Michelin Star Restaurants Girona & Costa Brava
It’s impossible to travel to the Costa Brava Spain, or for that matter anywhere in Spain or Catalonia, without a discussion of modern gastronomy and the Michelin Star.
With almost 200 starred restaurants in Spain and more than a dozen in the Costa Brava alone, it’s a good place to start when choosing Costa Brava restaurants. There is almost a Michelin Route through the Costa Brava where it’s possible to visit several Michelin restaurants during a single visit.
Costaporiu Brava Restaurant Scene and Contemporary Gastronomy
The importance of modern gastronomy in the region cannot be understated. The Costa Brava was home to Ferran Adrià’s elBulli Spain, the father of modern avant-garde cuisine.
elBulli’s Legacy
Nestled in a hard-to-reach cove just outside of the Bay of Roses Spain, the elBulli restaurant became the number one restaurant in the world based predominantly on Ferran’s creativity and, some would say, culinary genius. Ferran transformed the el Bulli menu to one that inspired chefs around the world.
Before Ferran, to become a top chef you needed a pedigree, a degree from a top culinary institute. Or, you needed to study with a top French chef, trained in traditional haute cuisine. Now, many of the top chefs in the world studied under Ferran.
Ferran’s disciples over the years include Massimo Bottura, Grant Achatz, René Redzepi, Jose Andres, and countless others. Joan Roca, of Celler Can Roca in Girona, also spent a season with Ferran. Any serious chef in the Costa Brava will often mention Ferran, or Joan Roca, at least once in a discussion. Together, their influence does not go unnoticed. This is despite the fact that elBulli closed in 2011.
Culinary Travel To The Costa Brava
But, what does this mean for culinary travelers to the Costa Brava? Plan ahead to perhaps dine at one of the 16 Michelin Star restaurants located in the province of Girona during a trip.
But, even if a Michelin Star restaurant is not possible, many many restaurants along the Costa Brava offer glimpses into avant-garde cuisine. Little touches or unique techniques that make this type of dining more accessible to travelers. It is this influence, and how it spread through the Costa Brava that makes the region one of the top gastronomy capitals of Europe, and worthy of a pilgrimage for any culinary traveler.
Check out the Ultimate Guide to Restaurants – Girona
What is a Michelin Star Restaurant and the Michelin Star Guide
Michelin, yes, the tire company, started producing restaurant guides well over one hundred years ago. It began as a guide for motorists. So in addition to where to eat, the guide included recommendations for petrol and service stations. Michelin’s initial goal was to encourage drivers to get out there and road trip. To drive more. And, yes, to purchase more tires.
Michelin Star System
It was not until the mid-1930’s that the Michelin starred restaurant system was born. This system, of awarding one, two, or three stars for some of the best restaurants remains to this day. It helps to understand the Michelin rating system.
A one-star restaurant means “worth a stop.” Two stars mean “worth a detour” from the original route. The coveted three-star designation is “worth a special trip.” When you ask how many Michelin stars a chef has, generally the stars relate to the restaurant, not the chef. That is unless the chef has multiple restaurants.
Although the guide started in France, over the decades it expanded beyond France, and even beyond Europe. Bangkok, for example, received it’s first Michelin Guide in 2018. And, because the Michelin guide started as a resource for road trippers, there is no surprise that most Michelin Star restaurants fall outside of metropolitan areas.
Michelin In The Costa Brava
And, the Costa Brava is the epitome of outside a metropolitan area. With many of the Michelin starred restaurants of the area in small towns that many people outside of Spain, or even Catalonia, have ever heard of.
In fact, the restaurant with the most Michelin Stars in the Costa Brava is often placed on the top list of Michelin Star restaurants in Barcelona, about 90 minutes down the highway. And, yes, it’s worth a special trip.
Learn more about the Costa Brava Restaurants
Michelin Star Restaurants – Costa Brava
It is claimed that the Costa Brava is home to more Michelin star restaurants per capita than any other region in the world. Because it is difficult to define the term “region” versus city or country, it could be true. There are 16 restaurants, with a total of 20 stars, some of them can be considered among the best restaurants in Spain.
Influence of Can Roca
El Celler de Can Roca, the sole three-star restaurant in the Costa Brava, often is thrust into the spotlight. Rightfully so. It has the most Michelin Stars in the Costa Brava. Plus, over the last several years, the restaurant perennially hovers in the top of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, even claiming the number one spot.
It is impossible to travel to the Costa Brava without hearing the restaurant named in almost every conversation about Catalan food and the Catalan restaurant scene. Images of the three Roca Brothers grace marketing and promotional materials around the world. In 2018, The World’s 50 Best Restaurants named Can Roca the number 2 restaurant in the world.
