Costa Brava Hotels: Michelin Star Restaurants in Abundance

Costa Brava might translate as ‘rugged coast’, but this region of Catalonia actually provides some of the most refined cuisine in Europe. Stretching down from the French border to a stone’s throw north of Barcelona, this popular tourist area offers both cheap hotels and resorts and a more traditional view of coastal Spain. The clear blue seas have meant that fishing has always played a large part of the local culture and industry, and no doubt this fresh seafood played a huge part in establishing such a culinary tradition in the region.

You are spoilt for choice in Costa Brava, which offers the highest concentration of Michelin Star restaurants of any region of Spain. Els Tinars in Santa Christina d’Aro is a Michelin Star restaurant combining refined cooking techniques, traditional Catalonian flavours and stunning marine produce. The restaurant offers a huge range of seafood from oysters to angler fish to sea cucumbers. Historic Girona, a hive of culture in Costa Brava, plays host to the ultra-modern, three-star Celler de Can Roca, placed second on the San Pellegrino’s 50 best world restaurants. This accolade was earned through the constant reinvention of dishes by the triumvirate of chefs, Joan, Josep and Jordi, using state of the art sensory dining techniques, such as smokes, fragrances and sous-vide. Slow-cooked cod with spinach, Pedro Ximénez reduction, pine nut oil and smoked Idiazabal cream is a signature dish, which makes use of Spanish produce and cutting edge techniques.

Away from the main Costa Brava hotels, just west of Girona in Garrotxa’s capital Olot, you can find Les Cols, an architecturally stunning restaurant in beautiful surrounds, combining a traditional manor house and sharp edged modern design. The restaurant offers a tasting menu, showcasing some of the best of traditional Spain, presented simply in a modern style, reflecting the setting of the dining room.

Overlooking Cala Montjoi Bay is the superlative El Bulli, quite simply a revelation. Head chef Ferran Adria concentrates on molecular gastronomy and El Bulli has three Michelin Stars, is Restaurant Magazine’s best in the world and attracts over two million requests from diners each year. The cuisine is controversial and innovative (each course has specifically designed cutlery), and the price tag matches. Cheap hotels are available in nearby Roses, to offset the cost. Sadly, the restaurant is due to close at the end of July 2011, but will reopen in 2014.

A holiday in Costa Brava hotels doesn’t just have to be a restaurant tour however; in between the tourist behemoths of Blanes, Tossa de Mar and Lloret de Mar, the coast boasts cultural attractions including the Dali Theatre and Museum in Figueres and Dali’s House Museum near the stunningly tranquil bays of Cadaqués. Girona offers a centre for the explorer, with Gothic and Romanesque castles and monasteries. Quite simply, Costa Brava is much more than a sun and sangria holiday.

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