Masnou

I think I have found a new joint favorite restaurant in Catalonia! Masnou is set in a beautiful if not slightly out of the way location just outside the small village of Santa Pau near the town of Olot. It is owned and operated by members of a charming family who share in the cooking and serving of the food. This is not the overly fancy Michelin-​style food on offer at some of the other top restaurants in the region but is instead some of the best prepared and heartfelt Catalan mountain food I have had the pleasure of tasting.
We were looked after by David, the extremely friendly, caring and helpful son of the boss (who we simply knew as «Mama»). He is of El Cellar de Can Roca stock, having worked there before starting Masnou with his family, and is clearly very knowledgeable and passionate about his restaurant and their food, as well as Catalan cuisine in general. In fact, the restaurant was mentioned by one of the Roca brothers in a recent newspaper interview, which is how we found it in the first place.
David suggested that we try mini portions of a selection of starters so that we could taste all the different sides of Catalan cooking reflected in their menu. Taking our dietary restrictions into account without batting an eyelid, we were served the most wonderful selection of nibbles from the simple yet unbelievably tasty (tomato and onion salad, salad of local beans from Santa Pau) to the more intricate and refined (a unique foie gras preparation, the likes of which I’ve never had before, and some unbelievably light cod fritters, which were not at all oily and did not overpower the sweet cod meat with batter flavour). The starters were finished off with a palette cleansing spoonful of a frozen mojito sorbet, which set us up beautifully for the main courses.
Mains were more hearty, with highlights including two different preparations of duck (with orange or with pear), oven-​roasted lamb shoulder, veal with a rich sauce made of local forrest mushrooms, beef cheeks served with a powerful onion reduction and onion confit and, the night we went, a special chicken preparation made with a tasty combinations of local herbs and spices. I’m not normally one for ordering chicken at a restaurant (it is often dull and too dry), but this was superb! There were some very nice sounding fish dishes on offer as well including tuna, cod and sea bass, but no one on our table tried any of them, so I can’t comment on their quality, though I’d imagine it to be extremely high based on the standard of the rest of the food.
I’m not sure if there was a wine list or not, but we said that we wanted to order wine and were just brought a local bottle. Not that we had any cause for complaint though, as while it may not have been the finest wine I’ve ever tasted, it was good and complimented the meal extremely well. We were also served some local muscat with desert, which was a nice touch.
Overall, this was one of the best meals I’ve enjoyed in Catalonia with the overall experience (food, setting, service, etc.) being just right and full of charm and authenticity. It is also by far the best value meal I’ve had, with the full meal, including desert (which was also very tasty) and wine, coming in at just over € 30/​head. They could probably charge double that and I’d still happily pay it, but somehow I get the impression that they are more interested in producing great food than in squeezing diners for every penny they can. I suspect that the prices are also aimed at their majority clientele, who are either locals from the surrounding towns and villages or regional visitors from as far away as Girona and Barcelona. Few tourists have yet to discover this true gem.
A few things to note. The interior of the restaurant is simple and cozy, with checkered table cloths and basic rustic décor. Do not be put off! The menu is available in Catalan or English (no Castellano here!). The descriptions on the English menu are a little basic sounding and one or two dishes have been left off. Again, do not be put off! You will not be disappointed with your food and if anyone in your group is able to read the Catalan menu, definitely get one as it will help a lot. The restaurant is not in Santa Pau itself but just outside it. Take the GI-​524 to Santa Pau from Olot and look out for the sign to the restaurant, which is under a much bigger and more colourful sign for «Camping Ecológic Lava» (the turnoff will be on the left a few km outside of Olot).