topped with honey and toasted walnuts), crema Catalana (custard with a caramelized top), and xuixo (a kind of donut filled with sweet cream) that's a specialty of Girona city in particular. Where to eat in Girona El Celler de Can Roca and Esperit Roca El Celler de Can Roca is Catalonia's most storied fine dining temple, the kind of place people visit once but talk about forever. Set in an unassuming suburb down the road from the family restaurant opened by the Roca brothers' parents, Celler has retained three Michelin stars since 2009, been named the best restaurant in the world twice, and firmly placed Girona on the map for food pilgrims from across the globe. Last year, Celler welcomed a new sibling, Esperit Roca, another fine dining restaurant that was awarded its first Michelin star within six months of opening (more on that below). Vii, Normal, and Rocambolesc The Rocas' other restaurants are stunners in their own right. Set under the ancient arches of Girona's medieval old town, the latest opening is Vii, a wine bar that looks like an informal tapas bar and is priced accordingly — except there's a list of more than 1,000 wines, with a focus on minimum-intervention Catalan and French varieties. Less than a 10-minute walk away, Normal Restaurant is anything but ordinary; there the menu is dedicated to Catalan grandma dishes like hearty stews and a particularly decadent beef Wellington. From Normal, it's a short stroll across Girona's blood-red Eiffel Bridge to grab dessert to-go from Jordi Roca's dazzling candy emporium Rocambolesc. Hit all three stops, and in 15 minutes, you've got a Roca-approved lunch of champions. La Gastronòmica No self-respecting Catalan would be caught dead shopping for fresh produce in the supermarket. The local market is the place to buy fruit, vegetables, meat, and most importantly, fish and seafood. The most celebrated fish market of all is the one in Palamós, home of the famous red shrimp. Visit from Monday to Friday at 4 p.m. when the haul of the day is put up for sale. Or better still, have it prepared for you while sailing along the coast on a vintage wooden boat with La Gastronòmica, a Palamós-based outfit specializing in food and wine experiences. In Girona city, you can also visit the market and sample the local gastronomy with Girona Food Tours. Les Cols In 1990, a young chef named Fina Puigdevall opened a restaurant in the 13th- century farmhouse in which she was born. Les Cols received its first Michelin star in 2005, followed by a second in 2010. In 2020, Fina and her daughters (chef Martina, pastry chef Carlota, and maitre d' and sommelier Clara) won the restaurant a Green Michelin star with their commitment to all things local, seasonal, and organic. Creating a 20-plus-course tasting menu using only the produce endemic to La Garrotxa (a region with no access to the sea) is no mean feat. Instead of relying on traditional fine dining ingredients like caviar and lobster, the Puigdevalls spotlight local delicacies like Santa Pau beans served with pig trotters, or freshwater seafood like river crayfish, trout, and eel. Every bite is like a tiny taste of the dramatic natural landscape and the two dormant volcanoes that surround the light-filled dining room. Can Font A local forquilla breakfast typically consists of various fried and grilled meats and hearty offal stews. This rich spin on brunch is one of the most Catalan experiences there is, a tradition that has lived on from the days when laborers needed to fill up before going out to work in the fields or the factory. If chowing down on fetge i lletada (liver and sweetbreads) or cap i pota (head and trotter stew) at sunrise sounds like your jam, look no further than La Garrotxa classic Can Font, which opens at 7:45 a.m. and is usually packed by 8. Mas Generós Empordà-based chef Iolanda Bustos, author of Cocinar con Flores ( Cook with Flowers ), doesn't just use seasonal flowers and herbs to make her food look pretty, but to add flavor and texture. Try her colorful creations at Mas Generós, where the menu is all about ingredients from the region — rice from the fields in nearby Pals topped with red shrimp from the Palamós fish market, or flowers from the chef's own garden lightly battered in tempura style. Mas Generós is set in a restored 17th-century farmhouse that also houses a charming boutique hotel. Sala de L'Isaac After training with the Rocas and at Michelin-starred Via Veneto in Barcelona, Isaac Sabrià became the third generation to head up the kitchen at his family restaurant, set in an 18th-century farmhouse. Seafood is the protagonist here, like rock mussels grilled in olive oil, or cuttlefish from Palamós served with meaty cap i pota that pairs beautifully with a fresh, spicy local red wine from the nearby Empordà. For dessert, there's sheep's milk ice cream from Ripollés with macerated strawberries from Sant Pol de Mar. Mooma Apples are to L'Empordà what oranges are to Florida. Stop by any farm shop in the area surrounding Torroella de Montgrí, east of Girona, and you'll leave with more variations on chutneys and compotes than you can carry. If you prefer your apple treats in liquid form, head to Mooma, a cider house set among the fruit trees in Palau-Sator. Apart from apple, pear, and elderflower cider, Mooma also has an impressive food menu that showcases local specialties like escalivada with anchovies from L'Escala