But, with 16 restaurants securing stars, there is more to modern gastronomy in the Costa Brava than Can Roca. And, because online reservations for Can Roca book about a year in advance, and fill up almost immediately, food travelers have options.
Regardless, for many of these restaurants, it’s important to book before arrival to secure a table. Just in case. Most restaurants offer an a la carte menu, as well as a tasting menu. Some only offer a tasting.
Michelin Star Restaurants – Girona
El Celler de Can Roca in Girona, by the Roca Brothers
Chef Joan Roca, along with sommelier Josep Roca, and pastry chef Jordi Roca, picked up where Ferran left off. Joan spent a season working at elBulli. Can Roca easily sits atop the list of the best restaurants in Girona, and Spain, and even the world.
There is more to the Roca Brothers than the restaurant. In addition to numerous awards, the brothers served as Goodwill Ambassadors by the United Nations Development Program and Joan has a line of low-temperature cooking appliances for home chefs, Rocook.
The full tasting menu at El Celler de Can Roca with wine pairings is €300 per person. Reservations are near, but not completely, impossible. If dining at Celler de Can Roca is on the top of your list of things to do in the Costa Brava, plan ahead. Very ahead. A new month of tables becomes available at midnight on the 1st day of every month. By the morning, the month is normally full. A waitlist is available.
Read more about the El Celler de Can Roca Menu
Restaurant Massana in Girona
Chef Pere Massana has operated his Girona restaurant, Massana, for more than 30 years. Although focused on a commitment to tradition, the dining room, and the dishes themselves, are far from tired. Instead, even when serving a dish he has served for over 30 years, it is a contemporary exploration of those historic flavors and local ingredients. Massana promises to produce “little sparks of happiness” from the dining experience. The tasting menu is €106, or €150 with wine pairing.
Only in Costa Brava recommends Alemanys 5, a luxury apartment rental in Barri Vell, along with Hotel Nord 1901 and Hotel Carlemany, each of which is one of the top hotels in Girona.
Michelin Star Restaurants Costa Brava – Two Stars
Miramar in Llançà (Alt Empordà)
Chef Paco Pérez brings in the influence of the sea, and the Tramuntana winds to his two Michelin Star restaurant, Miramar. Once a family restaurant owned by his in-laws, Miramar sets the standard for contemporary Catalan cuisine in the north Alt Empordà coast. Tasting menus border on fantasy while using local ingredients, like pig trotters and sea urchin. The full tasting menu is €180 per person.
Book a night at Hotel Miramar in Llanca – Rooms from €300
Les Cols in Olot (The Pyrenees)
The sole female Michelin Star chef in the Costa Brava, Chef Fina Puigdevall is dedicated to the cuisine of the Pyrenees and La Garrotxa at Les Cols. Menus change with the seasons, with a focus on volcanic cuisine.
Chef Fina offers almost a communion with nature, both in the dishes as well as the restaurant space. Perhaps that is because she was born in the farmhouse that now serves as the restaurant. Creative cuisine, but focused on the simplicity of ingredients and their flavors. The tasting menu is €95 per person.
Michelin Star Restaurants Costa Brava – One Star
Ca l’Arpa in Banyoles (Gironès)
Chef Pere Arpa focuses on regional products, and in particular the produce, to reinterpret traditional dishes at Ca l’Arpa. They also operate a hotel, where breakfast includes home-made fresh bread, jams, marmalades, and cakes. Together, they are a modern interpretation of a traditional inn, focusing on the love of the surrounding countryside. Tasting menus start at €40.
Castell Peralada in Peralada (Alt Empordà)
Located at the Hotel Peralada, Castell Peralada is one of the newest members of the Michelin Star club in the Costa Brava. Chef Xavier Sagristà offers a cuisine based on traditional, quality products from the land and the sea, with a focus on Empordà. The wine tourism inspired tasting menu is €74 per person. Be sure to end the meal with the cheese cart.
Book the Hotel Peralada Wine&Spa, surrounded by a top-notch golf course, with a wine spa and winery – Rooms from €200
Els Brancs in Roses (Alt Empordà)
Set inside the Hotel Vistabella, with an unparalleled view over the Bay of Roses is Els Brancs in Roses. According to a famous Catalan writer, Josep Pla, this is the best place in the region to watch the sunset. Although focusing on local ingredients the menu is more outward and international looking. Chef Xavier Cabrera, along with brothers Marlon and Rene Veitl ensure an eclectic experience. The tasting menu is €135 per person.
