A new guide compiles the 270 best Catalan restaurants

BarcelonaA new guide has burst onto the scene, and in this case, it doesn't award stars or single stars, or anything like that; instead, it creates a network. What network? Well, the network of the best Catalan restaurants. The publication's name is Augusta Guide (published by Cossetània). It is an initiative of chef Pep Nogué, who also directs the gastronomy program The Inn From Catalunya Radio. He was assisted by journalist Òscar Gómez and Pep Palau, director of the Gastronomic Forum of Barcelona.

The guide contains 270 restaurants from across Catalonia, all included free of charge: no one paid to be listed, and the guide is intended to expand year after year. In fact, the guide includes a QR code so that anyone who finds a place that might be a good fit can contact its promoters, who have the collaboration and support of a team of 35 professionals from the culinary world. The publication is the result of numerous requests for a guide. "So we've made them a guide," explains Nogué. The decision was made at Fonda Europa in Granollers over a plate of macaroni. Participating establishments will receive plaques to display on their facades.

"The globalized world is against all unique cuisines, but once we understand that the world is against us, we must also understand that our cuisine is resilient. We have 700 years of written history, and that makes us special," explained Òscar Gómez, who justified the impact on our health in the Eixample district, where, he asserts, the situation is bad. But this is not the case in the rest of the country. In his opinion, Catalan cuisine is "a cuisine that is hard to kill."

The Augusta Guide It divides restaurants into three categories: New Catalan Cuisine, Traditional Catalan Cuisine, and Popular Traditional Catalan Cuisine. A group of professionals decides whether a restaurant meets the established criteria. In fact, they have visited more than 400. For each restaurant, you can read a short paragraph, a list of signature dishes, the average price, and practical information such as opening hours and address. Joan Gòdia, Director General of Agri-food Companies, Quality, and Gastronomy, highlighted that this publication comes in the year that the Generalitat will manage The Catalan Cuisine brand. "The only way to defend a territory is by preserving its language and its cuisine," Pep Nogué explained.

Chup-chup Awards

An example of the type of restaurants included can be found in the awards linked to the guide, which will be given out annually. "So as not to forget those who have helped us along the way," in Nogué's words, the awards bear the names of leading figures in Catalan cuisine. The Fermí Puig Award for New Catalan Cuisine went to Jordi Vilà's restaurant, Alkostat. The Santi Santamaria Award for Traditional Cuisine was given to Can Pairot. Pere Tapias won the award for Popular Catalan Cuisine, beating Can Selvatà. The Paco Solé Parellada Award for an Endangered Dish went to a true institution: Motel Empordà. The Llorenç Torrado Award for Seasonality of Products went to a temple of game, Els Casals. Pere Bahí's award for Seafood Cuisine went to Els Pescadors de Llançà. shared with El Barquet de TarragonaThe Manuel Vázquez Montalbán award in the Terra Endins Cuisine has also been ex aequo: for Sixth and Fonda Farré. Georgina Regàs in the Sweet Kitchen gets a new award this year, the restaurant The Court of MosThe Juli Soler Wine List Award goes to Fonda Xesc. Finally, the Isidra Maranges Honorary Award for Catalan Cuisine is awarded to the chef and sage Josep Lladonosa.