Ultimate Girona Restaurants Guide – The Best Restaurants in Girona

When we moved to Girona, Spain, in 2016, we made a promise to visit all of the best restaurants in Girona. The Catalan and contemporary cuisine is a reason to visit Girona alone. In fact, much of Girona tourism focuses not just on the history of Girona Old Town, but on the Girona food scene. It’s no wonder we live here. There are just so many wonderful Girona restaurants.

Where to Eat In Girona

This is the ultimate guide to the Girona Spain restaurants, from a local who lives there. Sure, I am consistently learning about Catalan food, and there are still more Girona restaurants that are on our to-do list. But this is a great start for travelers who visit Girona. This list includes the top restaurants in Girona Old Town, as well some in the city center. Let us be your Girona guide!

If you are looking for a particular restaurant review, or have a specific question, feel free to use the table of contents above. If we don’t answer your question in this food and travel blog post, ask your question in the comments below. We will get back to you shortly.

*This post contains compensated links. Find more info in my DISCLAIMER.

Best Restaurants Girona – Michelin Star Restaurants Girona

Any discussion of the top restaurants in the Costa Brava has to include a discussion of Michelin Star Restaurants. These are also two of the Girona restaurants I would consider “plan ahead options.” In the case of one restaurant in Girona, very very ahead. We’ve been fortunate enough to dine at each, and each was incredible! If the budget allows, I would recommend you place both of these restaurants at the top of the list of where to eat in Girona.

El Celler de Can Roca Girona

On the top of the list of Girona Michelin Star restaurants has to be El Celler de Can Roca Girona. El Celler de Can Roca Girona Spain is not only the best restaurant in Girona but also perennially ranks as one of the top 50 best restaurants in the world.

Three Michelin Star restaurant, and in the top of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list for several years, the three Roca brothers bring avant-garde techniques to classic Catalan dishes while using fresh, local ingredients. If El Celler de Can Roca is out of your price range, check out the more traditional family restaurant, Restaurant Can Roca, a little further down the street, which is open weekdays.

El Celler de Can Roca, Can Sunyer, 48. €€€ Just just across the river from the center of Girona, in the Germans Sàbat neighborhood, about a 25-30 minute walk from Barri Vell, Girona Old Town. The full El Celler de Can Roca menu with wine pairings is €325 per person. Reservations open on the first of each month and tables reserve immediately. A waitlist is available. It’s worth it, though, to try to eat not only at one of the Girona top restaurants but one of the world’s as well.

Restaurant Massana Girona

Chef Pere Massana has operated his Girona restaurant for more than 30 years. Although focused on a commitment to tradition, the dining room and the dishes themselves, are far from tired. Instead, even when serving a dish he has served for over 30 years, it is a contemporary exploration of those historic flavors and local ingredients. Massana promises to produce “little sparks of happiness” from the dining experience. We entirely agree.

I do believe this is at the top of the list of best restaurants in Girona Spain, and it is easier to get a reservation at Massana than at Can Roca. That said, every dish we ate at Massana was spot on, and they earn points for consistency. This alone makes it a great spot for where to eat in Girona.

In 2018, Chef Massana and his team opened Món Gourmet Girona, a speciality shop on Placa del Vi in the center of Old Town. They offer some amazing desserts inspired by their menu, so it is a good way to taste their food if reservations at Massana are not possible.

Restaurant Massana Girona, Bonastruc de Porta 10, Girona. €€€ Set, strangely, almost under the train tracks, it’s a little difficult to find the entrance. The tasting menu is €106, or €150 with wine pairing.

Other Recommended Girona Restaurants

Unlike its more touristy neighbor to the south, Barcelona, it is hard to find a bad meal in Girona. There are a handful of restaurants in Girona that might border on the definition of “touristy,” particularly along Girona’s La Rambla. But, for the most part, the restaurants are made for the locals.

And, even if they are not serving traditional Catalan cuisine, you are more likely to hear Catalan at the next table than English. Unlike in smaller towns and villages, there is always something to eat somewhere in Girona, which almost never closes. There is no shortage of great places to eat in Girona.

Of course, we don’t always dine at Girona’s Michelin Star Restaurants, no one can. Luckily there are Girona bars and restaurants at every budget. This part of our Girona food guide is organized from more expensive Girona restaurants to less expensive more value restaurants.

Girona Food Guide Pro Tip: When it comes to when to eat in Catalonia, lunch tends to start around 1:30 pm or 2 pm, with most restaurants not open beforehand. Plan ahead when traveling in Girona.

Divinum Girona

The focus at Divinum is on history, art, and gastronomy. Set at the edge of Barri Vell, in a building with vaulted brick ceilings, and walls that often offer art exhibits of local artists. The cuisine includes modern interpretations of Catalan dishes, with international elements. Divinum is also known for its extensive Catalan wine list and well-regarded cheese cart.

