Figueres

Restaurant at Hotel Emborda, Figueres

Chef & Owner Jaume Subirós

Lunch in Figueres was probably one of the best tasting and most memorable meals of my trip. My Spain travel book only listed one restaurant in Figueres, so I headed straight to it after visiting the Dali Museum. I had the address assuming it would be right in the center of the small town. I was wrong. I ended up walking what seemed like a mile down the side of a highway searching for a hotel sign or some indication of a restaurant nearby. I was thrilled when I finally passed one reading Emborda .5 km straight ahead. The hotel's exterior right off the main road was nothing exciting, but then views behind were incredible. The dining room had windows floor to ceiling in the back and a terrace on the side for large groups. I hadn't planned on such a heavy lunch, but the menu offered a set three course option so I went for it. Before my first course they served me a tasting of creamy artichoke soup. I started with a salad with strawberries, apple, and black truffles. I had steak with onion confit as my main, then tarte tatin with granny smith apple sorbet. 

After my meal, the chef came out and introduced himself and asked me questions including, "Are you a journalist?" I guess they wondered why I was taking pictures and such. I made the mistake of saying I speak both a little Spanish and French. He took that for more than it was worth. Unfortunately for me I didn't understand a word when he spoke to me in a combination of both languages with Catalan thrown in too. He took me up a few stories in the hotel and showed me the balcony in one of the rooms. The panoramic view was stunning. 

Other restaurants I recommend in Barcelona:
1. Tapioles 53 - small 6 table dining room, excellent food and service
2. Comerç 24 - trendy tapas, El Born
3. Enoteca - total splurge, Hotel Arts
4. Organic - healthy and inexpensive, near la Rambla