The restaurants of Port de la Selva start the summer after last August's tragedy

Port de la Selva (Alt Empordà)At the gates of the summer season, bars and restaurants in Port de la Selva (Alt Empordà) are returning to normal. Last August, the season ended abruptly with the suicide of a local business couple who had been managing a dozen establishments for decades through an investment group. The businesses, which were struggling with financial problems, closed overnight, leaving a hundred workers jobless. They represented 20% of the town's hospitality businesses, and the offerings along the entire promenade were severely affected.

Now, after months of negotiations and procedures between the owners, the new managers, and mediation from the City Council, all the establishments have reopened their doors. They have done so with renewed images and proposals, under the leadership of restaurateurs with a proven track record in the town, who have brought uniqueness and quality to each of the offerings. The tragedy of August is now in the past.

Most of them opened for Easter, in order to consolidate the business and have everything ready for the summer. The last to reopen has been precisely one of the most emblematic and popular: El Cafè de la Marina, which gives its name to the famous novel of the same name by Josep Maria de Sagarra. It reopened the weekend before Sant Joan with a very extensive offering that seeks to capture the attention of locals and tourists with all-day dining and "happy hour discounts. The new owner is Santiago Ferreiro, originally from Argentina, who in recent years has worked in restaurants and beach bars in the area. His venture maintains the Mediterranean essence of the space and the menu, but incorporates influences from Argentine cuisine. "The warmth of the people these first few days has been incredible. Little by little, we are recovering a space that is very important for the town," he explains. And he adds: "When the rest of the establishments were opening and this one remained closed, many people thought it would not reopen. But I knew the owners and we reached a long-term agreement. We are very happy with the response."

From L'Askata to L'Espina

A few metres from El Cafè de la Marina, one of the first establishments to reopen, three months ago, was L’Espina, located in the premises formerly known as Ca la Maria, on the seafront promenade. It now presents a completely renovated aesthetic, with a minimalist, modern, and very well-kept design. The managers are Cristina Perelló and her daughter, Anna Paltré, also owners of L’Askata, a high-class restaurant located at the tip of the pier and specializing in fresh fish, seafood cuisine, and grilled dishes. At L'Espina, they have conceived a different offering, more informal and affordable, but equally well-crafted.

They are open from eight in the morning to eleven at night. During the morning, they offer breakfasts, sandwiches, and brunches with avocado and salmon toast, ham and brie cheese sandwiches, or natural juices. From midday onwards, the menu includes tapas, cocktails, and dishes made with fresh produce. "Starting up is not easy, but we decided to take on the challenge and offer things that hadn't been done in the town until now," explains Cristina Perelló. "My daughter and my son-in-law are in charge of the day-to-day operations, and we have also hired people who already worked in the previous establishments, along with new hires," she adds. The menu includes proposals such as brioche with Andalusian-style squid, homemade Russian salad, or homemade patatas bravas. "We don't want to work with frozen products; we try to ensure everything is fresh and of high quality," Perelló concludes.

A new burger joint

Another of the establishments that has been recovered is Can Rubies, a historic venue with more than sixty years of history that has been a grocery store and restaurant. The new phase combines breakfasts, midday service, and a specialized offering of quality meat burgers for the evening, both for consumption in situ and for takeaway. Burgers made with Galician blonde beef, Basque Country sirloin, chicken, and even fish and vegetarian options. The menu also includes local and seafood products, such as anchovies, cuttlefish, or sardines.

"We believe there was a gap for a quality burger joint in Port de la Selva," explains the owner Sandra Costart, who in recent years had run La Guingueta de Grifeu, in Llançà. The furniture and structure of the place have not changed, but it has a different feel with cozy decoration. Nevertheless, Costart acknowledges that starting a new business is always a challenge, and even more so under the conditions experienced in Port de la Selva: "We have gone from one extreme to the other, from having many closed establishments to seeing them all open at once. So there are not enough people yet to fill all the businesses every day, and the residents have to share among a much wider offering. It is a positive situation because there is more quality and variety, but we are still waiting for all the visitors of the high season to arrive," she concludes.

Among the new additions is the beach bar at Pas beach, which has a new concession. Located by the sea, it offers tapas, drinks, music, and activities in an informal atmosphere. Other establishments have changed their name and concept, such as the former Bàmbola, now reconverted into Blaus, specializing in tapas and small plates. Ca l’Herminda, on the other hand, maintains its usual essence with a traditional menu based on rice dishes, fish, and stews.

For its part, the Port de la Selva City Council, which lived through the entire tragedy of last August with great concern, values the current situation very positively. It celebrates that a good part of the new managers are professionals from the same municipality who know the trade perfectly and highlights that they have considerably improved the quality of both the service and the product.