As always, I rely upon CallCarlos for tips in the area since I never get to spend enough time in the Costa Brava. So I’m handing it over to them.
I love the beach at Palamos and San Antoni, and I really would love to try the Xirinquito at St. Marti de Empuries seen below.
One of the joys of life in Spain during the summer months must surely be having a drink or a bite to eat in those lovely open air beach bars known as chiringuitos. But did you know, the word chiringuito (xiringuito in Catalan) originated on 19th century sugar-cane plantations in Cuba?
The first xiringuitos
When the sugar cane workers stopped for a break, they would typically have a coffee drink they called a chiringo, the diminutive of which is chiringuito. They would erect a basic structure with the long sugar canes as poles and use the leaves to fashion a simple roof to provide shelter from the baking sun, and over time the word chiringuito came to mean a basic type of outdoor bar.
Well that’s one story anyway.. Another version claims that today’s beach bars take their name from a drinks kiosk that was once to be found on Paseo de Colón in Barcelona city and that the word “chiringuito” derives from rum and not from coffee. Who knows, maybe the kiosk in Barcelona got its name from the Cuban sugar plantations too and both stories are partly true?
What is not disputed is that the first xiringuito beach bar in Spain opened in 1913 on Platja de Ribera in Sitges, Catalunya, and nowadays they can be found on almost every beach in the country during the summer months. They are licensed to operate from around March or April (depending on Easter) until the end of October. Some open earlier or shut down later than others, but when the season is done, they are all dismantled and removed until the following year.
What better spot for lunch?
Looks can be deceiving because, despite their basic appearance, many xiringuitos have fully equipped kitchens and turn out some surprisingly good food, particularly seafood. Some are better than others though, so the following are just a few of the better ones that we know and recommend. They’re not in order of preference but rather from north to south along the coast. There are undoubtedly others that deserve a mention, but we haven’t managed to visit every Costa Brava xiringuito – yet!
Chiringuito Olivia; St Martí de Empuries
The charming little village of Sant Martí de Empuries, just north of L’Escala, is the summer home of this very creative xiringuito that’d be hard to beat for its food. The menu is very varied with some quite exotic dishes, and if you’re not sure what to order just ask the very friendly staff. They’re very multilingual so communication shouldn’t be a problem. If you’ve been exploring the Greco-Roman ruins at Empuries this is the perfect place to have lunch after as it’s only about an 10 minute walk away.
Chiringuito Olivia on Platja d’Empúries at Sant Martí
Delicious food, a few drinks and good company at Chiringuito Olivia
Xiringuito Rocanegra; La Fosca
Situated in the gorgeous little bay of La Fosca, Xiringuito Rocanegra also does some very nice and not over-priced food and is a perfect place to spend a few hours people-watching and taking in the beautiful vistas. The staff here are very friendly and speak (at least) English and French, and if the setting wasn’t idyllic enough already, there are also the ruins of the Castell de Sant Esteve at one end of the bay to further add to the charm. One could happily spend hours here!
L’Onada Txiringuito; Palamós
Run by a family with origins in Navarra/Basque Country (hence the different spelling) L’Onada is to be found on the main beach in Palamós. L’Onada is Catalan for “the wave” and you can expect some positives waves here. And if seafood is your thing then this is the xiringuito for you! One of the drawbacks with most xiringuitos is that they normally only have one type of beer available but this place also has bottles of IPA as well as the usual lager, and they also have some very nice wines and do a very easy-to-drink vermut. There is a piano here too and they occasionally put on some live entertainment, and if you play yourself feel free to bang out a few tunes!
Sun, sea, sand, sardines – and a few vermuts at L’Onada xiringuito in Palamós
Xiringuito Blue Fish; Sant Antoni de Calonge
While most of the xiringuitos are on social media sites such as Facebook and Instagram, Blue Fish on Torre Valentina beach in Sant Antoni has its own website where you can check out their menu in Catalan, Spanish, French and English. As well as all the typical beach-bar food, you can also order a 700 gramme xuletón steak here if you’re really hungry after your day on the beach. They also have a kiddies menu to keep your little darlings quiet while you tuck into your steak!
Blue Fish xiringuito just off the Passeig de Mar at Torre Valentina
Xiringuito Cala Cap Roig
Another xiringuito located in an absolutely gorgeous setting (officially within the municipality of Calonge, but actually closer to Platja d’Aro) this is a lovely place to stop for refreshment if, for example, you’re walking the Camino de Ronda – but be careful, the food is top notch and you could easily lose track of time here and end up never finishing your walk. If you arrive at lunchtime you may have to wait for a table, but you can always order a beer to enjoy on the beach so it’s not exactly a hardship!
Xiringuito Cala Cap Roig in the beautiful setting of the cove whose name it bears
Platja Sa Conca; S’Agaro
On this beach you get two for the price of one. We’re including the two xiringuitos on Platja Sa Conca not because they’re particularly exceptional but rather because of their location on this beautiful beach – definitely one of our Top Ten Beaches of the Baix Empordà. Despite the fact that there are two of them, these xiringuitos are usually very busy and reservations are recommended if you intend to have lunch at either one of them.
These are just a small selection of some of the better xiringuitos that we know along the Baix Empordà coast. Of course there are many others and as we discover more of the good ones we will continue to add them to this list. If you know of a xiringuito that you think deserves a mention, feel free to contact us and let us know.
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