The award-winning French-inspired restaurant that's making a strong impact in Girona's old town.

GironaIn the center of Girona in recent years no Good restaurants have stopped proliferating on almost every corner.And one of those definitely worth visiting is Cipresaia, at the foot of the Subida de la Fuerza, next to the Royal Court. Behind this unusual and original name, which attracts the attention of both visitors and locals, lies a high-class restaurant based on French cuisine, with a signature approach and seasonal dishes designed to share. It was recently awarded the city's best gastronomic menu by the Girona Hospitality Association and is also one of the establishments recommended by the Michelin Guide of 2025. "We didn't expect it at all, we're very happy, being recognized by the same sector is always a source of pride," acknowledges Barcelona-based chef Marc Boronat, who runs the restaurant alongside Xavier Carol, co-owner and head waiter.

Cipresaia's culinary offering draws on French-rooted techniques, sauces, and products, but at the same time incorporates a modern and eclectic stamp that gives them a distinctive feature compared to other Girona restaurants of the same level. Boronat has worked in a number of prestigious kitchens before settling in Girona as head chef of this project: as a young man, he was part of the team that opened the restaurant of Fermí Puig on Balmes Street in Barcelona, ​​​​and, in recent years, has worked in various exclusive clubs and restaurants in Mallorca working with luxury products and making rice dishes. He has also worked with the Kao family from Barcelona, and for a time, he trained in France with the renowned haute cuisine chef Pierre Gagnaire.

"I started in this world of miracles. I was going to be a mechanic or a computer scientist, until I went to culinary school, still not really knowing what I wanted, with my hands dirty from fixing motorcycles before class," explains Boronat. He adds: "Everything changed when I went to France, on an adventure, without knowing French, chasing chef Joël Robuchon, but finally it was Pierre Gagnaire who called me to do some tests and I started working with him. I learned a lot and I really liked the lifestyle, the gastronomy, and the knowledge at a popular level." Working in France was where he clearly saw the type of cuisine he wanted to pursue: "We worked in science fiction kitchens and it was the place where I said to myself, 'I want to make haute cuisine, no more half measures,'" he concludes.

The name of a historic restaurant that appeals to the hospitality of the cypress trees

In Spanish, the name Cipresaia refers to a place populated by cypress trees, synonymous with hospitality and welcome. And this is the feeling the establishment aims to convey when you walk through the door, with soft lighting and warm colors, bottles of more than 200 wines on the menu displayed on the walls, and an oval marble bar that gives the space an informal and authentic touch. Despite the appeal of the word, it is not entirely unknown to veteran Girona residents, as a restaurant with the same name already existed in the same space in the 1970s. It later closed and Divinum (today with a Michelin star, located closer to Plaza Catalunya) and later another serving Chilean cuisine, until Boronat and Carol, three years ago, revived the name and spirit of the original Cipresaia.

They opened their doors under the tapas concept, but little by little, they have consolidated their approach, increasingly refined and with greater pretensions of haute cuisine, up to the current proposal, which offers a balanced selection of starters, first courses and main courses, adapted to the rather small dimensions of the kitchen. Except for arranged appointments for large groups, there is no option of a long tasting menu, since the idea is that each table defines its own combination, with an open mind to sharing.

Among the clientele are quite a few tourists, attracted by the concept of tapas to share – especially cyclists, with high purchasing power, who after a ride do not hesitate to invest in a good meal. But there are also domestic customers looking for an ideal place for special occasions. The price rarely drops below fifty per person, but the quality and quantity of each dish, given today's market prices, are on par.

Duck breast carpaccio and black pig suckling pig from Can Company

As for starters, the creamy roast beef and Iberian ham croquettes stand out, tied with a béchamel infused with the meat juice and with a crystal-clear and very crispy coating, but you can also eat gourmet products such as Iberian ham, cheeses, foie micuit, or foie micuit.

Among the first courses, the fixed dish on the menu is the carpaccio of smoked green-neck duck magret, grilled and sliced very thin, dressed with sauce hoisin artisanal, reminiscent of Peking duck, diced osmotized citrus cucumber, and strips of chicken skin reminiscent of the crispiness of Chinese lacquerware. The colorful rectangular presentation is spectacular. Following summer dishes like the bluefin tuna tartare and the reinvented seasonal tomato salad, new autumn dishes featuring sweet potatoes, pumpkin, mushrooms, and chestnuts will be added to the menu.

So, for the main courses, in addition to versions of fish in sauce meunière or scallops with butter white, one of the star dishes is the suckling pig, cooked Segovian style and served boneless in a terrine. The product is of the highest quality: black pork from Can Company, the Mallorcan farm of charcuterie chef Xesc Reina. The taste is powerful yet elegant, the texture melts in your mouth, and it's all accompanied by Girona apple sauce and a touch of wasabi. Finally, for dessert, the menu is short but effective, with special mention of the flan which, true to the French heritage of the house, is more reminiscent of a creme brulee unctuous and with a good dose of natural vanilla.