Can Xapes

Two consecutive Michelin Bib Gourmands at €€ pricing: Can Xapes is the clearest value argument in the Girona province dining scene

At the €€ price point, Can Xapes in Cornellà del Terri has earned back-to-back Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition in 2024 and 2025, which in practical terms means Michelin's inspectors found exceptional food at a price that doesn't require justification. If you're building a Girona food itinerary and want serious Catalan cooking without the €€€€ commitment of El Celler de Can Roca, book Can Xapes first and work outward from there.

What the kitchen actually does

Chef Fabrizio Forno leads a contemporary kitchen rooted in Catalan tradition, working from three menus: De Temporada (seasonal), De Cine, Degustación. The format gives you choice rather than forcing a single tasting experience on every diner at the table, which at this price tier is a genuine practical advantage. The sourcing orientation is local where possible, which in the Girona region means access to excellent produce, from the vegetable-growing plains inland to the coastal ingredients reaching up from the Costa Brava. This is a kitchen operating within a clear, honest frame: Catalan cooking with contemporary technique, built on what's available and good right now. That approach plays well in the current season, when the De Temporada menu has the most to say.

The restaurant school context is worth understanding before you arrive. Can Xapes is part of the non-profit AD' Iniciatives Socials organisation, which uses the restaurant as a training ground for young people with limited financial resources and access to professional training. That means some of the service team will be in training, which is relevant information if you're expecting the frictionless precision of a fully professional brigade. In practice, the warmth and evident care in the room more than compensate, the food quality is clearly being held to a standard that satisfies Michelin's inspectors two years running.

The space: an Art Deco bar counter from 1949 and dining rooms that carry their own story

The building started life as a cinema in 1949, the original Art Deco-style bar counter from the former Rosa cinema remains in place. This is not decorative nostalgia layered on top of a generic dining room: the architectural element is structural to the experience. The dining rooms themselves are described as attractive, with the historical connection visible rather than buried. For food-oriented travellers who find context and place meaningful, this is a space that offers more than a neutral backdrop. It also makes Can Xapes an interesting choice for a meal that feels anchored to somewhere specific, which matters when you're already making the trip out to a small Girona province town. Check our full Cornellà del Terri restaurants guide if you're planning a longer visit to the area.

Know Before You Go

For accommodation nearby, see our Cornellà del Terri hotels guide. If you want to extend the trip with local wine, the Cornellà del Terri wineries guide and bars guide cover the rest of the picture. The experiences guide is worth a look if this is a first visit to the area.

Booking

Booking at Can Xapes is easy relative to the Bib Gourmand tier in larger cities. The restaurant's location in a small Girona province town means it doesn't carry the booking pressure of urban Bib Gourmand holders in Barcelona or Madrid. A few days' advance notice should be sufficient for most visits, though calling ahead is always advisable if your dates are fixed. No phone number is listed in our current data, so contact through the venue directly or via local booking channels when planning your trip.

How It Compares

The comparison peer group listed here, including Aponiente, Arzak, Azurmendi, Cocina Hermanos Torres, and DiverXO, all operate at €€€€ and represent Spain's top tier of creative and progressive cooking. Can Xapes is not competing in that category. It is operating at a different price tier with a different value proposition, that is precisely the point. If your question is whether to spend €€ on confident, Michelin-recognised Catalan cooking in a distinctive space or save the €€€€ budget for a different meal on the same trip, Can Xapes makes the €€ case well. For broader context on Spain's contemporary dining tier, the guides to Martin Berasategui, Quique Dacosta, Mugaritz, Ricard Camarena, and Atrio are all worth reading before building a Spain food itinerary.