Lobster, cava and xuixo for breakfast at the first beach of the Costa Brava

BlanesThe fork breakfasts are all the rage in Catalonia. Dishes of Catalan cuisine and slow-cooked food first thing in the morning, in a traditional establishment, accompanied by bread and wine, are gaining more and more followers. They are often carnivorous meals, such as capipota, fricandó, braised pork cheek or sausage with white beans. However, some bars and restaurants on the coast, specialized in working with fresh fish of the day, also serve seafood fork breakfasts. And the experience is really worth it. Enjoying a good seafood platter by the sea after your early morning coffee is an unbeatable plan.

One of the most famous establishments is Cala Bona, in Blanes. The venue, inaugurated 13 years ago, is located on Sant Francesc beach, the first in the south of the Costa Brava, in La Selva, with a sandy entrance flanked by rocks and cliffs. The tables, on the front line, are right next to the beach, with no obstacles in view of the horizon. It is a popular restaurant, not at all pretentious, one that handles good produce. Before the lunch service, at 8 am and 10 am, they have two shifts of fork breakfasts with a predominance of fish and seafood dishes, at very competitive prices. The lobster, cava, and xuixo package is the most legendary, but the offer is very varied. It is always packed, even during the week, with families, young people, retirees, cyclists, or motorcyclists.

The business is run by siblings Maria and Josep Pratsevall, together with Josep's daughter, Aniana, who will continue the business after her father's upcoming retirement. Josep and Aniana are in the kitchen and Maria is in the dining room. "We started with breakfasts from the beginning, but it has become more and more fashionable and gained more fame. Now it's packed. I imagine it's because it's a more economical option than lunch, but you eat more or less the same, in the ideal place, and before or after you can go for a swim and spend a whole morning," explains Josep, in the small window of time between the end of the breakfast service and the beginning of the lunch one. He recalls that, as a child, in Blanes it was common to eat fish for breakfast: "With friends or family, we would cook it ourselves or at home, in the vineyard. It was also the usual food for fishermen while they were working," he recalls.

Lobster or two menus under €20

Of the breakfast options at Cala Bona, the most expensive one, at 80 euros for two people, is a championship meal: bread with tomato, salad, a mix of small Norway lobsters (the tiny ones but also very tasty), and a lobster fry with eggs, potatoes, and Padrón peppers. It also includes dessert, wine, and coffee. "A lobster, of course, is a dish you don't usually eat, but if you set it at a normal price, normal people, from time to time, feel up to it. Lobster, cava, xuixo, and the sea; the advertising practically does itself," comments the restaurateur.

The other two options are much more affordable, but ideal for all audiences. They include a starter, a main course to choose from, dessert, wine, and coffee. You will be more than satisfied. One costs 17.50 euros and the other, 19.90. The only difference is that the second one has more dishes to choose from (some with a supplement) and that among the starters there is not only salad and bread, but also the mix of small Norway lobsters. Among the dishes to choose from, there are usually grilled sardines, baby cuttlefish, stuffed squid, very tender baby octopus with onions, white shrimp from Blanes, octopus with fried eggs and potatoes, sole, sand eels, elvers... as well as some typical meat dishes like pig's trotters with snails, pork cheek, or capipota.

"The fish arrives at five in the morning. We work with a supplier from Blanes and also with the fishermen's guild that brings us the product directly from the pier. We work with the local people, which allows us to achieve affordable prices for normal, working people. In a business, it is just as important to know how to sell as it is to know how to buy," states Josep.

From Monday to Friday, they also have a daily menu and, on weekends, offers of seafood platters and high-quality grilled fish, albeit at higher prices. They used to serve dinners as well, sometimes even with a concert, but since they open so early, they now close in the evenings to get some rest.