Divinum Girona, Carrer de l’Albereda, 7, Girona (Barri Vell). €€ Tasting menu is €60 per person or €95 with wine pairings. They also offer a Market Menu for weekday lunches for only €39, making it a good option for lunch in Girona. I like Divinum for providing some of the best food in Girona at a great price. 

Restaurant Nu Girona

The more contemporary cousin to Massana, but operated by the same family. Here, in a more modern setting, the focus is on international cuisine using local ingredients. To demonstrate its modern feel, there is even a sushi-style bar where diners can see the chef in action. Although under the guidance of Pere Massana, the dishes are less refined and more experimental than at Massana.

Restaurant Nu Girona, Carrer d’Abeuradors, 4 (Barri Vell). €€ Restaurant Nu’s tasting menu is €60 per person. If time and budget allow for one splurge in Girona (and El Celler de Can Roca is not an option), shoot for Massana, which is more reliable in its standards.

Llevataps Girona

Offering a Mediterranean-influenced menu, focused on fresh, local ingredients, it is a must-visit restaurant for its extensive DO Empordà wine menu. A nine-course tasting menu is often on offer for €48, plus an additional €17 for an Empordà-focused wine pairing. Or, their menu migdia or menu of the day, which changes regularly, offers a great value with three courses for only €15.

Llevataps, Plaça de l’Oli, 1 (Barri Vell). €€ We recommend Llevataps as the best restaurant in Girona Spain for DO Emporda wine lovers. Favorite wines generally on offer at Llevataps include Mas Vida, Mas Llunes, and Mas Oller. If the menu includes their steak tartar with five types of mustard, go for it. They also offer a version of the Catalan seafood stew, suquet, and a mar i muntanya, or sea and mountain. 

Restaurant 8de7 Girona

One of the newer additions to the Girona restaurant scene is Restaurant 8de7, a small, contemporary restaurant on the edge of Barri Vell. Offering Catalan and Mediterranean cuisine, expertly prepared, at a good value. Their lunch menu is only €15 for high-quality ingredients and offerings.

Restaurant 8de7, Carrer Hortes, 10 (Barri Vell). Reservations strongly recommended. Offering the best value menú del día in Girona. It also is one of the best restaurants in Girona Old Town with this quality at this price. 

El Cul du Mon Girona

A rough translation of Restaurant Dul Del Mon Girona is “the ass of the world,” and that is where this restaurant seems to be. It is on the top of the hill, on the edge of a park, mostly surrounded by nature. But, it’s worth it.

The restaurant focuses on local, ecological ingredients from the Girona market in a combination of Catalan and Moroccan dishes. The fusion is displayed in their Moroccan tajine, and their arroz with rabbit and mushrooms. Their weekday menu of the day is €18, including DO Empordà wine. On a nice day, they have a very large, and very peaceful, patio dining area, with live music on occasion in August.

El Cul du Mon Girona, Sant Daniel. Yes, that is the only address. It is possible to walk about 10 minutes up the hill from Barri Vell, past the Monastery of Sant Pere de Galligants. After lunch, ask for directions to continue on one of the many walking trails in the neighborhood, to walk off the meal, before descending back down to town. It’s definitely one of the Girona best restaurants even though it is outside of central Girona. 

Girona Food Guide Pro Tip: El Cul du Mon offers one of the best lunch deals, particularly on a nice day. You can reserve a table by either calling the restaurant, or sending them a Facebook message, but it is difficult to make a last minute reservation. During the week it is not normally a problem to grab a last minute table, but on Saturday or Sunday, it might be more difficult.

Learn more about the food and wine of Girona and the Costa Brava

Cafè le Bistrot Girona

The Le Bistrot Girona menu focuses on a combination of salads, pizzas, crepes, and desserts. They also offer a good quality menu migdia, or menu del dia. Look for Le Bistrot Girona’s Catalan dishes, including cannelloni with spinach as well as foie gras and pâté dishes. This might be a must-try for any Game of Thrones fan. In nicer weather, it’s possible to dine on the “Game of Thrones steps.” Even for those who are not into GoT, the steps are lovely for a meal.

Cafè le Bistrot Girona, Pujada de Sant Domènec 4 (Barri Vell). In addition to quality food at value, it’s one of the best restaurants in Girona for Game of Thrones fans. That must count for something.

Zanpanzar

A Basque-style pintxos bar that offers a nice break from Catalan cuisine. Set in the center of Old Town, off the same square as Llevataps and Cafè le Bistro. There are pintxos, or small tapas set out on the bar. Or, you can order from the menu, which also includes full-sized portions. Try their foie gras, jamón, and prawn pintxo for a real treat with a little cold cider.

Zanpanzar, Carrer de la Cort Reial 12 (Barri Vell). Open for dinner seven days a week, and for lunch Saturday and Sunday. A little more “touristy” than other restaurants in Barri Vell, but the food is still good. 

