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.

The week ahead, with Jordi Garrigós

Some of the things we hope not to miss in the next seven days

I will listen to Charli XCX's new album. Music, fashion, film is the eighth album by the British pop star and a new, more rock-oriented turn in her prolific career. After dominating with the Brat summer, Charli Aitchison abandons green and embraces black and white to remain almost the only singer of her generation who plays with the mainstream while navigating the margins and experimentation. A singer who is living her particular artistic zenith, having more fun than anyone.

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Maria Rosa welcomes us to her home in Tossa de Mar, which is full of tourists, accompanied by her family, children, and grandchildren, who will stay to enjoy her meal. “I'll make you noodles, because they are my grandchildren's favorite dish. They are not noodles in a casserole, they are noodles with fish.” noodles in a casserole, they are noodles with fish”.

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For some time now, Ibiza has become one of the most relevant gastronomic tourist destinations in the Mediterranean. Due to the variety of proposals and also the renown of the chefs who have decided to open restaurants there. Dabiz Muñoz has his own establishment in Ibiza, with his StreetXO, which opened this very summer; the British television chef Gordon Ramsay, with Hell's Kitchen; the immersive gastronomy experience Sublimotion, by Paco Roncero (costs around 1,650 euros per person)..., all located in Platja d'en Bossa as part of the profound transformation of the area driven by Grup Matutes. Apart from this, there are currently three Michelin-starred restaurants in Ibiza: Unic, by David Grussaute; Omaska, by Walter Sidoravicius, and La Gaia, by Oscar Molina. In Ibiza, you can eat international, Mediterranean, Basque, Galician, Catalan, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Indian, Mexican, Peruvian, Argentinian cuisine... Even, with a little effort, you can find Ibizan cuisine. What we present here are a couple of proposals (a peasant couple: between two and two dozen) that prioritize local produce and its own gastronomy; in addition, we have also taken into account that the restaurants are open beyond the high season.

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It doesn't happen very often that dinner time depends on the movements of the sun and the moon. In fact, a great eclipse like the one that is about to happen in our country is not at all common: it is the first in more than a century. For this reason, on August 12, some tables in Catalonia will have more reasons than ever to look towards the sky instead of focusing only on the plate. Restaurants, wineries and hotels have prepared dinners, appetizers, tastings and cocktails conceived around the solar eclipse that will cross the Iberian Peninsula that afternoon. In fact, this combination has turned viewpoints, vineyards, terraces and open spaces into some of the most sought-after places to experience the phenomenon, and gastronomy has joined in with an offer ranging from a tomato bread appetizer and Empordà wine to tasting menus with a Michelin star.

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Declared the European Region of Gastronomy in 2022, Menorca has much more to offer the visitor than its calm lifestyle (slow life), its virgin coves, its horse festivals or its international art galleries. Menorcan cuisine is also full of appeal, and not just for its usual references to lobster or cheese. It fills the visitor with what local restaurateur José Bosch calls emotourism: emotional, sensory tourism. The offer is as growing as it is diverse. We recommend below some proposals so that, if you visit us this summer, you can know where to eat in Menorca:

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The week ahead, with Jordi Garrigós

Some of the things we hope not to miss in the next seven days

I will finish McCartney: the hunt for the lost bass, about the mysterious disappearance and recovery of Paul McCartney's first bass, a Höfner 500/1 bought in Hamburg in 1961 for only 30 pounds. This marvel sounded on the original recordings of Love me do, she loves you and the early Beatles classics. A road movie musical about the greatest pop group of all time.

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We begin a five-week journey through Brazil with gastronomy as the common thread. If I tell you to close your eyes and imagine a restaurant in Brazil, it's possible your mind will take you to Rio de Janeiro. It's a magnetic city and a unique enclave in the world. However, despite being the most popular image, it's not representative of a large part of the country. Gastronomically (and sociologically), what does Rio have to do with the miner cuisine of Minas Gerais, the Bahian cuisine of Salvador, or the ancestral cuisine of the Amazon? Very little.

