For such a small city,
Girona has a wealth of tapas bars, from the very traditional, to
Basque and Galician style
pintxos and seafood bars, and even new age tapas bars with avant-garde offerings. Here are some of the best places to eat tapas in Girona.
Txalaka
Restaurant, Tapas, Mediterranean, Spanish, Vegetarian, $$$
This cute Basque-style
tapas bar serves some of the best pintxos in the city. Small slices of bread topped with a seemingly never-ending array of Spanish ingredients from Manchego cheese to mushroom croquettes, cured ham, anchovies, cod and salmon. At just one or two Euros per piece, you can’t help but go up to the bar one more time to grab another bite.
La Pedra
Bar, Restaurant, Spanish
One of the most popular tapas bars in the Old Town, this place is locally famed for their delicious homemade croquetas. Think small fried balls of potato and ham, spinach or wild mushrooms. They also do a pretty good plate of patatas bravas (fried squares of potatoes with a slightly spicy tomato sauce and some garlic mayonnaise) and a have nice choice of beers. In addition to tapas, there are great filled baguettes (bocadillos) and a set menu of the day.
Tasca Galega Esconxuro
Restaurant, Seafood, Mediterranean, Spanish
A Galician-style restaurant and tapas bar, La Tasca Galega Esconxuro is the place to go for great seafood tapas bites. Try the traditional Galician octopus, boiled and served on a thin layer of potatoes, sprinkled with paprika, and the kokotxas – cod or hake cheeks, a delicacy in both Galicia and the Basque Country.
Zanpanzar
Bar, Tapas, $$$
Another Basque-style tapas bar in Girona, Zanpanzar serves not only a great selection of pintxos, but larger plates of tapas to share too. Some of the best include beef cheeks with foie gras, and monkfish with broad beans. The lamb and beef stews come highly recommended, if you want something more than tapas.
El Vermutet Can Gombau
Bar, Tapas
Vermouth bars are the latest trend to hit Spain, especially in Catalonia, don’t miss out on one when visiting Girona. They specialise in homemade vermouth – sweet fortified wine – paired with a range of tapas designed specifically to accompany the drink. El Vermutet serves a delicious selection, including anchovies, plates of olives, pickled aubergines and homemade crisps. It’s best visited ‘a la hora del vermut‘, at the hour of vermouth – around midday as an aperitif and snack before your main meal at 2pm.
Cúrcuma
Restaurant, Mediterranean, $$$
This trendy restaurant is the place to come for some of the most innovative tapas plates in the city. Think cheese lollipops with vegetables, duck confit dumplings with apple and raisins, wild mushroom cannelloni, beef teriyaki with apple and sesame, and crunchy vegetables in filo pastry. It’s a great place for vegetarians too, with plenty of options rather than the usual patatas bravas, tortilla (Spanish omelette) and Manchego cheese. Don’t leave without trying their signature croquettes.
