Our Favourite Restaurants in Begur

The following are our favourite restaurants in Begur. Generally speaking, it is very difficult to get a bad meal in the area — the restaurants range from very good to superb. But the following are the ones that we return to again and again:

Pizzetta: Easily our favourite. The setting, with lovely outdoor dining in a quaint courtyard, is wonderful and the atmosphere very upbeat. People come here to be happy, so don’t expect quiet dining.   Don’t be fooled by the name – this isn’t a pizza restaurant. There are pizzas on the menu, but they’re not pizzas like you’ve ever seen before. The menu runs from sushi to soup, pasta to roast pork. Be adventurous.   An added bonus about this place is it’s one of the cheapest places to eat in Begur. Try the Japanese pizza with smoked tuna flakes and get ready for a surprise. For desert, the chocolate cake for fanatics is incredible. Booking essential.

Sa Caleta: A family run restaurant located in a long vaulted room in the oldest part of the town. There’s no windows, so be prepared for something cozy. The fish is brought in from the fishmonger around the corner, which in turn comes directly from the boats in Palamos harbour, so it is as fresh as you can get. Try the incredibly imaginative salads, like the one with scallops or the one with quail stuffed with foie gras.   Be prepared: the owner tends to get a bit generous with the after dinner drinks late in the evening.

Rostei: Again, a delightful family run restaurant with the friendliest waiters in Begur. This place specialises in fish, fish and more fish, usually very simply cooked but superbly fresh. The chef does his experimentation with the specials, so pay close attention when the waiter tells you about them. We’ve had a strawberry soup and also a grilled watermelon with balsamic dressing salad. But the main attraction here is the fresh fish. Oh, that and the fact that you enter through a tiny room and then eat in the internal courtyard under a centuries-old olive tree (Well, I think it’s an olive tree – but I know it’s older than the building itself.)

Can Nasi: Be prepared for a bit of weird. The owner is a sculptor and his works are everywhere, even on the sign outside. The food can be equally avant garde, with ingredients combined in a way that you never quite imagined they could be combined. This is the place to get a genuine gourmet meal from a truly imaginative chef. The courtyard is very cozy, but it’s also worth it to eat inside and just stare at the decoration.

Sa Rascassa: This is down at the beach at Aiguafreda in the garden of an ancient hostelry. It doesn’t have a view of the beach, but that doesn’t really matter, since the setting is still so lovely. The food is imaginative and quite gourmet – try the black pasta made with squid ink. The owner is a very nice man who speaks perfect English and likes to talk about the food, so feel free to ask him about how things are cooked. Also very nice for lunch, but difficult to find a parking place during the day.

Can Climent: The chef is the best in Begur, but not a very good businessman. He used to run the restaurant that is now called Turandot, on the entry into town, but went out of business, despite the fact that nearly everyone agreed it was the best and most imaginative food in town. He now runs a very small tapas restaurant up the street from the Solbank. These are tapas like you’ve never encountered before. Be adventurous.

El Bistro: This is a delightful restaurant located in Placa Forgas and run by a very nice woman named Carina, who has tried very hard to create a chic and trendy bistro. The menu is very imaginative, the atmosphere warm and the prices very reasonable.   Do please give Carina a visit because she deserves to succeed but has to compete with the restaurants closer to the central square, which is not easy.

Merci: This is easily the coolest restaurant and bar in town. Very nice for cocktails and tapas. Go and have a drink, sit in the incredible courtyard and just gaze at the amazing décor. The food is excellent and not expensive.

La Escalopa: I only include this place because some guests will have children who are fussy eaters. This is pizza, pasta, schnitzel and steaks cooked very simply. Don’t expect a great meal, but kids will love it.   The restaurant is located in the ‘mini-mall’ and not a great setting, but the average ambience and plain food is easily compensated by the proprietor, Katya, a young German women who is just about the sweetest person ever born. The children will fall in love with her.

And then, if you are willing to drive:

Tragamar: On the beach at Calella de Palafrugell. Beautiful setting, very trendy and wonderfully imaginative food. Try the Tuna Tataki – an incredible tower of seared tuna, avocado, and tomato topped with a sesame infused dressing. Best for lunch, but you must book. And be prepared: food and a setting like this does not come cheap.

Sala Gran: We discovered this on a recent trip when we were so hungry we couldn’t even make it to the house. It’s in Llofriu, just after Mont Ras, about seven or eight miles from Begur. It’s located in a huge traditional manor house which probably predates the village itself. There’s a very extensive menu, but do try the chef’s special creations – variations on traditional Catalan cuisine. My daughter had a partridge cannelloni which we all quickly judged one of the best dishes we have ever had – anywhere. I hadn’t finished my starter when I announced that Sala Gran was the best restaurant we’d been to in the Begur area. Sharon said: “Jerry, you’ve said that before!” So, I guess that’s a nice little comment on just how good the food in the area actually is.

Vicus: A superb gourmet restaurant in Pals. Don’t be fooled by the fact that it is on the rather plain main road into the town, rather than in the old centre. The meals here are among the best we have had in the Costa Brava.

Vicus: A superb gourmet restaurant in Pals. Don’t be fooled by the fact that it is on the rather plain main road into the town, rather than in the old centre. The meals here are among the best we have had in the Costa Brava.