Restaurant in L'Escala, Spain
Michelin value in a 17C farmhouse setting.
Mas Concas holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand (2025) and makes a strong case for the best value meal in L'Escala. Set menus of Mediterranean cooking with a French accent are served inside a 17th-century stone farmhouse outside town — a setting that earns its place in the experience. At a € price point with this level of recognition, it is the default recommendation for a considered dinner on the Costa Brava.
Yes, and particularly so if you want to eat well without the financial commitment of the Costa Brava's heavier hitters. Mas Concas holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand (2025) — the guide's recognition for serious cooking at a reasonable price — and delivers Mediterranean cuisine with a French accent inside a 17th-century farmhouse that makes the meal feel like a proper occasion. At a € price point, it is one of the most credentialed-per-euro options in the area. For first-time visitors to L'Escala wondering where the local dining benchmark is set, this is a strong answer.
The physical setting at Mas Concas is not incidental to the experience , it is a central part of why the meal works. The building itself dates to the late 1600s and was historically the summer residence of Catalan writer Caterina Albert i Paradís, who published under the pseudonym Víctor Català. Arriving along the Camí Cinc Claus road outside L'Escala, you are stepping into a working stone farmhouse, not a refitted barn dressed to look like one.
Inside, the dining rooms carry high ceilings and a rustic character that has been modernised in considered ways rather than overhauled. For a first-timer, the spatial experience lands somewhere between a country house and a formal dining room: unhurried, grounded, and proportionate in scale. There is no loud design statement here. The rooms feel like they have been used for generations, which they have. That continuity gives the meal a sense of place that newer coastal restaurants in the region cannot easily replicate. If you are choosing between a sea-view terrace spot in town and this farmhouse outside it, the trade-off is views versus atmosphere , and the atmosphere at Mas Concas is the stronger argument.
Mas Concas operates in Mediterranean cuisine with a clear French influence , a combination that sits naturally on the Costa Brava, given the region's position between Catalonia and the French border. The kitchen works with locally sourced ingredients and presents set menus rather than a full à la carte, which keeps the cooking focused and the quality consistent across the meal.
The French influence is not superficial. Michelin's own notes single out the rum baba on the dessert menu as a traditional and well-executed example , a classically French preparation that signals a kitchen comfortable with technical pastry work. The cheese selection is offered as an add-on to the set menu, a concise list rather than a trolley, which suits the scale of the restaurant and keeps the experience from feeling bloated. The overall approach , locally driven ingredients, classical French structure, Mediterranean flavour , is more disciplined than it might first appear, and it is the reason the Bib Gourmand recognition makes sense here. This is not casual beach food priced as fine dining. It is careful, composed cooking priced as honest value.
For a first-timer, the set menu format removes the guesswork. You are eating what the kitchen has decided to cook well that day, supported by local produce from the Empordà region. The cheese course is worth adding if the budget allows. The wine list is not documented in detail here, but the Empordà DO , the local appellation , is the natural pairing for the food on the table.
L'Escala is not a deep restaurant city, and options at this level of culinary credibility are limited. El Roser 2 and La Gruta are the other names worth considering in town, both offering Mediterranean cooking in different registers. Mas Concas sits above them on recognition , the Bib Gourmand carries weight , and offers a distinctly different physical experience. If you are looking for a harbour-facing meal or something more casual, the town restaurants serve that need. If you want the strongest cooking and the most memorable setting in the area, Mas Concas is the booking to make. For a broader picture of where to eat, drink, and stay, see our full L'Escala restaurants guide, our full L'Escala hotels guide, our full L'Escala bars guide, our full L'Escala wineries guide, and our full L'Escala experiences guide.
Address: Mas Concas, Camí Cinc Claus, 17130 L'Escala, Spain. Cuisine: Mediterranean with French influence. Price range: € (Bib Gourmand value tier). Format: Set menus with optional cheese course add-on. Booking difficulty: Easy , no evidence of a difficult-to-secure reservation, though advance booking is sensible in peak summer season. Getting there: Outside L'Escala town centre on a rural road; a car or taxi is the practical option. Dress: No dress code specified; smart-casual fits the setting. Groups: The farmhouse format and multiple dining rooms suggest reasonable flexibility for groups, though specific capacity is unconfirmed , contact directly to discuss larger bookings.
Book Mas Concas if you are in L'Escala and want the area's most credentialed meal at an accessible price. The Bib Gourmand reflects a kitchen that punches above its category, the farmhouse setting adds genuine character, and the set menu format makes the first visit easy to navigate. For a special dinner or a considered meal on the Costa Brava without committing to the spend of a Michelin-starred restaurant, this is the right call.
