Casual restaurant option in Girona from 3 Michelin starred the Roca Brothers

Restaurant Normal is the more casual option from the same brothers that masterminded and run the fabled El Celler de Can Roca. Whereas the latter is 3 Michelin starred, very expensive, hard to get in to and in the suburbs of Girona, Normal is more in the centre of Girona and offers good value dishes done very well. Unsurprisingly it was fully booked on all days of my visit to Girona, but they do have four places at a counter for walk-ins, which, although puts you staring at a wall, was worth it in spades to gain some lovely offerings for the price range and easy feel. It was actually even better to meet others at the same counter and is more social as a result.

I had to order the ham croquettes which had a very thin breadcrumb coating and beautiful béchamel interior. My main of fillet of Wellington with Cafe Paris sauce and apricot was an absolute bargain for €33 and was superbly done with wonderful, Galician beef I could have cut with a spoon (lovely, surprise combination with the apricot) in wonderful pastry. The Sacha omelette with sliced red prawn carpaccio and its juices was also superb – deep crustacean flavour on top of a wonderfully thin omelette.

I would go back here in a heartbeat and the tragedy being, probably sooner than I would the 3 star flagship (mainly on return for price). There is one last venue that is owned by the family Roca and is where the original site of the flagship restaurant, which is now an even more casual option, looked after by the mother of the family. I will try this as soon as back in Girona.

Food grade: 77%