Restaurant “Cal Carter”

It's a Catalan classic restaurant. In this amazing place of the Bages region, you'll find excellent product, handled with care and impeccably prepared. I've been many times over the years and it has never disappointed. The service has always been superb, and each visit has been a very satisfying gastronomic experience. That said, on recent occasions, I've had the feeling that the prices have gone up quite a bit.

The space is wide, comfortable, and very cozy. They've maintained a good distance between the tables, a detail I particularly appreciate because it allows you to enjoy your meal in privacy. The combination of modern furniture with wooden beams and stone walls creates a warm, elegant, and charming atmosphere.

The Perich family founded Cal Carter in 1964. Today, the third generation continues the spirit of their grandparents, making the restaurant an essential meeting point for food lovers.

Type: as they say, they offer Catalan cuisine where local produce is the star, with a modern and contemporary approach.

• Mushrooms with Mura sausage and bacon - The golden, juicy sausages are accompanied by a generous assortment of seasonal mushrooms, sautéed to perfection to retain their full aroma. The dish is finished with crispy bacon cubes, providing a textural counterpoint and an intense flavor that perfectly complements the mushrooms' richness. All of this, drizzled with the cooking juices, makes for an autumnal dish that speaks of quality ingredients, tradition, and comfort.
• Mushrooms with scallops and pine nuts - A dish that celebrates the art of simple, well-understood flavors. The porcini mushrooms, fleshy and full of nuances, are the stars of the show, accompanied by scallops that add intensity and a touch of crunch. The lightly toasted pine nuts add a delicate texture and a subtle hint of nuts that completes the dish. All of this is bathed in a concentrated, flavorful sauce that makes you want to devour every last drop. An elegant dish that proves that when the ingredients are excellent, nothing more is needed.
• Spinach from the Arnaules with Can Rovira's homemade sausage and llanegas - Very good; but I prefer the first two!
• "Mar y montaña" of pig's trotters in the Pierre Koffman style with prawns - Delicious, flavorful, and full of character. Each bite combines textures and flavors in perfect balance: the creamy gelatin of the pig's trotter, the delicacy of the prawn, the crispness of the shell, and the potency of a sauce that captures the very essence of the sea and the mountains.
• Premium grilled picanha with Café de Paris sauce - A good picanha doesn't need much embellishment, but when paired with a good Café de Paris sauce, the result is elevated to another level. The tender, juicy, and flavorful meat melts into an intense, rich, and nuanced sauce, where butter, herbs, and spices create an utterly addictive combination. The crispy mushrooms that crown the dish provide a contrast of textures and a subtle hint of forest, perfectly rounding out an elegant and beautifully balanced offering.
• Dry rice with pork chop from Avignon and squid - One of the tastiest rice dishes I've ever tasted!
• Tocino de cielo with figs - I touched heaven! Great mix of ingredients.
• Hazelnut cake - Delicious.

Before sitting down to your meal, I recommend a stop at the spectacular Tines de la Vall del Flequer. This collection of dry-stone structures, unique in Catalonia, is an exceptional testament to the winemaking past of the Bages region and offers a glimpse into how wine was made right in the vineyard over a century ago. The route is easy, very pleasant, and winds through stunning natural surroundings, making it the perfect prelude to a delicious meal at Cal Carter. A truly exceptional combination: a stroll through history and nature before enjoying one of the most iconic restaurants in the region.

And if you want to make your getaway even better, the best option is to extend it by one night. I recommend staying at La Garriga de Castelladral, a haven of tranquility surrounded by nature where time seems to stand still. It's the ideal place to disconnect, enjoy the silence, and put the finishing touch on a day of fine dining, heritage, and the landscapes of the Bages region.

Price: High. From 50€