L'Aliança d'Anglès

A Michelin-starred tasting menu in a 1919 farmworkers' casino: book this for your next special occasion in Girona province

L'Aliança d'Anglès is the right choice if you want a Michelin-starred meal in Girona province without the booking marathon required by the region's most famous table. It suits couples celebrating something meaningful, small groups willing to commit to a tasting menu format, food-focused travelers who want to combine serious cooking with a building that carries over a century of local history. If you need à la carte flexibility or a city-centre location, look elsewhere. If you want a focused, occasion-worthy meal with strong provenance credentials and a one-star kitchen, this is worth the detour to Anglès.

Portrait

The building at Carrer Jacint Verdaguer, 3 has been part of Anglès since 1919, when it served as a cooperative for local farmers and functioned as a casino and social club for the town. That civic identity is not incidental: it explains why the dining room retains its 19th-century decorative details rather than being stripped back into a generic contemporary space. The Feliu family took ownership in the 1950s, the current chapter began when Cristina Feliu and chef Àlex Carrera took over the kitchen. Carrera trained at El Celler de Can Roca in Girona, one of Spain's most technically rigorous kitchens, that education shows in how the menu is constructed and presented.

The format is tasting-menu only. There are two options: the Discovery menu and the Emotion menu. Both begin with what the restaurant calls "vermouth time," a deliberate pacing decision that roots the meal in Catalan social tradition before the more contemporary courses begin. Every dish comes with an explanation of its locally sourced ingredients, which means you leave knowing where your food came from, not just what it tasted like. Carrera's handling of vegetables has drawn specific attention from Michelin reviewers, the menus reflect a philosophy that balances respect for regional tradition with a clear appetite for innovation. The duality between the building's history and the kitchen's modern approach is one of the more coherent versions of that balance you will find at this price point in the region.

2024 Michelin one-star recognition confirmed what earlier Michelin commentary had flagged: this is a kitchen and a chef worth watching, the recognition arrived relatively quickly after Carrera set up here. For context, the Michelin inspectors noted the contemporary cooking with locally sourced ingredients and singled out Carrera's vegetable work as evidence of training from strong examples. At €€€€ pricing for a tasting menu in a town of this size, the star matters as a calibration tool: it tells you this is not a regional novelty but a kitchen operating at a verifiable standard.

Anglès itself is a small town in the Selva comarca of Girona province, L'Aliança functions as the kind of anchor that draws visitors specifically because of the restaurant rather than the destination. That is not unusual for one-star venues in rural Catalonia, but it does mean you are planning a trip around this meal, not adding it to an existing itinerary. That is a different commitment than booking in Girona city, worth factoring into your decision. Check our full Anglès restaurants guide, Anglès hotels guide, and Anglès experiences guide to build the visit around it properly. Our Anglès bars guide and Anglès wineries guide are useful if you want to extend the day.

For a special occasion, the combination of the 19th-century room, the vermouth-time opening ritual, the ingredient storytelling through the meal gives the evening a structure that works well for celebrations. It does not feel engineered for Instagram; it feels like a place with its own logic. That is harder to find than it sounds at this price tier.

Ratings & Recognition

• Michelin One Star (2024)
• Price range: €€€€

Booking & Practical Details

Reservations: Hard to secure; book as far ahead as possible, ideally four to six weeks out for weekend dinner slots. Friday and Saturday evenings (8:30 PM–10 PM) and Saturday lunch (1 PM–3 PM) will be the most competitive. Hours: Lunch Monday, Tuesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday (1 PM–3 PM); Dinner Friday and Saturday only (8:30 PM–10 PM); Closed Wednesday and Thursday. Budget: €€€€ tasting menu format only; no à la carte option. Format: Two tasting menus (Discovery and Emotion); both include vermouth time. Dress: No dress code confirmed in our data, but the setting and price point suggest smart-casual as a safe baseline. Groups: Contact the restaurant directly to confirm group availability; the tasting menu format means the kitchen manages covers carefully. Getting there: Anglès is a small town in Girona province, plan transport in advance, particularly for evening sittings where you will want a car or a pre-arranged return.

How It Compares

See the full comparison section below.

Pearl Picks: More Tasting Menu Destinations in Spain

• El Celler de Can Roca in Girona, Three Michelin stars, Progressive Spanish, €€€€. The regional benchmark, with a booking lead time that requires planning many months out.
• Quique Dacosta in Dénia, Three stars, Creative, €€€€. Mediterranean-focused and technically ambitious.
• Arzak in San Sebastián, Three stars, Modern Basque, €€€€. A different culinary tradition and the right choice if you are traveling the Basque country.
• Azurmendi in Larrabetzu, Three stars, Progressive Creative, €€€€. Strong sustainability credentials and a different experience format.
• Aponiente in El Puerto de Santa María, Three stars, Progressive Seafood, €€€€. The right choice if marine-focused cooking is the priority.
• Martin Berasategui in Lasarte-Oria, Three stars, €€€€. Among the highest-rated kitchens in Spain.
• Mugaritz in Errenteria, Two stars, €€€€. More conceptual and challenging in format; not for every diner.
• DiverXO in Madrid, Three stars, €€€€. The most theatrical option in Spain at this price tier.
• Atrio in Cáceres, Two stars, €€€€. A strong option if you are visiting Extremadura.
• Maison Lameloise in Chagny, Three stars, Modern Cuisine, €€€€. Useful comparison if you are weighing rural-destination tasting menus across Europe.