Address: Carrer de Sant Antoni, 17488 Cadaqués, Girona, Spain
Website: restaurantesbalconet.com
Casa Dionis
Casa Dionis only opened at the start of the summer, but it’s become a local hotspot. If you’re in the mood for a proper tapas bar experience, this is the place to book. While its high-spec, modern interiors and eye-catching signage give it great kerb appeal (picture green tiles, exposed brickwork, curved bistro chairs), it’s the food that keeps diners coming back. Alongside excellent local wines and vermouths, the kitchen serves up glossy, green gildas, bowls of freshly caught clams, enticing slivers of Iberico ham, fat grilled padron peppers, and crudo with local tomatoes.
Address: Carrer Miquel Rosset, 17488 Cadaqués, Girona, Spain
Website: Instagram
Celeste
Step over the boldly coloured tiles and through the Klein-blue doors to enter Celeste, an Italian restaurant that makes the most of its historic building, which appears almost cave-like from the outside. The space might be dark and atmospheric, but the food is bright and bold. Menu hits could include the likes of octopus salad, bresaola or smoked tuna carpaccio, followed by octopus tagliatelle or spaghetti vongole. On the pudding front, the tiramisu is a must-order. It’s also worth noting that Celeste is a cash-only establishment – there’s no website or phone number to find out this information.
Address: Carrer Nou, 17488 Cadaqués, Girona, Spain
Brown Sugar
Brown Sugar is many things, all of them excellent. Down some hidden steps, not far from the huge church that dominates the Cadaqués skyline, it’s open from 10am until 2.30am, serving everything from coffees, smoothies and juices by day to tropical cocktails and natural wines by night. Its menu focuses on vegetarian and vegan dishes (most are also gluten-free and free of refined sugar), right down to its afternoon cakes. Come nighttime, expect a rotating roster of live music.
Address: Carrer Vigilant, 17488 Cadaqués, Girona, Spain
Website: Instagram
Villa Salvador© EMMA OVIN
The best hotels in Cadaqués
Can Set
If you stay at design-focused Can Set, try to book one of the two front-facing bedrooms. Right on the seafront, these suites feature juliet balconies that overlook the bay and the glittering sea beyond – throw open the windows as soon as you wake up. These rooms come with Rosa Ligne-style beanbags and sofas, so you can relax into mornings, soaking in the views with a coffee and book in hand. We also appreciated the big double sinks, luxe Mid/night bath products, and the branded Can Set beach towels, which could be easily thrown into a bag for each day’s exploration. On the ground floor, there’s a lively all-day bar and restaurant (see above) which spills out onto the patio. It’s worth noting that, while this is a lovely property in the perfect location, it’s pricy for what you get in high season – and breakfast isn’t included. Doubles from Rs15,500.
Casa Nereta
This relatively new hotel is tucked at the top of one of Cadaqués’s cobbled hills in the former home of the artist Joan Ponç. Now looked after by Ponç’s family, Casa Nereta is a ‘lifestyle hotel’ that puts as much focus on its residencies, DJ nights and homewares-filled shop as it does its bedrooms. The beautiful communal space is filled with modern art and design books, and is a serene space for breakfast and its range of Danish coffee. Bedrooms feature custom-made beds, Gaudi-inspired door hooks and handles, and nice touches such as Transparent music systems, Frama bath products and original design details like curved, wavy ceilings. Down in Bistro Nereta, we enjoyed excellent Mexican dishes thanks to a menu takeover by Madrid hotspot Gaston, and the hotel’s two pretty courtyards were great places to relax after a day’s hiking in Cap de Creus. Doubles from Rs36,000.
Villa Salvador
On the peninsula that divides Cadaqués from Portlligat, you’ll find the adults-only hotel Villa Salvador. The property leans into its name, with a statue of Dali greeting you upon arrival, and subtle nods to his artwork scattered throughout the place. The hotel makes the most of its coastal location (it’s between Pere Fet and Ros beaches) with a saltwater swimming pool accented by a Casa Dali-inspired egg sculpture. All bedrooms feature a terrace or balcony overlooking the garden and pool, and there are apartments available for four and eight persons for larger groups. Elsewhere, there’s a small spa and a tapas restaurant, and the team is on hand to organise everything from boat tours to Ami Buggy hire and tickets for Dali’s house. Doubles from Rs18,500.
First published on CNT UK
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