and Llançà octopus served with truffle Parmentier. Toc al Mar A chiringuito is a casual seaside shack that serves cold beers, sandwiches, and deep-fried seafood to beachgoers. As perhaps Catalonia's most in-demand chiringuito, Toc al Mar is often booked out weeks in advance — and with good reason. Overlooking one of the Costa Brava's prettiest coves in Aiguablava outside the medieval village of Begur, the menu here would hold its own at any number of far fancier establishments. Everything — fresh fish, seafood, paella — is cooked over a slow-burning wood fire and served perfectly smoky. Wash it all down with the house white grenache from a nearby winery. The best Girona hotels for food lovers Esperit Roca Esperit Roca is set in the Castell de Sant Julià de Ramis, a dramatic 19th-century fortress, which has also been retrofitted to include a spa, an 80,000-bottle wine cellar, a distillery, and a second restaurant. The main dining room at Esperit features the Rocas' notable dishes in a more affordable format — and without the 11-month wait for a reservation at Celler. Choose between two tasting menus: six mains and two desserts, or two mains and six desserts, with highlights including The World (five bites served on a spinning globe) and Chocolate Anarchy (a celebration of cocoa in all its forms). Then you can retire to one of 16 serene rooms overlooking the rolling hills and superb hiking trails of L'Empordà. Rooms start around 375 euros in the summer. Casa Cacao You can also stay with the Rocas in central Girona at Casa Cacao, a boutique gem set in the same building as the family's chocolate factory. The hotel is famous for its panoramic rooftop and the city's most indulgent breakfast. Rooms (with breakfast included) start around 280 euros in the summer. Can Mascort In the medieval center of Palafrugell, less than a 15-minute drive from the beaches at Tamariu and Calella de Palafrugell, Can Mascort offers an ideal starting point for exploring the Costa Brava at a fraction of the cost of a seaside stay. The 15-room hotel is set in a restored 17th-century house, while its breakfast of local, organic Catalan delicacies is served in a former apothecary. Rooms (with breakfast included) start around 170 euros in the summer. Hostal de la Gavina In the upscale coastal resort town of S'Agaró, Romain Fornell of the Michelin-starred Caelis in Barcelona is the culinary director at Hostal de la Gavina, a soon-to-be hundred-year-old grande dame hotel that has played host to more celebrities than a red carpet in Hollywood. Rooms start around 600 euros in the busy summer season. Isabelle Kliger is a freelance writer specializing in food, travel, and culture, based out of Barcelona since 2010. A fan of all things local and sustainable, Isabelle likes to spend her time exploring Catalonia's countryside, beaches, and culinary treasures. Dispatches from the Eater staff about the world's culinary destinations worth planning an entire trip around
The Guardian
03-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Seven restaurants to sample Spain's hottest new chefs – without blowing the budget
Since 2002, Spain's gastronomic year has kicked off at Madrid Fusión, a jamboree where top chefs from all over the world show-cook, share dishes of rarefied ingredients and outline new culinary concepts. Wrapping up the three-day event is the crowning of Spain's best young chef (often a duo) or 'revelation'. This year's seven candidates ranged from restaurants as far afield as Galicia in the north-west to Tenerife, Seville and Madrid. Most cook at intimate spaces with few tables, and offer ingredients and cooking techniques you would be hard-pushed to find on a British menu without breaking the bank. We start in Galicia, with the winners of the best emerging chefs for 2025. Pilgrims have been walking to Santiago for over a millennium, and now gastronomes are following to discover this Michelin-star restaurant south of the monumental cathedral. Opened in summer 2023 by Axel Smyth, 33, a native of the city, with his Ecuadorian partner Claudia Merchán, 32, it offers a sophisticated take on Galicia's pristine produce from the rugged coast to its verdant hills. Seven tables host a 14-course Simpar (€110) or 11-course Conocer (€85) menus, both starting with an inventive play on mushrooms and ending with a deconstructed Santiago tart. If you're a tripe fan, indulge in Simpar's award-winning stew with chickpeas and don't miss the ham croquetas – another prize winner. Other exceptional concoctions are rooster with chocolate and truffle, and scallops (the pilgrims' symbol) in a meunière sauce. From the wine list, which is 70% Galician, Axel suggests Quinta da Muradella (€84) made from the white Treixadura grape. We're in Catalan territory at 27-year-old Ángel Esteve's buoyant restaurant in Lleida, which capitalises on local suppliers in the Pyrenees, in Aragón and on the coast. Idiosyncratically named after his grandparents' apartment, which is on the sixth (sisé in Catalan) floor, it has eight tables facing an open kitchen. 