Book a room at the Hotel Vistabella while dining at Els Brancs – Rooms from €100 a night
Empòrium in Castelló d’Empúries (Alt Empordà)
Run by the fourth and fifth generation of the Carreras family, Emporium marries “Empordànesa” cuisine with Empordà products, and uses organic ingredients whenever possible, to highlight the unique character of the Alt Empordà.
In addition to an a la carte menu, Empòrium offers a few tasting menus starting at €63, plus often features special tasting menus promoting particular DO wineries, including Vinyes d’Olivardots. They also attempt to encourage accessibility to their cuisine, by offering a “Santa Clara” menu, Tuesday through Friday, which is only €40.
Bo.Tic in Corçà (Baix Empordà)
Chef Albert Sastrengener, along with his partner Cristina Torrent, attempt to infuse feeling and passion into each dish. They offer contemporary, and artistically unique versions of traditional Catalan dishes, including olives, vermouth, anchovies, and patatas bravas. Tasting menus at Bo.Tic start at €56 per person.
Casamar in Llafranc (Baix Empordà)
Chef Quim Casellas and his sister Maria turned a traditional family restaurant into a contemporary chic restaurant, offering modern takes on traditional Catalan dishes, with a focus on the sea, and a view of the sea during nice weather. They also offer an extensive selection of local DO Empordà wines in addition to international wine offerings. Tasting menus at Casamar start at €79.
Book a room at Hotel Casamar during your stay in Llafranc – Rooms from €80
Terra Restaurant by Paco Pérez in Sant Feliu de Guíxols (Baix Empordà)
Terra is located in one of the most ambitious recent hotel projects in the Costa Brava, Hotel Alàbriga. Terra’s chef Abraham Artigas, under the guidance of Paco Pérez, creates contemporary versions of classic Mediterranean cuisine using local ingredients. Mediterranean-inspired tasting menus range from €65-€85 per person.
La Cuina de Can Simón in Tossa de Mar (La Selva)
One of the more traditional of the Michelin Star experiences in the Costa Brava. Can Simon by Chef Xavier Lores is set in an old fisherman’s house, built around 1700. A family-run restaurant since the 1950s, the focus is almost exclusively on seafood. Tasting menus start at €68 per person.
Els Tinars in Llagostera (La Selva)
The third generation of the Gascons family-run Els Tinars in an elegantly restored farmhouse. In summer, L’Orangerie is opened, a terraced garden for al-fresco dining. Although incorporating newer techniques, the focus is on traditional Catalan cuisine and 0km ingredients. Tasting menus start at €78 per person and must be specifically requested when making a reservation.
Les Magnòlies in Arbúcies (La Selva)
Set at the southeastern edges of the region, Les Magnòlies is named after three-centuries-old magnolia trees that feature on the property. Operated by a husband and wife team with Chef Xavier Franco in the kitchen, there is a focus on the cuisine of the Montseny and DO Catalan wines. The tasting menus start at €66 and the wine pairing is €30 per person.
Fonda Xesc in Gombrèn (The Pyrenees)
At the far west reaches of the Catalan Pyrenees, Fond Xesc served as the village inn. Despite incorporating modern techniques and trends, it remains rooted in tradition. Chef Francesc Rovira’s tasting menu starts at €45 per person.
Ca l’Enric in La Vall de Bianya (The Pyrenees)
Another traditional village inn, opened in 1882 to supply farmers and house travelers. By the 1960’s Ca L’Enric became a full restaurant. Currently, Chef Jordi Juncàoffers a modern interpretation of traditional Catalan cuisine, with ingredients from the surrounding forests, all offered in a more rustic dining room, that mirrors its surroundings. Tasting menus start at €85 per person.
FAQs – Michelin Restaurants Spain – Costa Brava
There is speculation as to the Michelin Star criteria, but no one really knows the secrets to get a Michelin star. The Michelin Star inspectors travel to restaurants each year to determine whether they receive a Michelin Star, or if they are Michelin Guide Recommended.
The top Michelin Star restaurants max out at 3 Michelin Stars. When someone refers to a four-star restaurant or a five-star restaurant, they are referring to a different system, perhaps from the New York Times or Zagat.
Michelin Star requirements are strict, and restaurants are added or removed annually. There are thousands of Michelin Star restaurants in the world. There are about 200 Michelin Star Restaurants Spain.
Check out TripAdvisor’s reviews of the best Girona Spain Restaurants.
*This post contains compensated links. Find more info in my DISCLAIMER.
Michelin Star Restaurants Girona & The Costa Brava
