Fonda Xesc

At Fonda Xesc they work with seasonal ingredients to create Catalan dishes. The chef, Francesc, started learning his trade with his mother at this 'fonda' (a traditional Catalan inn and restaurant), and some of the dishes they cooked together back then are still on the menu, 25 years later, such as the delicious rabbit with langoustines. Such 'mar i muntanya' (surf and turf) creations are a house speciality - they also make pig's trotters with 'sobrassada' (spicy spreading sausage from Mallorca) and sea cucumbers, and peas and wild asparagus with fish of the day and the juices of roasted meat. When it comes to cooking, they have three basic tenets: minimal cooking, cooking to order, and simplicity. It's a formula that has been deserving of a Michelin star since 2009 and that's also applied to creations such as rice with spinach and truffle, artichokes with bacon, coriander and garlic, and, for dessert, dark chocolate with liquorice and eucalyptus (typical to the area).