'We don't want to hide what we do,' says Angel, much influenced by his time at the top Catalan restaurant El Celler de Can Roca. The menu reflects childhood food memories, as do his sister's charming wall drawings, and specialises in charcoal grills and stews that change weekly. There is something earthy here, from a starter of artichoke, comté cheese and truffle (€16), to mains of barbecued lamb with calçot onions and romesco sauce (€21), or rice with quail and burrata cream (€28). Angel's signature dessert is a chocolate tart rivalled by a calorie-light teaser of blackberries, goat cheese and galette (both €7). Unusual wines (€25-€150) are national and Instagram As Felicia Guerra, the wife of Ausiàs Signes, puts it, they are 'in a random town of 7,000 inhabitants', so they hardly expected instant success. After meeting at Madrid's Cordon Bleu school, they have welcomed customers from afar to their slick restaurant of just seven tables in Pedreguer, which is inland from the Costa Blanca fishing port of Dénia and an hour's drive from Alicante. 'It means we manage to fill the restaurant, so there's no waste, which keeps our prices reasonable,' says Ausiàs, who heads the kitchen, leaving front of house to Felicia. They preserve traditional flavours, methods and ingredients – but with a twist. Their tasting menu (€84 for 12 courses or €62 for 10) is strong on reinvented seafood such as cuttlefish with cauliflower, yeast and bergamot, or baked grouper with roast cabbage and pickled seaweed. Carnivores despair not, as roast lamb also features. End with a luscious ode to Valencian oranges, an emulsion of orange, olive oil and saffron. The wine list (€29-€500) focuses on small Mediterranean wineries and rare In the lively historical capital of La Rioja, this place is run by Beatriz Fernández and her husband Rodrigo. Since opening under a year ago, the quirkily decorated restaurant of 22 tables hasn't looked back. An appetiser of chilled orange soup with bluefin tuna tartare (€6) might continue with a starter of wild boar stew with oloroso sherry (€16) or scallops in broth with cauliflower (€18). Mains include turbot with seaweed, semi-dried tomato and black olives (€24) and wood pigeon smoked with vine stalk alongside roasted chestnuts and lemon in brine (€26). Desserts range from a pomegranate and rose sorbet (€8) to pumpkin cake with olive oil and thyme ice-cream (€8). True gourmets should order the 12-course tasting menu (€70) backed up by inexpensive wines and sherries from Andalucía and La Rioja. For an unusual tipple, Rodrigo recommends a Riojan white, Eraso Azala (€25) – 'not quite orange, more dark golden' – made from grapes in their Sign up to Inside Saturday The only way to get a look behind the scenes of the Saturday magazine. Sign up to get the inside story from our top writers as well as all the must-read articles and columns, delivered to your inbox every weekend. after newsletter promotion 'Hospitality and restaurants are in my blood – I'm the fourth generation,' says 22-year-old Lucia Gutiérrez, owner and chef of Lur in Madrid's Legazpi district. Thanks to the nearby catalysts of Madrid Rio, a new urban park, and the Matadero contemporary arts centre, this southern neighbourhood has been energised. So, just over a year ago, Lucia took over the restaurant space of her now retired father. With only five tables, its spacious interior of natural woods and potted olive trees exudes calm, a quality reflected in her meticulous cooking and plating. The seven-course tasting menu (€87) remains seasonal, though vegetables dominate and Lucia injects a fine line between savoury and sweet. Sourced from small producers, some ingredients hail from the Basque Country where Lucia worked near San Sebastián. The name itself, Lur, is Basque for 'land'. In the centre of sunny Santa Cruz, the capital of Tenerife, and the ferry gateway to other islands, is Restaurante Moral – a name referring to the mulberry tree and to the restaurant's ethics. It was opened last summer by Canarian couple Icíar and Juan Carlos Pérez-Alcalde, who met working at Poemas by Hermanos Padrón, La Palma's top restaurant. Moral brings inspired cuisine to locals and visitors in the serene setting of a converted mansion with only six tables. Island produce dominates, whether in the five-course tasting menu (€50) or à la carte choices. Here you have a starter of aubergine with eel, yoghurt and mushrooms (€19), main courses of duck in an orange sauce spiked with dried fruits (€27) or skate with mussel and parsley sauce (€25). Wash down a dessert of roast beetroot, passion fruit and flowers (€7) with a Tenerife wine recommended by Juan Carlos – a light, aromatic Finca Vegas made from the white Listán grape (€26).On Instagram Hidden down a side street south of the burgeoning Alameda, Leartá conjures up ambitious dishes that fuse Andalucían tradition with technique. At the helm is Manu Lachica, 30, a true Sevillano, and his wife, Rita Llanes, a 23-year-old Catalan. After working together in Galicia, they opened Leartá less than a year ago. 'We want people to feel at home as well as showcase Seville's trades such as hand-painted tiles and handmade furniture,' says Manu. With an open kitchen, the restaurant seats 12 and offers 10 complex dishes (€72). Each plays with textures and temperatures. Wild boar comes with burrata, a chilled pumpkin broth includes salted kaki fruit and sea urchin cream, while a sweet edge comes in celery macerated in herbal syrup with butter from the yeast of wine barrels. Teetotallers can revel in delicious kombuchas (€6) infused with fruits such as limequats, ginger and mint. Wines (€35-€147), including sherries, are from emerging Andalucían vintners as well as national and international
