If you want to treat yourself to something special on the Costa Brava, Hostal d'Empúries is hard to beat for sheer setting. Perched on the coastline between L'Escala and the ancient village of St Martí d'Empúries, it occupies a privileged spot on the Passeig Dr Pi i Llussa with sweeping views across the Bay of Roses.

This isn't your average seaside chiringuito. The Hostal d'Empúries is a 4-star hotel with an adjoining spa complex, and the restaurant reflects that level of ambition. The terrace alone is worth the visit — dining with the Mediterranean stretching out before you as the sun dips towards the Cap de Creus.

Dinner on the Terrace

We visited for an evening meal, four of us, and it was a proper splurge. The menu leans towards contemporary Catalan cuisine with a fine-dining presentation. Fresh seafood features heavily, as you'd expect, but it's prepared with a lightness and creativity that elevates it beyond the standard Costa Brava fare.

With cocktails and wine, the bill for four came to around €300. That's fine dining prices, no question. But the combination of food quality, setting, and service makes it feel justified. This is a special occasion restaurant, and it delivers on that promise.

Breakfast at the Hostal

If dinner is a splurge, breakfast is the real insider tip. The continental breakfast buffet runs from 8am to 11am and costs €23 per person. For that you get an extensive spread of pastries, fresh fruit, cured meats, cheeses, and — this being Catalonia — Cava. Yes, sparkling wine with breakfast. When in Rome.

Hot dishes are available too, including eggs benedict with your choice of bacon or salmon. Sit on the terrace with a coffee and a glass of Cava, looking out over the bay, and you'll wonder why you ever bothered with hotel breakfasts anywhere else.

The location is also perfect if you're visiting the nearby Greek and Roman ruins of Empúries — one of the most important archaeological sites in Catalonia. Combine a morning at the ruins with a long breakfast on the terrace and you've got yourself a perfect Costa Brava day.