Your Guide to Begur, Spain

Trozo de Oso – This is the kind of restaurant you hope to find in every city you encounter. The small menu features a few things that seem interesting, and the rest are dishes that leave you wondering what you’ll be receiving. That’s the whole fun of dining out. It’s an adventure with that second of apprehension that turns into the most surprising dish or best conversation derived from being open and present. We enjoyed the traditional Gildas; Raw Salt Cod with Prawn and Almond; Cured Sea Bream with Gilda Emulsion and Cantabrian; an extra sweet tomato and peach salad that I ate all by myself; Steak Tartare; and the most fascinating of all: Osmosed Melon with Calabrian Anchovy, Cucumber, and Green Curry ICE CREAM. Yes, there was ice cream on this savory dish. It was unlike anything I’ve ever had, but also so comforting with its green curry flavors. Lastly, we ended with Pistachio Gelato, which is actually the first pistachio-flavored ice cream I’ve ever had that truly tastes like real pistachios.

Toc al Mar – Food always tastes better when you’ve hiked to beautiful views and through tunnels to eat it. In our case, we even went through the beach! You need a reservation if you want to sit outside at this beach-side restaurant. In fact, we ended up swimming a little too long so we were late for our reservation and had to sit inside. This was ultimately a blessing for us because we were so hot and loved a little AC. We ate the BEST Tuna Tartare of the whole trip. With huge pieces of fish and some sort of soy flavoring, it made my tuna dreams come true. We also got the best croquettes we had in Spain, stuffed with shrimp and not as creamy as others that often taste too much like mashed potatoes. We also tried the octopus because we were not looking for huge entrees at this point of the day, but, if you ever go, please try the paella for me. It looked stupendous!!

Clara – This restaurant reminded me of Chiltern Firehouse in London due to its red wine-colored walls and half-outdoor, half-indoor intimate space that’s located beneath a boutique hotel. This is the place to see the most hip people in town. I love that the restaurants in Begur serve actual small plates that feel both light and filling at the same time. We really over did it here because everything looked so good. My favorite dishes were the Steak Tartare, the Lazy Omelet (a Spanish tortilla with confit leek and parmesan), Stracciatella Agnolotti with lemon-anchovy sauce, Chocolate Cake with Hazelnut Ice Cream, plus the Rose Lemonade. Also, the Pan con Tomate is worth ordering here and everywhere in this country. We tried the famous Octopus Brioche with coleslaw and spicy mayo, which was basically an octopus hot dog that I thought was a bit over-cooked.

Madame Pizza – This was our first meal the night we arrived. As the sun was slowly setting, we sat right off the beach at this cool pizza spot that offered salads and red and white pies while the World Cup game played on TV. Everyone around us felt like locals that were either watching the game or smoking a cigarette after enjoying their pizza. The pizzas are thin and crackery, and you could probably eat a whole one yourself. We tried three different variations because they all sounded so good. I liked the Arugula Salad with figs and tomatoes and preferred the Stracciatella Pizza over the Burrata Pizza!

Bar de Plaça – This feels like Begur’s town hall. It’s the restaurant and bar right in the middle of the village where the markets happen, but it’s also just very inviting based on how it opens up. They serve sandwiches for lunch, drinks all day (try a Clara – a beer with lemonade), and then they reopen at 7 p.m. with a larger menu. We had a quick Steak Tartare and Tuna Tartare with avocado and chunky sea salt. You’ll see that’s a popular order for us! All the tartares in this town are SO good and very fresh.

Ocasia Wine Bar – This is the best wine bar in town, and it only opened a few months before we arrived. Settled up on a rooftop with gorgeous green tiled tables that contrast with the muted royal blue floors and wall, the bar even boasts a view of the castle in one area. It’s the perfect place to feel a little more modern and enjoy their daily wine offerings. We also happened to love the fresh bread, cheese, and the real stand out was the giant half tomato seasoned perfectly with a giant fork in the center. I LOVED this plating, and it was so juicy and delicious with the wine and bread and homemade spicy pickles.

Aiguafreda – We took about a 30-minute hike down from Begur’s city center through the streets to the dirt roads and hit this rocky beach by 10 a.m. It was crystal clear, with only a few souls around at this time. I love that you could skip the sand and just walk right into the t

Sa Tuna – After visiting Aiguafreda, we hiked about 10 more minutes to this next beach that looked straight out of Greece. Think white buildings, blue borders, boats docked right outside a couple restaurants, and people on the sand with their colorful umbrellas up and bodies in the water!

We stayed in Amy’s stone house, which sits a few steps off of the center of town so it’s close to everything. On our last night, we wanted to check out the local seven-room boutique hotel, La Bionda. I appreciated the original mosaic-looking tile in the room we stayed in, and the lobby is super modern. From fresh juices to eggs, yogurt, fresh fruits, and croissants, their a la carte breakfast that is included every morning is delectable! The outdoor patio really inspired me to fix my backyard and try to emulate theirs. They are also known for their facials so check those out if you visit, too!