Girona has gradually earned a place in my heart over the past few years. Although I won’t travel to Girona regularly for work anymore (because of my new job), it will always feel like a ‘second home’. Mainly because of the people and all the beautiful memories, but also because many of the hotspots in Girona have come to feel like ‘my places’.
An abrupt ‘goodbye’
Three months ago, I was still walking through Girona. Not knowing that it would be ‘the last time’ for the time being. Had I known this, that week would have looked very different. My last visits to Girona were supposed to be in the next two months, but the coronavirus changed the plans. It feels strange to have travelled up and down to Girona every four weeks, and now suddenly not to have been there for more than three months. Hopefully, it will soon be possible and safe enough to fly to Girona again. I am looking forward to seeing my former colleagues again, but also to spend ‘my last week’ in Girona in a good way: in my favourite restaurants!
The best restaurants in Girona
During my visits to Girona, I have discovered many food hotspots. In groups, with a small number of people, but also a lot on my own. So my list of favourite cafes and restaurants is quite long by now. It is difficult to make a top 5, because: there are more than 5 good restaurants, and it is difficult to put them in order. They are all special in their own way! Earlier I shared a list with my favourite coffee shops in Girona and now I would like to share my favourite food hotspots, if you are looking for a nice place for lunch or dinner!
La Piccola
My first two favourite food hotspots are the ones I used to go to with my team for our so-called ‘team lunch’. La Piccola is a fine Italian restaurant with the friendliest owner there is. Always shaking my hand, exchanging a few words of Spanish; that guy always managed to put a smile on my face. The dishes are very diverse, but all have an Italian twist.
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L’Argadà
I always have to look up the name of the second restaurant, even though I have been there dozens of times. We always call this restaurant ‘The BBQ place’ or ‘La BBQ’. That is the name for the mixed grill, which we usually ordered when we would go and eat there in the evening. For lunch, I always ordered the asparagus and the butifarra: a typical Catalan sausage. If you are curious about the Catalan cuisine, this is a nice restaurant to go to. I also had calçots once: a combination of leek and spring onion, prepared on the grill. Very tasty!
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La Tagliatella
If it were up to me, I would eat pizza every night. With a nice thin base, prepared in a stone oven. When we were with a larger group, we often ended up at La Tagliatella: a chain of Italian restaurants. The service there is pretty fast, which is sometimes nice with a large group. I was not very impressed with the pasta, but I was impressed with the pizza. The pepperoni piccante has never disappointed me! What also became a little tradition later on, was the sangria with prosecco. Highly recommended 😉
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Nibble
Bite me. Love me. Eat me. That is what it says on the wall of the modern restaurant called Nibble. It is still an unknown restaurant for many, even though it has been there for a while, but I was sold from day one. It is a restaurant with a concept that I have not seen before: the nibb. A salt biscuit base in the shape of a taco, with a tasty filling inside. Because I am a big fan of the Catalan butifarra, I often order the Butinibb. A glass of wine. Chocolate coulant for dessert. When can I go there again?
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Le Bistrot
If you are looking for a romantic restaurant in Girona, then Le Bistrot is the place to be. In a narrow side street, you will find the restaurant halfway up the stairs of ‘Sant Domènec’. The tables are spread over the different platforms of the stairs and in summer it is a lovely place to be. The menu is a bit of a puzzle, because there is only a Catalan version. They are known for their pizzas, which I have always found a bit misleading, since with them that means a pizza on bread. It is super tasty though. The sobrassada is my favourite: a sausage from the Balearic Islands. The meat lasagne is also a real winner, with two scoops of coffee ice cream for dessert. Delicious!
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Konig
Not the most cosy restaurant, but very tasty. Perfect if you just want to eat something on a terrace, but don’t feel like doing something complicated. Here you order the best patatas bravas of Girona: crispy potatoes with a slightly spicy sauce. Great as a snack with a drink, or with dinner.
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Federal
My ‘secret’ in Girona is Federal. It’s more of a hotspot where you would go for a cup of coffee or a nice lunch, but if you like to eat a bit on time in the evening you can go there as well. While most restaurants don’t open until eight o’clock, that’s when Federal closes. The menu is not very big, but the few dishes they have are very good! The times that I was alone in Girona, I liked to go here in the evening from my office for dinner, so that I could go straight to the hotel afterwards and didn’t have to wait until eight o’clock.
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Rocambolesc
The most famous ice cream shop in Girona, or perhaps even in Spain. If you like to take pictures of your food, this is the place to go for an ice cream. Because whatever you order, it will look pretty. And maybe even more important: delicious! You choose the base for your ice cream and then you choose a number of toppings. You can even choose cotton candy as one of the toppings! Heaven on an ice cream!
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Hopefully we will be able to travel again soon. Because I can’t wait to fly to Girona again! 🙂