The daily fixed price lunch menu is one of Spain’s better inventions and still going strong. Post-covid and adding in recent rises in inflation, it’s no surprise that today the price range seems to be between 15 – 20 euros, more at the weekends.
Considering it includes 3 home-cooked courses, bread and a single drink, it’s still good value. Some restaurants even place a whole bottle of wine on the table and dont mind how much you consume. Portion amounts and food quality do vary of course.
Ever curious in seeking new places to dine in, we found ourselves aimlessly wandering through L’ Escala’s fishing village (nucli antic). It’s about 1pm and not our usual time for lunch, we prefer a bit later. But we’ve just successfully concluded a visit to the local town hall (ajuntament). It was a minor matter but there’s no telling how such visits turn out. The ever presence of ‘la ley de falta uno´ hangs over you like the sword of Damocles.. That’s the law of one thing missing and constantly haunts you, even when you double check what you need to take with you.
It can be something entirely trivial, as when I got caught out with passport photos that for this particular finicky functionary were the wrong size. This is bite your lip territory.
Anyway, a fine lunch and a glass of vino can help soothe tempers.
Our careless haphazard approach brought us to the doors of EL Gotim, a generous few blocks from any beach eateries.. The daily menus are normally well displayed with prices, and in touristy locations like L’ Escala many are translated into English and French. Their lunch is 20 € and we enter, their first lunchtime customers.
The interior dining area is a long narrow bare stone arched affair with well spaced tables. Today’s offering has a choice of four starters (primers) such as;
Amanida de mango amb ametlla laminada (mango salad with laminated almonds)
Perbrots de piquillo farcits de brandada amb beixamel désparrecs (brandade stuffed peppers with asparagus bechamel sauce).
Seconds (segons) also has four choices, eg;
Melos de vedella (beef stew in a ratafia sauce)
Arros el Gotim (rice EL Gotim style, min. 2 people)
We both chose the stuffed peppers and mango salad for starters (photo below) and for seconds we both had the spinach cannelloni (canelones déspinacs). A well managed timely space between starters and main is something I like and they didn’t disappoint. Portions sizes are just right and the quality shines through. As we tuck into our seconds the place is filling up quickly.
Sadly, I often find the dessert options fairly predictable and at times a disappointing drop in quality after a good result with starters and mains. It’s like all the effort has gone into the main presentation and the final last bit lets it down. But, I’m a sucker for cheesecake (pastis de formatge) and this one bucked the trend and won the day.
Their menu includes a glass of wine or a mineral water, so if you do want to finish with a coffee, you could get away without forking out more than 50€ for two. I liked the place, the food , service and will return. El Gotim offers tasty, presentable, delicious Catalan dishes that are delightfully different.
Restaurant El Gotim, Carrer Puig Sureda, 18, 17130 L’Escala