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The most veteran readers will possibly remember Will Kane, played by Gary Cooper in High Noon (1952), or John T. Chance, played by John Wayne in Rio Bravo (1959), two of the most emblematic sheriffs in the history of American westerns. These two acting legends masterfully brought to life fictional sheriffs that many Catalans discovered at the cinema or through the first television sets. But today we want to tell you a very real story: that of Pedro Ruipérez, originally from Murcia and adopted by Barcelona.Pedro was an eccentric character and a passionate actor. He liked to dress up as a sheriff, with two toy guns and the characteristic badge of the American guardians of the law. He adapted the word sheriff in his own way, turning it into his nickname and, at the same time, the name of the restaurant he opened with his family in 1959. Initially, it was a small fish and seafood shop, but it soon transformed into one of the most iconic establishments in Barceloneta.When, in 2016, Belinda Wicksteed and Eduardo Iborra acquired El Cheriff, they were very clear that they wanted to preserve Pedro's legacy, maintaining its essence and neighborhood soul, while incorporating a nautical and elegant aesthetic. The ones in charge of materializing this transformation were two of their sons, Teddy and Benji, a photographer and an architect, respectively. Today, this gastronomic temple is run by Alexia Iborra, another of the family's daughters, and her husband, Ferran Bas. In charge of the dining room, we find Adrià Barberà, a young man with a clear vocation for service who enjoys helping diners turn a good meal into a memorable experience. And we can assure you that he achieves it.Let's set aside the battles for a moment to talk about food. We'll go with a sure bet and choose two of Cheriff's most emblematic dishes: the shellfish platter (with Galician clams, mussels, cockles, and razor clams) and a magnificent lobster rice prepared by Ejaz Iqbal, the restaurant's head chef. Twenty-three years ago, he learned the original recipe from María de los Ángeles “Nini”, Cheriff's daughter. It should be easy to find good rice in Barcelona, but reality forces us to admit that it's not always the case. That's why we want to acknowledge the merit of cooking one of the best rice dishes in our region. Cheriff's rice dishes continue to be its great emblem and stand out for their unmistakable flavor, with a characteristic smoky touch achieved thanks to its final finish in the Josper oven.To finish, let's taste a Catalan cream with ladyfingers. We pair the whole meal with a bottle of Iura, a red wine from Priorat made by the Atavus Vines winery in Gratallops.We chat with Adrià so he can explain the latest news from Cheriff: “We defend the essence of Pedro Ruipérez's cuisine by staying out of contemporary culinary trends. We want to keep alive the traditions, recipes, and unique characteristics that have made Cheriff an iconic restaurant”. It's time to leave, but we do it after they serve us, with the porró, a sip of well water. It's a brandy with a secret touch and a story behind it. When you go there, ask Adrià to tell you about it. History, gastronomy, and life in Barceloneta in its purest form.

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To talk about Sitges, we could go back many centuries, when, thanks to its privileged coast, it began to become a town of fishermen and maritime trade. But we want to focus on the present. Sitges is one of the six municipalities that form part of the Garraf region. It is a town that looks to the sea, both from the more playful aspect and from the commercial necessity, and which, at the same time, stands out for its economic, cultural and social fabric.We are at the La Nansa restaurant, founded in 1963 by Antoni Rafecas and his wife, Rosa Maria. Currently, the restaurant is run by three of their four children: Anton, Mireia, and Francesc, with the invaluable support of Angel in the kitchen and Isidoro in the dining room. You can feel the Mediterranean, both in the decor of the place and in the numerous references on a menu that seeks to preserve the memory of the Sitges cuisine of our grandparents. There is a traditional menu for 38 euros, but we opt for the a la carte menu.We start with a prawn salad with caramelized onion, a Sitges xató (with endive, cod, tuna, and anchovies) and some fried prawns with garlic and parsley, chosen from the list of suggestions. The wine list dedicates a prominent section to wines from Garraf, while the rest of the references are mostly Catalan.In the second part of the meal, we want to taste some of the most representative seafood dishes of the local cuisine. The first is octopus romesco with beans, a fishermen's recipe made with one of the least commercial, but most appreciated fish. The second is a turbot caught, possibly, by Oriol or Alfredo, two of the most emblematic fishermen of the town. The third deserves special mention: lobster with margin snails.The reference to this dish comes from the book Sitges dels nostres avis, written by Emerencià Roig i Raventós and published in 1934. The work collects the history and popular memory of Sitges and its inhabitants. “At the end of the 19th century, there was the Fonda Carcolse in the area of Carrer de les Parellades. The book talks about lobster with snails; we make it with lobster so as not to excessively increase the price, but the recipe did not appear there. My father started preparing it after talking with fishermen and added a very personal touch. Now my brother Francesc is leading the kitchen and preserving this recipe book”, Anton tells us, proud to be able to maintain, together with his brothers, a family and town legacy.We have left the Sitges-style rice, made with pork ribs, sausages, cuttlefish, langoustines, and clams, for another day. The desserts we taste are also homemade and deeply rooted in the region: Sitges foams, according to the recipe of the old pastry shop l'Estrella (meringue and almond cookie), burnt cream, and carquinyolis from Sant Quintí de Mediona. All of this, well accompanied by a sip of Sitges Malvasia.Anton, Mireia, and Francesc, still with their parents' remote support, run a restaurant that honors the seafood cuisine of a town open to the Mediterranean. Respect for fishermen, local produce, Sitges' history, and the hard work of the three siblings are the pillars that make La Nansa a must-visit establishment. It's always a good time to go to Sitges, but for us, now even more so.

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There are people who exude optimism, and a way of understanding work based on enthusiasm and perseverance. Joan Carles is one of them. After a professional career linked to Empordà, three years ago he decided to shape the most personal project of his career. Thus, three years ago, Descarat was born, a restaurant that deliberately moves away from the canons that have marked a large part of his journey.

