Best Restaurants in Catalonia: Els Tinars

Today I’m transporting you to the beautiful countryside of Catalonia in Spain to share a fantastic dinner at Michelin-starred Els Tinars. This welcoming restaurant serves inventive Catalan cuisine in the elegant surrounds of a fully renovated Catalan farmhouse. It’s a family-owned business run by the third generation of the Gascons Lloveres – Palagos Verges family, whose passion for food began in 1918 with a local bakery. Els Tinars opened in 1978, serving Catalan delights with a focus on seasonal local ingredients. We went for the degustation menu – seven fabulous courses to savour.

But before we got down to the business of degustation, we had to enjoy some local dips and charcuterie. Naturally. This delicious tomato spread is ubiquitous in Catalonia – irresistible too. Especially for tomato lovers like me. And you can’t beat a bit of Spanish charcuterie.

The first course came as three different fish dishes. A Gilda is traditionally a pepper, olive and anchovy skewer – one of the best-known pintxos from the Basque Country. Today the Catalan Gilda came with a few additions – anchovy, cod, piparra, olives and tomato on a dainty little piece of bread. Heaven.

Succulent pieces of red tuna come with the juice of green olive oil and tomato confit tartare. And doesn’t it look stunning?

And finally, a delightful little heap of finely diced tuna belly combined with Iberian bacon. Now that’s a brilliant foodie match.

Here’s a look at the plates as they were delivered to our table. What an incredible start to the meal.

Next up, it was a genuinely exotic combination. Crispy pigs trotter served with Norway lobster tartare, lobster, spicy romesco sauce and herb aioli. A great mix of textures with the crunchiness of the pig’s trotters and the luscious lobster, ideal with the spicy romesco flavours. Never have pigs trotters tasted so surprisingly good.

This could have been my favourite dish of all – and it’s vegetarian. What a revelation. Charcoal-grilled organic vegetables, sprouts and stalks come with creamy pesto rice. Again such fabulous presentation.

Okay, now I have to admit that I got somewhat distracted by this stage. I was eating with a big group of people I had recently met on a press trip to the nearby Hostal de la Gavina (more of which later). I clean forgot to take pictures of the following two courses. A delicious plate of charcoal-grilled turbot and clams and then marinated, grilled Bresse pigeon. Apologies, we were having a deep and meaningful conversation; what can I say. However, they were delicious.

I did remember to get the camera out again for this fantastic pudding. Maresme strawberries, juice, pepper, vanilla and smoked milk ice cream. My first encounter with smoked milk ice cream, and I hope. not my last. Delicious.