How to eat well and top up your energy after an exhausting day of skiing in the Catalonia Pyrenees.
There are many gastronomic pleasures to be discovered in the Catalan Pyrenees. Here is the interpretation for these three: girella is a typical sausage from the Pallars region; palpis is a stuffed deboned leg of lamb, daines are biscuits filled with aromatic herbs that make you swoon with pleasure. If you are planning to ski in Port Ainé, Espot or Tavascan, you can allow yourself a stop along the route, pamper yourself a bit and show off your culinary knowledge back in the office.
The nocturnal skiing offer of Masella is now consolidated, but that doesn’t mean it has ceased to draw attention to itself. Take note: this season the domain for night-time skiing opens on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. And after skiing down the 13 illuminated slopes, regale yourself with a dinner of typical mountain products in Pla de Masella restaurant or drink a well-earned gin & tonic in their chill-out zone. Incidentally, if your intention is to stay for dinner, better book ahead.
The Niu de l’Àliga (Eagle’s Nest) refuge provides the best views of the Cerdanya valley. The La Molina building is located at 2,537 metres; to access it you will have to ride the chairlift and walk for the last section. The effort is well worth it, both for the panoramic views and for the food. If you book ahead you can even have supper there and spend the night. If you are up early next morning, wrap yourself around a hot cup of coffee and enjoy the sunrise. The natural spectacle of watching the summits slowly change colour is quite breathtaking.
You don’t need to leave the Vall de Núria resort to find a restaurant that unleashes your inner foodie. It’s called El Racó de la Vall, a small and elegant eatery where you will enjoy the most select cuisine in the Vall de Núria valley.
La Borda Lobato restaurant in Baqueira Beret offers a menu based on traditional Aranese barbecues and cuisine.
Right next to the restaurant, with the mythical Montarto Hotel at its centre, you have an area for après-ski dining and fun. There is the Baqueira Wine Bar by Vinya Pomal, a modern restaurant with a cellar well stocked with designation-of-origin wines from around Spain. But there’s more.
On the ground floor of the Montarto Hotel is the Drinkery Montarto, a music bar for enlivening the après-ski scene. Because they open at 3 in the afternoon, you can almost stop by for the first drink before you shower.
Is skiing and fine dining compatible? It is in the Catalan Pyrenees.
The cover image is of 5J Restaurant in Baqueira Beret.
