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

BlanesThe hearty breakfasts are all the rage in Catalonia. Traditional Catalan dishes and slow-cooked meals first thing in the morning, in a lifelong 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 beans. However, some coastal bars and restaurants, specialized in working with the fresh fish of the day, also serve seafood-style hearty breakfasts. And the experience is truly worth it. Enjoying a good seafood platter by the sea after an early morning coffee is an unbeatable plan.

One of the most famous establishments is Cala Bona, in Blanes. The venue, opened 26 years ago, is located on Sant Francesc beach, the first one south of the Costa Brava, in La Selva, with a sandy entrance flanked by stones and cliffs. The tables, on the front line, are right by the beach, with no obstacles in the view of the horizon. It is a popular, unpretentious restaurant, one that handles good products. Before the lunch service, at 8 am and 10 am, they have two shifts of hearty breakfasts with a predominance of fish and seafood dishes, at very competitive prices. The lobster, cava, and xuixo combo 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 13 years ago, but it has become increasingly fashionable and gained more renown. Now we are 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 spot, and before or after you can go for a swim and spend a complete morning," explains Josep, in the short 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, at the vineyard. It was also the usual food for fishermen while they worked," he recalls.

Lobster or two menus for under €20

Of the breakfast options at Cala Bona, the most expensive one, at 80 euros for two people, is a champion: tomato bread, salad, a mix of small Norway lobsters (the tiniest but also very tasty ones), and a lobster fry-up with eggs, potatoes, and Padrón peppers. It also includes dessert, wine, and coffee. "A lobster, of course, is a dish that one doesn'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 does itself," the restaurateur comments.

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 full. 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 prawns from Blanes, octopus with fried eggs and potatoes, sole, sand eels, elvers... in addition to some typical meat dishes like pig's trotters with snails, pork cheek, or calf's head stew.

"The fish arrives at five in the morning. We work with a supplier from Blanes and also with the guild that brings us the product directly from the dock. We work with the local people, which allows us to achieve affordable prices for normal, working people. In a business, it is 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 top-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 rest a little.