Quim Casellas: "Some customers find us by writing on ChatGPT about where they can eat well in a romantic restaurant on the Costa Brava with great views."

LlafrancBrothers Quim and Maria Casellas will launch the project in 2026 with the renovations completed on the hotel, located just above the Casamar restaurantThis is the project that both siblings, along with their parents, set for themselves in 2025 to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the establishment opened by their grandparents. The siblings are very close, and their responsibilities are well divided. Quim is in the restaurant; María, in the dining room. They have a top-notch team, with whom they share a commitment to good food and excellent service. The story of their paternal grandparents is a distant memory: they bought a house facing the beach in Llafranc and renovated it to turn it into a hotel. Their great-grandparents, originally from Catalonia, had emigrated to Bern, Switzerland, where they opened a café, Café Madrid, which is now closed. I interview the siblings on the last day of service in January. The sommelier, Àlex Peiró, and the head chef, Ferran Lladó, are already working while I interview the Casellas siblings. They will reopen on March 27th to begin the new 2026 season, in which they will continue to offer the two tasting menus and the à la carte menu.

Have the renovations to the Casamar hotel been carried out gradually?

— Yes, we started with the first floor, and then the second. We were very excited to celebrate Casamar's 70th anniversary with everything renovated. It's been a big investment, which has allowed us to create eighteen large rooms, which is what our guests ask for. We used to have twenty-one.

He has his parents by his side in some services.

— They support us. We're making a good transition. You see, they're both here this morning. I'm having breakfast with the clients at a table; then Dad comes into the office to look at papers and take care of some business. They have a lot of faith in us, and when we told them we wanted to do some construction, they said go for it.

Who did the cooking, Dad or Mom?

— Mom. My mother was the cook, and when I said I wanted to work, she took off her apron and gave it to me. For her, it was a liberation. I had been working with the chef Joan Piqué, who mentored me, and I have very fond memories of him. I also worked with Jean Luc Figueras, Carlos Gaig and Fermí Puig.

What do you remember about Fermí Puig?

— I was there during a glorious era, at the Drolma restaurant in the Hotel Majestic. I remember the kilos of truffles we used; the exquisite service. I remember we served ortolan, a bird that diners ate with a napkin on their heads, so no one could see them eating it. It's a French tradition to eat it that way.

When did you and your sister decide to take charge of Casamar?

— In 2000. Until then, we served a traditional set menu at our restaurant, with a starter, main course, and dessert, intended for hotel guests. We found that locals were also saying they wanted to come and eat there. This made us realize we needed to make a change. Today, we have two menus: a tasting menu and an à la carte menu. We're open to everyone, and we find that some days people order from the à la carte menu, and other days they only want the tasting menu.

In Casamar, cannelloni and rice are two signature dishes.

— The cannelloni, we know we can't take it off the menu. We started by making a tartlet with a leek stew. One day, we turned it into a cannelloni, and since then we've realized it's the dish people order the most, especially women. I'd say I've tried to take it off the menu about five or six times, but they keep asking for it. I make it with pasta. wontonI fill it with leek, cooked with cream, butter, salt, and pepper. I roll it up and gratinate it with a Catalan cheese, Mas Marcè. I top it with a langoustine.

Mas Marcè is one of the great cheese factories in the territory.

— Did you know I used to use Parmesan cheese? One day, the chef and TV presenter Pep Nogué made me realize that I couldn't use a cheese that wasn't locally sourced. He opened my eyes. And since then, it's been Mas Marcè.

And what about rice dishes?

— Today's menu features duck. At night, because of the widespread belief that rice isn't good for you, people don't order it, but at lunchtime, yes, always. We like to be associated with good rice dishes. I buy it locally from the producer Albert Grassot in Pals, and my sister Marina, who works as a waiter, explains to the diners how we prepare it. They're drawn to the variety, to how we've cooked it. What we enjoy most is sharing the names of our producers so that our guests can get to know them.

When I come to Casamar and make a reservation, I ask for the table closest to the sea. And I know that table is very difficult to get.

— It's everyone's favorite, and we're very strict about the order in which reservations are given. Whoever makes the reservation first gets it. That's why sometimes you might not have it, because there were other people ahead of you. We're very transparent, and we'll show you the reservation order if anyone wants to see it, so you can see that we gave them out in order. Now, there are other tables in the room with a sea view. If we have to give you a table with a view, the first thing María does is explain.

Changing the subject. For ten years it had a Michelin star.

— We received it in 2011, when we weren't expecting it at all. That year, in 2011, we were the only restaurant in the region to receive one. It was a time when Michelin didn't hold ceremonies. So, we found out through a call from a chef friend. I remember I was in the kitchen, and that November evening, the 25th, there were two people having dinner in the restaurant. It was very nice.

They will take it away in 2021.

— They took away our Michelin star the year of the pandemic, without us having had a single visit from the inspectors, and just when we would have celebrated ten years of having it. It was that year when restaurants were opening and closing as the pandemic evolved. Suddenly we felt very abandoned, because you stop being in the spotlight of the press, of events, of the showcookings. We appeared in the Estrella Damm ad, because it was filmed around spring/summer.We still had it, but in November, when they took it away, that was it. We were left out of everything.

Did reservations decrease?

— No, we realized that our customers loved us. They told us they'd written to Michelin asking for our star to be reinstated. And the most rewarding thing is that bookings didn't drop, and they still haven't. Just look at our Google ratings—they're very high.

What did she think about what happened that led to it being taken away?

— We think they didn't like that we always had a full house. We don't know. Since I've never been able to speak to them, we don't know. However, I admire the guide. Of course, when you lose, it's infuriating, especially because it was the tenth year we'd had it, and we were convinced we'd renew it. But I think the guide is good. I respect them. I was just left with a feeling similar to the one you get when a partner leaves you without saying why. I should also say that the town of Palafrugell gave us a lot of support.

Today I saw that the hall was full. All the tables were full.

— Do you know what's happening to us now? We have customers who find us by writing on ChatGPT about places to eat well in romantic restaurants on the Costa Brava with great views. It's interesting how search methods have changed. Michelin gives you prestige, puts you on the map, but it's not the only search engine customers use. Google is also important; people read reviews and ratings. We're finding that young people, in particular, are doing this.

Finally, Quim and Maria, how do you see yourselves in ten years?

— Just like now. We have a wonderful team, with whom we share a passion for our work. We're very happy. Maria loves interacting with customers in the dining room; I love the kitchen. The best part of our work is that our customers appreciate it, they come back, and that's the greatest reward. I think we've created the restaurant and hotel that both Maria and I would love to find when we're away from home. Oh! And we already have the fourth generation working here. My middle son, Joan Casellas, is already helping out.