There’s no shortage of places to eat in this sedate seaside town and understandably many cater for the visitors and tourists alike. Cuisine-wise it’s a typical Spanish/ Catalan affair with what you might expect when visiting this part of Spain. Don’t expect to be wowed or tempted by anything different that you might have expected to find in a big city.
Which reminds me of a poster´s wording I once saw in Girona a few years ago during more contentious times. ´Catalonia is not Spain’, a reference to this region’s strong independence movement. There’s certainly more than a grain of truth in that, as you’d find out for yourself if you’d spent a lot of time living and/or working here.
It’s a subject that evokes a lot of differing opinions and emotions. I try to avoid it, especially with Catalan friends. I’m sympathetic, a listener, happy to sit on the fence on this one.
Anyway, maybe not the time and place for a food review. Restaurant La Mod has a commanding sea view just a stone’s throw from nearby Riells beach. It sits below an apartment block, strung out amid other adjoining bars and offices. They all have a handful of outdoor tables each, but today it’s raining so we plump for indoors.
It’s not our first time here, we’re attracted back as a result of their welcoming nature to dogs, and humans of course. These over the top dog friendly owners are aways cock a hoop to see our two canine companions. That makes our visit less stressful and we can enjoy our stay almost forgetful that they’re with us.
At this point I should mention the eclectic nature of the interior wall decorations. Where do I start? It looks like someones been to one too many flea markets arbitrarily buying all and sundry. And then sticking it all up on the wall. Your eye wanders from what looks like a mixture of African tribal masks to more mundane dumpster diving artefacts.
Glancing upwards the bare concrete ceiling is a disappointing unfinished afterthought, maybe money saved during its formation. I should be more forgiving.
Maybe I’m being a tad unkind as the rest of the interior, roomy tables well spaced and background music is perfectly acceptable. Billed as a jazz bar it does have a singular lonely looking piano and music posters of various well known jazz artists.
Once we’d wrestled the smiley waitress away from our two furry friends we were ready to order. The food menu appears to have changed slightly from our last visit. We often go for shared plates as our starters and then choose a main. This time, for my main course I chose a Thai chicken curry with rice.
Curries over here are not the same as what I’m used to back in the UK. Generally they seem to lack the depth of flavour we get back home, and locals tend to prefer a much milder version of what passes for mild in blighty. However, I’m not going to judge today’s offering and I get a pleasingly tasteful attempt.
Desserts wise I’m happy to try a morsel of someone else’s choice as I’m usually full by this time. I’d need to be offered something truly exceptional to twist my arm, so happy to watch.
We end up happily fed and the house red wine (10€ / bottle) has worked its magic, to finish we were offered a shot of our choice, on the house.
Verdict. If you can tear yourself away from the makes no sense wall decor and just stare elsewhere like the vibrant blue sea, and enjoy the food, plus caring service, then you’ve walked into the equivalent of a welcoming comfy lounge room.
