Catalonia, Valencia, and the Costa Blanca Restaurants

Catalonia's eateries are deservedly famous. Girona’s Celler de Can Roca was voted the best restaurant in the world in 2015 in the annual critics’ poll conducted by British magazine Restaurant, and a host of other first-rate establishments continue to offer inspiring fine dining in Catalonia, which began in the hinterlands at the legendary Hotel Empordà. You needn’t go to an internationally acclaimed restaurant, however, to dine well. Superstar chef Ferran Adrià of the former foodie paradise elBulli dines regularly at dives in Roses, where straight-up fresh fish is the day-in, day-out attraction. Northern Catalonia's Empordà region is known not only for seafood, but also for a rich assortment of inland and upland products. Beef from Girona's verdant pastureland is prized throughout Catalonia, while wild mushrooms from the Pyrenees and game from the Alberes range offer seasonal depth and breadth to menus across the region. From a simple beachside paella or llobarro (sea bass) at a chiringuito (shack) with tables on the sand, to the splendor of a meal at El Celler de Can Roca, playing culinary hopscotch through Catalonia is a good way to organize a tour.

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  • 1. El Cable

    $$

    There’s almost always a line outside this old-school, family-owned tapas bar, a local favorite since its founding in 1940. If you can’t get a table, sidle up to the long wood bar, choose from the display of bite-sized, toothpick-speared pintxos, and eat them standing, just like a local.

    Carrer Barcelona 1, Sitges, Catalonia, 08870, Spain
    938-948761

    Known For

    • Patatas bravas
    • Variety of pintxos
    • Inexpensive food and drink

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No reservations
  • 2. Bocam

    $$

    This stylish restaurant, just around the corner from the Teatre-Museu Dalí, focuses on seasonal Empordà ingredients from the Pyrenees and the Mediterranean. Look for classic Catalan fare like prawn and cuttlefish fideuá alongside more modern dishes such as tuna tataki with black garlic.

    Carrer de la Jonquera 18, Figueres, Catalonia, 17600, Spain
    972-539494

    Known For

    • Seasonal ingredients
    • Local Empordà wines
    • Pleasant terrace

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon. No dinner Sun.
  • 3. Can Segura

    $$

    Half a block in from the town's beach, this restaurant serves house-cooked seafood and upland specialties. The pimientos de piquillos rellenos de brandada (sweet red peppers stuffed with codfish mousse) are first-rate, as are the rice dishes.

    Carrer de Sant Pere 11, Sant Feliu de Guixols, Catalonia, 17220, Spain
    972-321009

    Known For

    • First-rate seafood
    • Daily menu specials
    • Excellent rice dishes
  • 4. El Buen Comer

    $$

    On the edge of the old town, this relaxed bi-level restaurant serves enticing dishes in plentiful portions. Downstairs, indulge in tapas and simpler dishes, or head to the fancier dining space upstairs for specialties like roast suckling pig, lamb chops, and sea bass baked in rock salt.

    Calle Mayor 8, Alicante, Valencia, 03002, Spain
    965-213103

    Known For

    • Rice dishes
    • Well-priced prix-fixe menus
    • Specialty meat and seafood dishes
  • 5. La Regolta

    $$

    This family-owned spot serves basic Catalan comfort food­—sausages, smoked cod, croquetas—in a cozy, rustic space with arched ceilings, wood tables, and stone walls. The terrace is a treat, abutting the beautiful 12th-century church of St. Peter.

    Carrer de Santa Llúcia, 6, Girona, Catalonia, 17007, Spain
    872-262265

    Known For

    • Simple Catalan dishes
    • Rustic setting
    • Fantastic terrace

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues., No dinner Sun.
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  • 6. La Riuà

    $$

    A favorite of Valencia's well connected and well-to-do since 1982, this family-run restaurant a few steps from the Plaza de la Reina specializes in seafood dishes like anguilas (eels) prepared with all i pebre (garlic and pepper), parrillada de pescado (selection of freshly grilled fish), and traditional paellas. Lunch begins at 2 and not a moment before. The walls are covered with decorative ceramics and the gastronomic awards the restaurant has won over the years.

    Calle del Mar 27, Valencia, Valencia, 46003, Spain
    963-914571

    Known For

    • Specialty eel dish
    • Award-winning dining
    • Longtime family-run establishment

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon. No dinner Wed., Reservations essential
  • 7. Maribel Arroceria

    $$

    So tasty is the paella here that even Valencianos regularly travel out of the city to Maribel Arroceria, off the main drag in El Palmar. Sit surrounded by the rice fields of Albufera Nature Park, either in the contemporary, air-conditioned dining room or outside at pavement tables overlooking the canal. Off the à la carte menu, diners can sample all i pebre anguilas (smoked eels simmered with garlic, paprika, and pepper), the rich and ever popular paella de magret de pato y foie con setas (with duck, foie gras, and wild mushrooms), and, if there’s room, dig into a brownie or cheesecake for dessert.

    Carrer de Francisco Monleón 5, El Palmar, Valencia, 46012, Spain
    961-620060

    Known For

    • Paella and fideuà
    • Fresh whole fish
    • Canal seating

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Wed. No dinner
  • 8. Oustau de Altea

    $$ | Casco Antiguo

    In one of the prettiest corners of Altea's old town, this eatery was formerly a cloister and a school. Today the dining room and terrace combine contemporary design gracefully juxtaposed with a rustic setting, and the restaurant is known for serving polished international cuisine with French flair. 

    Calle Mayor 5, Altea, Valencia, 03590, Spain
    965-842078

    Known For

    • French-style cuisine
    • Dishes named after classic films
    • Prix-fixe menu (€45) includes bottle of wine

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues. and Feb.–mid-Mar., Reservations essential

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