The dreamed destination of a gastronome: history, oil, wine and good cuisine

Xerta“Have you visited the wine cellar yet?” is the first thing the chef Fran López says to me when I step into Villa Retiro, the hotel with a Michelin-starred restaurant in Xerta. He is referring to the Celler Cooperatiu del Pinell de Brai, one of the Cathedrals of Wine, which exemplify López's project very well, a project that transcends the walls of his restaurant and shows the chef's commitment to the territory. Now that Villa Retiro is 20 years old, it is a good time to focus on it and also celebrate it with the menu he has designed for the occasion, which could be nothing else but a tribute to the Terres de l'Ebre.

Villa Retiro is a garden, a modernist house, an oasis of peace. You can tell there is a lot of work behind it. Anyone with a bit of a green thumb knows what it means to have a space like this in perfect condition. It’s no wonder that many people from the area want to get married there and tie a happy moment to this enclave forever, which was known as “the millionaire's house” by a lineage of Indians who built this house upon returning from the Americas. Now, this wealth has repercussions on its surroundings, as Fran López's business, which comes from a family of restaurateurs, has been an engine for the entire Baix Ebre for two decades. The pride of belonging is evident in the gastronomic menu, where he not only uses local ingredients but also links the various courses of the meal to places that are important to the region or to López himself. We will talk about the Ullals de Baltasar, the castle of Miravet and the Templars, or the tower of the hermitage of l'Aldea. With this fortification that now guards the rice fields, for example, come three dishes, one of which, of course, is the cuttlefish and octopus rice. With the Fangar lighthouse, three more: eel stew with saffron, eel xapadillo with romesco sauce, and wild sea bass with Jalapa chili escabeche, tear peas with Iberian ham and dashi. Each stop serves to tell a story, to remember where we are, and also to feed the knowledge of this land rich in biodiversity. The menu also has space to remember the fire in the Paüls forests. In fact, from Villa Retiro itself, you can see how last year the flames reached very close. Fran López commemorates it with a dessert with a smoky touch. A touch of attention to remind us that nature is resilient, but it can also be devastating.

The hotel and restaurant opened in 2006 and three years later the French guide already awarded them one star. A recognition they have maintained stably. When you enter the restaurant, there is an imposing ficus, a tree that is over 300 years old and reminds us that perhaps we are not so important. When you arrive at the beautiful cellar, you see that the ficus has entered through a large window and occupies it completely. In a deep well down to the water table, to which you have a great view when you climb the stairs towards the main dining room, the roots of the ficus also appear. Fernando Marqués, the head of the dining room, shows everything with grace, and will accompany us throughout the experience. And also Xavi Llopis, who will offer wines that pair well, such as Gamberro de garnatxa blanca, the wine that López makes in the cellar of Pinell de Brai and which is worth visiting as a complement to the meal at Villa Retiro.

A quality destination

The winery is an imposing building by Cèsar Martinell, a disciple of Gaudí. It was built in 1918 on behalf of the cooperative, founded in 1917. It has a ceramic frieze by Xavier Nogués, known for his illustrations in publications such as ¡Cu-cut! or L’Esquella de la Torratxa. A visit to this winery, located just a fifteen-minute drive from Villa Retiro, is key to understanding the region, from phylloxera to the Civil War. And an example of how important these restaurants are in a place like this. The winery was abandoned, and it was thanks to the fact that the chef needed space to vinify that he took charge of the premises. It has been restored and is now a museum. It also has a tasting space and a restaurant managed by López which is open on weekends. Highly recommended for lovers of history, architecture, and gastronomy. And don't leave without trying the olive oils (the morruda one is spectacular) and the wines. Eduard Santos, director of the museum, says that in a short time they have already managed to attract 25,000 visitors a year. Fran López reflects that there may be too much tourism in Barcelona, but that is not the case throughout Catalonia. "Responsible tourism," he says, reinforcing it by recalling that the Delta is a great destination "where quantity cannot be offered, but much quality can."