From El Vendrell to L'Ampolla, seven restaurant terraces with a taste of the sea

TarragonaThe sea breeze is that wind that blows from the sea towards the land, especially in summer and during the hottest hours. The increase in temperature that the land experiences causes the air to rise, and the vacuum left by this process is filled by the breeze coming from the sea, fresh, pleasant, and with a taste of salt. Feeling the sea breeze is a pleasure in itself, but it can be even more intense if we accompany it with a good meal and a good wine. Enjoying a good dinner near the sea allows us to caress happiness, and in Catalonia, the Valencian Country, and the Balearic Islands, there are extraordinary corners to put it to the test. This article collects seven terraces with a sea flavor to enjoy the coast of Tarragona.

Few restaurants in Catalonia can boast a location and history at the level of Vil·la Casals. This is because this restaurant is located within the Pau Casals Museum, which was the summer residence built in 1910 by the most universal Catalan composer. The restaurant was built where Pau Casals previously had three houses to accommodate his guests. The interior dining room of this restaurant is a delight, but the two terraces are unmissable: one is directly facing the sea and the other overlooks an interior garden, more sheltered and quieter. In fact, this is the restaurant's star terrace. On the menu you will find rice dishes, grilled meats and fish, as well as sea snails in a tin, or candied artichokes with garlic prawns on top. The menu is also interesting during the calçot season, according to Antoni López, the owner. If you want zero-kilometer desserts, try the Camp de Tarragona, made with carob and hazelnuts. You will also find many wines from the DO Catalunya and DO Penedès.

El Racó de la Móra was actually born on the beach itself 53 years ago, but in the late 90s it left the sand to be located on the promenade. La Móra is a quiet cove in Tarragona, a bit too dense during holiday season, partly because it is small and has parking, but it is worth discovering. The owners of El Racó de la Móra are two brothers, Rafel and Joan, who have a very loyal clientele. "Above all, people from Tarragona, Barcelona and Reus come," explains Rafel. New clients, he explains, are surprised to eat so well in a place that could perfectly be the classic tourist-trap restaurant, with pathetic paellas and exorbitant prices, but that is not the case. Despite being on the seafront, the food is quite good. There are tapas – like bravas or homemade croquettes – and also fish and rice dishes. They have wines from Tarragona, Priorat and Ribera del Duero, among others. With the heatwaves, dining indoors with air conditioning is better, but for dinners, the terrace of El Racó de la Móra has no rival.

La Sardineta has everything to become a magnificent idea for lunch or dinner in the summer, enjoying a nice terrace. It is located on Platja Llarga in Tarragona and parking is easy, as long as it is not rush hour and high season. Its raised terrace offers a magnificent panoramic view of the sea and is just a few meters from the sand. It is ideal for swimming, having lunch, and returning to the beach. The restaurant is clean and tidy, and the building has a decadent touch that sets it apart from more modern places where everything is so impeccable that they don't retain a shred of authenticity. Depending on how you look at it, the building resembles a ship, even in its height, from which you can see the sea. Fish, salads, a bit of meat, and, above all, rice dishes. The calçots rice is one of the clientele's favorites. If you reserve, ask for one of the tables facing the sea. They have a large selection of Catalan wines. The rest of the surroundings is a small pine and fig tree forest, lush enough to make clients forget that they are actually very close to the road and the train tracks. You will only hear the waves. Filling its tables, you will find people from Tarragona and some tourists. Basically, normal people. In Salou, there is another Sardineta, also with a terrace, from where "it is a marvel to watch the sunset", according to Oriol Martí, owner of both restaurants.

Without a doubt, this is the most posh option on the list, but it had to be there. This year, the Miramar restaurant in Cambrils celebrates 75 years of good cuisine and good service. The restaurant has a beautiful terrace on the first floor and another one below, on the promenade. They buy fish at auctions and 90% of the menu is Mediterranean cuisine, according to Joan Gómez, owner of the establishment. There are customers from Cambrils, but the clientele is mainly from Reus, Barcelona, Tarragona, and you will also find Andorrans there. Fish, rice dishes, seafood... any option will please you. They have over 400 wine references, and among those that sell best are those from Terra Alta. Since quality has a price, at Miramar you pay around 90 euros on average per person. For a special day, however, it is worth trying it.

Having a good meal with your feet in the sand of the beach is a real delight and Maykao Beach Club can boast of offering this possibility. This restaurant in Mont-roig del Camp starts the day serving mid-morning breakfasts and does not close its kitchen until ten at night. Cocktails, octopus, artichokes, mussels, and also rice dishes. One of the most popular is the veal cheek, as well as the grilled squid. The wines, like most of its products, are mainly from Tarragona, as highlighted by Llorenç Muñoz Aldabó, owner of this gem. They have their own parking if you come by car. You will find them on the Torre del Sol beach.

If we continue down the coast, we will find Balcó de l'Estany. We are now in L'Ametlla de Mar and from the beautiful terrace of this restaurant, only the coastal path separates us from the sea. Many hikers pass by and when they see the terrace, they already book thinking about the way back. This restaurant has been open for almost twenty years, but for only one it has been managed by Lurdes Núñez. The clientele who know it have a preference for fish cooked on the stone, which are normally served with a discreet but successful pil-pil sauce, tasty, but which does not overpower the taste of fresh fish. Different types of fish can be found there, such as John Dory or scorpionfish, also known as sea hen. Red tuna is not lacking, which is perhaps the restaurant's emblem. The fruits and vegetables come from a farmer and the olive oil is also of high quality. They have wines that are safe and widely known bets, such as Gramona, but they also bet on small wineries with history that make minimum intervention wines. Perhaps those from Terra Alta are the ones that sell the most. For dessert, they have homemade ones and ones bought from a pastry chef who always works for the house. Aware of the terrace they have, they take advantage of full moon nights to organize special dinners with live music.

Can Piñana restaurant deserves to be included in this selection for its connection to the territory, for the good quality of its food and the wines they offer to customers, and because it is located right by the sea. If you pass by l'Ampolla, it is worth visiting this family restaurant that opened 65 years ago. The management is now in the hands of the daughters, two sisters, Conchi Piñana, who is the head chef, and Juani Piñana, who manages the dining room and uses her experience as a sommelier. All the fish you can find at Can Piñana is from the fish market, and they also have good seafood and a wide variety of rice dishes. They offer many other things, but fish, seafood, and rice dishes are the customers' favorites. Many of their customers are long-time patrons, from Tortosa, Barcelona, and Tarragona, but they also get some French people who are semi-settled in the area and already know where to eat. From time to time, they remove the chairs from the terrace and organize showcookings that are worth discovering. One of the latest had tuna as the central ingredient.