BionBo

Chef Xavier Aguado is doing something amazing at BionBo. Fresh, local ingredients in a combination of traditional Catalan and Spanish recipes and contemporary Mediterranean cuisine. Here’s the kicker. He offers an evening tasting, for only €27 for seven courses. There is no menu. Dishes just arrive. You are expected to guess and wonder what the dish is and what the ingredients are. Eventually, the chef, or a server, will stop by to explain the dish to you. Very creative. And very delicious. He is a chef to watch.

BionBo Girona, Carrer del Carme 75, set along the bank of the River Onyar, just south of the edge of Barri Vell. Very much a plan ahead option but try to get a table because it is one of the top restaurants in Girona. They don’t accept walk-ins, and tables are generally booked a month out, and weekend evenings are booked farther ahead than that. 

There are, still a handful of Girona restaurants that we have yet to visit. These are restaurants on our Girona to do list, where friends have dined and reported back good things. Or, they are Girona restaurants where we’ve had drinks, but never dined. Again, on our to-do list!

Restaurant Occi Girona

Restaurant Draps Girona

River Cafe Girona

Things to do in Girona City for Foodies

There’s more to Girona where to eat than looking for the best restaurants in Girona Spain. When looking at what to do in Girona, dining at some of the best Girona restaurants only scratches the surface. There are a handful of Girona tour operators and tour guides that offer unique tours focused on food, wine, and even Catalan craft beer.

Foodie Things to do in Girona Spain

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In addition, don’t forget to check out the Girona market, the Mercato del Lleo, which is open six days a week, from 7:30 am – 2:00 pm. This is one of my favorite Girona things to do, not just for food travelers, but we are there a few times a week.

Also, check out Local Market Girona for all sorts of Girona cooking classes, because sometimes the best lunch in Girona is one that you cook yourself! Girona Food Tours offers a walking food tour of Girona that includes a visit to El Lleo Market Girona, or the Girona food market. With both experiences, tour leaders can offer even more recommendations on the top Girona restaurants in the city.

Recommended Hotels in Girona Old Town and City Center

Alemanys 5 in Barri Vell: High in the hills of Girona, behind the Cathedral, set amidst the medieval quarter are a handful of hotels and apartments, but one stands out. Alemanys 5 offers two luxury apartments in a renovated 15th Century building. A space filled with contemporary and luxury furnishings, it is perfect for groups or families. Alemanys 5 includes a two-bedroom apartment on the first floor, with a small plunge pool, and a three-bedroom, two-level apartment above, with a balcony large enough to host a cocktail party. The two apartments can be rented together to sleep up to 10 people. The owners are architects and lovingly restored the building to a high standard. Rates start at €225 per night for two people, and minimum night stay requirements increase during the peak season. Book Alemanys 5.

Nord 1901 in City Center: Offering the only hotel garden and swimming pool in the city center, Nord 1901 is a recently renovated historic Catalan building. The hotel also offers one and two bedroom apartments in nearby buildings. All are set in the center, across the river from the Old Town, but just minutes to the main sites. Rooms start at €90 a night. Book Hotel Nord 1901.

Hotel Carlemany in City Center Migdia: Hotel Carlemany is in the more commercial center of town, and away from the tourist area, but only a five-minute walk to Barri Vell. With a cafe and restaurants overlooking the square, and artwork filling the interior, it is a convenient option outside of the Old Town. It is also one of the largest hotels in the city. Chef Xavier Arrey’s Restaurant El Pati Verd offers a fine dining lunch during the week in a unique indoor “garden” space. Rooms start at €80 a night. Book Hotel Carlemany.

FAQs – Girona Catalonia & Girona Guide

• Is Girona worth a visit? Of course! That’s why we live here! It’s possible to visit Girona during a day trip from Barcelona. But the historic city is charming at night, so try to spend a weekend.
• Where is Girona Spain? Girona is the capital of one of the four Catalan provinces of Spain. It is located in Northeastern Spain, about halfway between Barcelona and the French border.
• How far is Girona from Barcelona? It takes about 90 minutes to drive from Barcelona to Girona. But it’s also possible to take the Barcelona to Girona train. The Barcelona-Girona train takes about 38 minutes (high speed) or about 90 minutes (local train). You can buy tickets ahead of time, at a reduced price. Or, buy tickets at the Barcelona Sants or Girona train station on the day of.
• Is Girona expensive? Unless dining at the Girona best restaurant in the world, El Celler de Can Roca, no, Girona is not expensive. Most Girona restaurant menu del dia options range from €11-€16. That means that during lunch, during the week, you can eat a three-course meal at a Girona restaurant with wine for next to nothing. Most important is that the Girona food scene is a lot less expensive than Barcelona.

*This post contains compensated links. Find more info in my DISCLAIMER.

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