Have a Rice Day!
SEA GAMBLE
The Llotja _(San Roc, 23; tel. 977 45 73 61 €€) _
Contemporary kitchen. A true ode to Mediterranean bluefin tuna, which is mixed in all its parts in the local menu.
**Marc Miró (chef) and Violant Rojas (dining room) ** have managed to make this a benchmark restaurant in this area of southern Tarragona thanks, on the one hand, to their exquisite treatment of the Balfegó tuna (the cages are right there, a few miles out to sea), with which they prepare a complete menu. On the other, to the modern honesty of its seafood dishes. And finally to the warmth of its establishment and the good service to its guests.
Apart from the different tuna preparations, the espardeñas and octopus rice and the squid rossejat, a delicacy, are highly recommended.
It is essential, in any case, to try the tartar Balfego tuna brutal. And the best tables, under the portico.
Contemporary kitchen in Ametlla de Mar
AMPOSTA
The Delta Barracks _(Ctra. San Jaime, km 4; tel. 977 26 10 97 €€) _
Rice shop. With a privileged location, a few meters from the Ebro Delta. Views, walks and local products.
Located, indeed, between the wide fields of rice from the Ebro Delta, his culinary specialty is quite obvious. They propose more than twenty dishes with it as a base, prepared from the producer brand of the area – Lo Nostre Arròs -, in addition to fideuás.
As among the stars of this "ecosystem" there are also eels and duck, there is no lack of rice prepared with these species, to choose from, sweet or dry. But the truth is that the list of varieties is almost endless : of seafood; galleys, shrimp and clams; Norway lobster, monkfish and clam; of the senyoret, of scallops; black or lobster.
To start the party its sea nettles are famous, a real delicacy. Also mussels, razor clams and baby squid, all locally sourced.
XERTA
Villa Retreat _(Molinos, 2; tel. 977 47 38 10; €€€€) _
Signature cuisine. Fran Lopez He has been the one who has put the rich cuisine of the Ebro Delta on the map. class and sophistication . Located in a late 19th century Indian mansion converted into a 5-star boutique hotel. Fran López is the owner, along with his family.
Here he has known how to reveal the peculiar flavors of the region since a contemporary look , very technical and sharp, but keeping the memory. There are the elvers, the all i pebre, fish from the fish market with textured beetroot, or free-range chicken and wild duck combined in two cookings with red fruit gelée, meat sauce and hazelnut and Parmesan crumble.
It is essential to try some of the wines produced by the López family: the Pagos de Híbera.
Signature cuisine, class and sophistication
CUNIT
L'Arroseria _(Paseo Marítimo, 57 tel. 977 16 02 91 €€) _
Rice shop. A powerful catalog of this type of dishes (from tradition to more daring combinations) with fresh and sparkling starters.
Andreu Ruiz, from the mythical first promotion of the School of Hospitality of Barcelona (José Andrés, Albert Raurich…), is poured into the rice.
Fideuá I love you, Fideuá
Phew! But, before entering the vertigo… haute cuisine in small bites, because whoever had retained: scallops with ginger vinaigrette; bravas in court Pont Neuf; the elegant salad; Andalusian sea nettles; pulpits of Vilanova…
And now: Iberian homage rice with trumpets of death; of codium and clams; parellada with white prawn from Vilanova and all cremat of lobster, lobster, small crab, espardeñas…
The wine list is an ode to biodynamic wines. You have to put yourself in the hands of Carmen García.
FALSET
El Celler de l'Aspic _(Miquel Barceló, 31 tel. 977 83 12 46 €€) _
Catalan cuisine . Proximity products, frank flavours, sapid powers and interesting pairings.
The chef Tony Bru , chef and sommelier, and his wife Rosa Borras, room manager, work in a charming room with a large window overlooking the Falset village.
In the air, a tribute to Priorat and Montsant wines. In addition to the menu and the tasting menu, there are two menus with wines as the protagonists.
The kitchen, frank, direct . Escarole with romesco sauce and prawns from La Rápita; Baldomà rabbit paella with mushrooms and rosemary; grilled turbot with razor clams and ganxet bean romesco or Capafonts kid shoulder with potatoes, onions and rancid wine.
One more time, a restaurant where you have to look at the wine list first and be advised for the harmonies.
TARRAGONA
AQ _(Les Coques, 7 tel. 977 21 59 54 €€€) _
Contemporary kitchen. Easy dishes but very well executed. Kitchen for all audiences. In the table . AQ is next to the Tarragona Cathedral, and within its walls is the city wall itself. The place where the chef, Ana Ruiz, and the manager of the room, Quintín Quinsac, continue to seduce after an important reform: now in a very clean and modern design premises, with a kitchen completely open to the room. Pure fun food but with background.
Biscayan tuna tartare with roasted pepper ; brava potato in ingot with spicy romesco sauce and aioli; mackerel with aubergine and teriyaki sauce or Iberian pork roll with mushrooms and truffled pecorino. . Despite the fact that the menu offers very reasonable prices (over €40), the menu is a very tempting proposal, for only €20.
€ Less than €10
€€ Up to €20
€€€ Up to €50
€€€€ More than 50 €
*You can find the 2018 Gastronomic and Wine Guide in a digital version for your devices, at Manzana , Zinium Y google play .