A family-friendly corner in wine paradise that stands out for its good food

We're standing in front of a predominantly family-run restaurant in Sant Sadurní d'Anoia. Sergi Torres is the leader, and his place is in the kitchen. Emma Planas, his partner, dominates the dining room and forms an unbreakable, seamless partnership. They also handle the tables and maintenance. We're also present at the restaurant's reception, where Sergi's mother, Laura Sibill, displays the paintings that decorate the restaurant, and Josep Torres, Sergi's brother, brings cavas and wines from his Cava Bertha.

As a young man, Sergi Torres struggled to find his professional niche. The influence of a friend was crucial in getting him started in the world of cooking, igniting a passion that still lingers. These iconic establishments were among the reasons Sergi decided to open La Cava d'en Sergi in 1999, with the essential support of his family.

We know the daily lunch menu is very good, but we go for dinner to sample the menu. We find traditional Catalan cuisine with fully integrated elements from other cultures that appeal to us.

We started the meal with a house appetizer consisting of a fried onion dish that we considered a great success. After reviewing the menu, we ordered roast beef croquettes with parmentier emulsion, morels with shrimp and black sausage, and salmon, zucchini, and avocado makis with soy and sesame glaze. The wine list is well-constructed, with many wines that are tempting to order. We opted for the Augustus Trajanus 2018 from the Avgvstvs Forvm Winery in El Vendrell. An elegant wine that lingers in the mouth and makes you feel its power. This wine was produced as a presentation card for a winery with thirty years of history.

We continue with a grilled cod loin gratinated with a very mild garlic muslin accompanied by black sausage and spinach foam and a crispy confit garrinete with chutney green apple and red wine sauce, and we finish with mountain rice made like a risotto with confit rabbit shoulder, grape varieties, and Parmesan cheese. Dessert: fried vanilla ice cream with raspberry coulis, spherified Modena vinegar ravioli and a yogurt emulsion of green apple soup and citrus fruits, and mojito cannelloni with a gelatinous veil of dark rum, lemon ice cream, and mint foam. A dessert that is a magnificent culmination of a great dinner.

"We have the restaurant we want to have. Small, under our control, and with up-to-date signature cuisine. Traditional cuisine with creative and fun touches to surprise the customer a little. I want the dishes to have their own identity by changing the textures and cooking methods." This declaration of Sergi's intentions is evident in every dish. You know what you're eating, but you always find something that surprises you and, at the same time, enriches a very well-executed proposal that shows that Sergi still has the urge to enter the world of cooking very much alive. Sant Sadurní has a wine cellar that prioritizes good food without forgetting good drinks. Those who haven't been there, go: you'll like it.