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I'm reading an interview “with a bite”, the kind from Trini Gilbert in the ARA, at the Flash-Flash trout farm, with Karin Leiz, designer and writer, widow of photographer Leopoldo Pomés, who was a co-founder of the restaurant. The mother of the beloved Poldo Pomés says: “I learned to cook by going to the market and listening to what people said”.

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Edició de Premsa Periòdica Ara SL develops Goita Barcelona, an artificial intelligence agent from Diari ARA designed to help users discover cultural, gastronomic, and leisure plans in Barcelona based on selected sources, context, and editorial criteria.

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Jep Morales Albert (Girona, 1972) has built a dream of reeds, tarpaulins and recycled materials that concentrates everything that makes him enjoy: cooking, music, art and contact with nature and people. La Carreta del Ter has been stopping for six years now behind the Bordils pavilion, in a "magical space in constant transformation" that, in the middle of the fields, offers tapas, burritos, paellas, good live music and extraordinary sunsets. "Here you find people of all ages and conditions, it's like Noah's ark (animals included) where everyone is welcome," explains Jep Morales.

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The Pedralbes Palace was dressed up to award the distinctions with which the Catalan Academy of Gastronomy and Nutrition (ACGN) each year rewards the talent of our land. More than 550 people gathered and enjoyed a dinner together offered by chefs Romain Fornell and Òscar Manresa.

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In Beirut, his hometown, Roger Nasr was the baker at the establishment Roger Le Boulanger. Under the same name, he created a small bakery-workshop in the Sants neighborhood of Barcelona when, in 2019, he and his wife, born in Figueres, decided to leave Lebanon and move to Catalonia to "ensure a better future" for their son, who was then 7 years old. Both in Beirut and Barcelona, at Roger's "bakeries", customers particularly appreciated the "nomad bread", rescued from an ancestral recipe and made with sourdough, flour from local producers, unrefined sea salt, and spring water.

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Casa Rufo opened just before Easter and I already hear diners saying "it's delicious", while confirming that "all dishes enter the kitchen clean". Lleonard Cardona Rufo is a self-taught cook; he has learned from his parents, who first worked in a butcher shop and then at Casa Jesús, in Cases d’Alcanar. In the same place, but with a completely renewed concept, he insists on saying that he has opened a wine bar, but that you can also "eat" there. "In the "terreno", we always eat very well, from the garden, from the sea... and when you hear "delicious", you can rest assured", he shares. "My parents were artists. They made breakfasts, a menu for workers, and à la carte, both at midday and at night", he recalls. He has copied their format a bit, without lunches. At Casa Rufo, he offers a hearty breakfast, vermouth, and small plates at night. There is often a queue because, for the moment, he does not take reservations. He is open from Thursday to Sunday.

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Berlin is a city that the more you visit it, the more it enchants you. It is diverse and open-minded. Full of nooks and crannies where it reveals its character, making it a kind of bubble in the middle of Germany. That is why it has been the chosen place for people who came from much more conservative regions to build a home there. This is explained to me by the cook René Frank, chef of the renowned restaurant Coda. A restaurant "that could only be in Berlin". Thanks to his knowledge of the city and that of the people who are part of the Coda team, we are about to visit places to subsequently make a list of the most recommendable ones. From cafes, cocktail bars, pastry shops, and, of course, where to eat a good René Frank, chef of the renowned restaurant Coda. A restaurant "that could only be in Berlin". Thanks to his knowledge of the city and that of the people who are part of the Coda team, we are about to visit places to subsequently make a list of the most recommendable ones. From cafes, cocktail bars, pastry shops, and, of course, where to eat a good currywurst or a kebab, two of the most representative and popular dishes.

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"Culture is alive to the extent that it is conflictive," wrote Manuel de Pedrolo in his diary. This idea is the starting point for the fifth edition of Perifèria Cultural, the cycle of music, land, and gastronomy that since 2021 has been traveling through the Catalan Countries, bringing artistic proposals outside the big commercial circuits to equally peripheral spaces: towns and corners of the country that are left out of tourist and cultural radars. For six months, from May 23 to November 15, the cycle will feature over 100 shows in forty-five municipalities.

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Right across from the church in Riudarenes, a town of just over 2,500 inhabitants, stands a farmhouse with stone walls and a beamed ceiling, over 300 years old, proudly displaying the flags of Girona and Catalonia. This is Restaurante Can Cordons. "We try to make dishes respecting traditional cuisine, but with a modern touch," says Pau Turon (Riudarenes, 2000), its owner for the last eight years. "We met at the Girona Hospitality School," replies Gerard Picard (Girona, 1995), the chef. "Even though I'm now in the dining room, I'm also a cook," Turon asserts. That's not all they share, as they are also big Girona fans, although Picard has a bit of a Barcelona side. "Now I'm a little more of a Girona fan than a Barça fan," he admits. Míchel's team visits Osasuna this Saturday (6:30 p.m., Movistar LaLiga).

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