The hotels where you eat best in Catalonia

That the iconic El Racó d'En Binu, in Argentona, was born in a hotel is no coincidence. Francesc Fortí traveled and saw that hotels could be fertile ground where a great restaurant could flourish. In fact, the hotel has not been operating for years, but the restaurant has. Catalonia is a land of good restaurants and also of great hotels – these yes, in full operation – and charming landscapes. If we put all these elements in a shaker, we will see that there are a lot of places that defend these attributes. From historic establishments to spaces that were once private and to which we can now access to have a great meal and, if necessary, to sleep there. Let's review a few.

One of the best hotels in Catalonia is not found in any big city, quite the opposite. It belongs to Torroja del Priorat, a municipality that in 2025 had 129 registered inhabitants. Here we find the Gran Hotel Mas d'en Bruno, surrounded by the vines with which Clos de l'Obac winery produces its extraordinary Miserere wine. It is a perfect enclave for visiting wineries and staying overnight. Of course, it is a Relais & Châteaux and, therefore, not within everyone's reach. But whether you stay overnight or not, it is worth tasting the tasting menu at the Vinum restaurant, located within the hotel, and led by the young and skilled chef Josep Queralt – who had been at Can Bosch in Cambrils for a long time–. During lunch service, more people come than are staying at the hotel, and in the evenings, on the other hand, the majority of the public are the guests. In any case, it is open to everyone. Queralt uses local vegetables, scampi from la Ràpita, mató cheese from Bellmunt del Priorat, or red prawns from Tarragona that accompany a succulent creamy rice. He also serves game meat, such as Priorat wild boar fillet. At other times of the year you will find roe deer or blue crab from the Delta. Species that cause us problems and Queralt turns into a delicacy. Needless to say, wine is a strong point of the restaurant and the hotel, which has a beautiful tasting area. A stay at Mas d'en Bruno with a meal included would be the ideal gift for a wedding.

L'Hostal de la Gavina is one of those iconic places that must be visited at least once. The Ensesa family, owners of the hotel, protected this spot and now we have s'Agaró: a privileged, green, and salty environment. Inside the hotel, there are three dining options that adapt to all economic possibilities, all under the direction of the diligent José Pulido. At the entrance, there is a terrace with tables and they serve informal tapas-style food. It's a good excuse to make a first approach. Next to the pool, from where you can also see the sea, is the restaurant Garbí. Don't be afraid to go there, as it's open to the public and is one of those aces up the sleeve that locals know about. There, you'll find simple food made with good ingredients. Salt-baked fish, sardines, tomato salad. Little artifice and good. The accolades, in gastronomic terms, are reserved for the great restaurant led by Oriol Fernández with the direction of chef Romain Fornell. It's called Candlelight and, as its name suggests, it's an establishment designed for dining by candlelight. A balanced tasting menu with French touches accompanies an evening with live piano and an excellent pairing by sommelier Florian David. A perfect romantic evening.

In the entire Perelada complex, we have a lot of work to do. Because we have a hotel, a golf course, a winery, a restaurant in a castle, and a museum. We'll review them in this order. Inside the hotel, there's a restaurant bearing the seal of Paco Pérez. The chef of Miramar, in Llançà, and of Enoteca, at Hotel Arts, defends the restaurant L'Olivera. There, surrounded by bottles or on the terrace overlooking the golf course, they serve a la carte and a solid tasting menu. A visit to the winery is highly recommended. Designed by the Pritzker Prize-winning architects RCR with the help of the winery's oenologist, Delfí Sanahuja, it is an impressive building that surprises anyone who steps into it. There, you can also buy wine. And we end with the crown jewel, the Castell de Perelada restaurant, with one Michelin star, directed by two great professionals, chef Javi Martínez and head of dining room and king of the cheese trolley Toni Gerez. Furthermore, the restaurant is celebrating its tenth anniversary this summer with a special menu. There are no bad tables, but on summer nights, people scramble to get those on the castle terrace. Next door, incidentally, is the museum with a wonderful glass collection and a library with hundreds of editions of El Quixot. All of this covers a large area. The castle is not far from the hotel, but perhaps someone will prefer to take the car. Another option is to ask the hotel to take you there.

Atop the castle of Miravet, as if you were a Templar, you feel the weight of this country's history. Precisely the castle is one of the protagonists of the Villa Retiro restaurant's menu. Which is why after devouring it, you might feel the need to head over to visit this almost impregnable fortification. This year Villa Retiro has been running for twenty years, and Fran López has created a tribute menu in which each sequence of dishes is inspired by an important place in the Terres de l'Ebre. One will be the wine cathedral of Pinell de Brai, another very interesting visit to understand what happened in this place before and after phylloxera. This celebration of two decades is a vindication of the territory through its products too, which can be seen in dishes like the Iberian goat country pâté or the Villa Retiro has been running for twenty years, and Fran López has created a tribute menu in which each sequence of dishes is inspired by an important place in the Terres de l'Ebre. One will be the wine cathedral of Pinell de Brai, another very interesting visit to understand what happened in this place before and after phylloxera. This celebration of two decades is a vindication of the territory through its products too, which can be seen in dishes like the Iberian goat country pâté or the eel chapadilllo with romesco sauce. The space of both the restaurant and the hotel is beautiful. An idyllic garden, and the rooms spread over two areas, one modern with comfortable rooms and another in the imposing Indian building. The restaurant has held a Michelin star since 2009. In addition, there is a cooking school and it manages a recognized catering service in the area.

It is evident that in the capital there is also good dining established within hotels. The offering is very diverse and can also be a good option for those Catalans who live outside the metropolitan area and visit the city. Or for Barcelonians who want to spend a different night. And if not, as in all other cases, you can simply go there to eat. At the Mandarin Oriental, there is Moments, by Raül Balam Ruscalleda, which is in a state of grace with its menus based on seasonal produce. At Aleia, the restaurant at Casa Fuster, this year they are celebrating because they have been awarded two stars. There are other hotels that have opted for high-end dining, as is the case with the InterContinental, where Víctor Torres prepares high-end Catalan cuisine. The chef, by the way, you can also find him in Arbúcies, at Les Magnòlies. And if we go to the pinnacle of dining, the best three-star restaurant in a hotel is undoubtedly Lasarte, which combines the precision of Paolo Casagrande and the know-how of the room manager Joan Carles Ibáñez. You can find it at the Monument Hotel.