If you went to Spain this summer, you probably sampled a lot of great food. But it’s unlikely you got to visit El Celler de Can Roca, one of Spain’s most famous restaurants by the world-renowned Roca brothers, where wait lists are often longer than a year.
But we’ve got some good news. The brothers have just opened a brand-new affordable spot in Girona where you can get a next day booking – and it’s all about tapas. Vii, which pays homage to Bar Roca, the restaurant and tapas bar owned by Joan, Josep and Jordi’s parents, is the latest venture by the three bros, and it promises to be cheaper and more accessible than their flagship restaurant, but just as delicious.
The kitchen draws inspiration from Bar Roca as it was in the 1970s, as well as traditional Catalan classics, and focuses on natural wine. Audrey Doré, head sommelier at El Celler de Can Roca, is the restaurant’s director, and the head chef is David Freijomil, who also headed the kitchen during the previous incarnation of the bar.
The menu has been designed with wine in mind, and ranges from confits and pickles to hearty Catalan stews, as well as flatbreads and sandwiches. Most of the dishes have a signature touch that elevates them above a standard tapas bar’s offering: this is a Roca brothers venture, after all.
Vegetables are sourced from the gardens of Mas Marroch, El Celler de Can Roca’s event venue, and amongst the impressive selection of sandwiches and flatbreads, the mollette (an Andalusian roll) with sherry doused kidneys and coca de pan (a Catalan flatbread) served with black pepper bacon and Idiazábal cheese really stand out. The price is exceptional too, at around €20 per person, excluding wine.
Hungry?
If you’re after some more Spain food inspo, here’s the best tapas bars in Barcelona, the best restaurants in Barcelona and the city’s best bars. Oh, and here are the best places to visit in Spain and the most underrated cities.
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