El Jovent

Quality primary material that's freshly cooked - this is the magic formula of El Jovent in Colera. They work with fresh ingredients in their natural state, and use traditional recipes. They're well-known for their rice dishes, which are the speciality of the house - the mixed paella is the most requested but they also make one with fish, and another with wild mushrooms with cod. They salt their own anchovies. The fried calamari are also their own, and for the monkfish stew, they follow the old-school style with garlic mayonnaise and 'picada' (a traditional Catalan base for stews made by crushing ingredients in a mortar to create a sauce). The grilled vegetables ('escalivada') are made over a wood fire, and the meat is slow cooked in dishes such as pork cheeks with raisins and pine nuts. They also create seasonal menus in line with the time of year - you might find jugged wild boar, wild mushroom cannelloni, beans with anchovies and almond sauce. Finally don't miss the extensive range of wines from the Empordà region.