Yes, more than most options at this price tier in L'Escala. The 17th-century farmhouse setting, the Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition, and the set menu format all make it feel like a proper occasion without requiring a fine-dining budget. It is a better choice for a celebratory dinner than a casual town-centre restaurant, and the intimate rooms suit couples and small groups. If you need a Michelin-starred property for the occasion, the nearest options require travelling toward Girona , El Celler de Can Roca in Girona is the regional benchmark , but for value-conscious celebrations, Mas Concas is the local answer.
The set menu is the format here, so ordering is largely done for you , which is the point. The French rum baba on the dessert menu is specifically noted by Michelin as a highlight, and the cheese course is available as an add-on to the main menu. Take it if budget allows; a concise, well-chosen cheese selection at this price point is worth the addition. The kitchen draws on locally sourced Empordà ingredients, so the menu will reflect the season and what is available locally rather than a fixed list of dishes.
At a € price point, yes. The Bib Gourmand is Michelin's specific designation for restaurants delivering serious cooking at honest prices, and the set menu format at Mas Concas is the vehicle for that. You are getting a structured, composed meal in a historic farmhouse with a kitchen that has earned external recognition , that combination at this tier is good value. If you are comparing against a Michelin-starred tasting menu at venues like Quique Dacosta in Dénia or Mugaritz in Errenteria, the spend and ambition differ significantly. But within L'Escala and for the price, the value case is strong.
Booking is rated easy, but L'Escala is a seasonal coastal destination and summer demand is real. Book at least one to two weeks ahead in July and August to be safe. Outside peak season, shorter notice is likely fine. The Bib Gourmand designation does attract diners who have done their research, so do not assume availability is guaranteed on the day. No phone number or booking platform is listed in available data , check the venue directly or search for current booking options when planning.
The farmhouse has multiple dining rooms, which suggests some flexibility for groups beyond a standard table of two to four. Specific capacity and private dining details are not confirmed in available data. For groups of six or more, contact the restaurant directly well in advance, particularly in summer. The rural setting and multi-room layout make it a plausible choice for a group dinner, but confirm the logistics before committing the whole party.
Within L'Escala, El Roser 2 and La Gruta are the main alternatives. Neither carries Michelin recognition at the level of Mas Concas. If you want to stay in the Mediterranean cuisine tradition but are open to travel, La Brezza in Ascona and Arnaud Donckele & Maxime Frédéric at Louis Vuitton in Saint-Tropez represent Mediterranean cooking at very different price and ambition levels. For the full picture of dining in the area, see our full L'Escala restaurants guide.
At the € tier, yes , straightforwardly. A Bib Gourmand at this price point means Michelin's inspectors found the quality-to-cost ratio compelling enough to publish it. The farmhouse setting adds an experience dimension that comparable-spend restaurants in town cannot match. If you are asking whether it competes with the region's starred restaurants on pure cooking ambition, the answer is no , that is not the comparison. Against what you could spend for a similar meal elsewhere in L'Escala, the value is clear.
The set menu format and farmhouse setting work for solo diners, though this is not a counter-style restaurant where solo dining has been designed into the experience. At a € price point, there is no financial penalty for eating alone, and the dining rooms are likely to have smaller tables available. If you want a livelier solo dining environment or a counter seat where you can interact with kitchen staff, this is not that type of restaurant. For a solo meal focused on quality cooking in a calm setting, it is a solid choice in L'Escala.
| Venue | Awards | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mas Concas | Here, the culinary experience is considerably enhanced by the setting in a beautiful farmhouse teeming with history. This stone building, whose origins date back to the end of the 17C, was the summer residence of the writer Caterina Albert y Paradís, who was much better known by the pseudonym of Víctor Català. In its dining rooms, all with high ceilings and rustic in feel yet with a few modern touches, enjoy Mediterranean cuisine with a French influence (note the traditional and delicious French rum baba on the dessert menu) which is always well presented and inspired by locally sourced ingredients. Its enticing set menus can be enhanced by a concise list of cheeses.; Michelin Bib Gourmand (2025); Here, the culinary experience is considerably enhanced by the setting in a beautiful farmhouse teeming with history. This stone building, whose origins date back to the end of the 17C, was the summer residence of the writer Caterina Albert y Paradís, who was much better known by the pseudonym of Víctor Català. In its dining rooms, all with high ceilings and rustic in feel yet with a few modern touches, enjoy Mediterranean cuisine with a French influence (note the traditional and delicious French rum baba on the dessert menu) which is always well presented and inspired by locally sourced ingredients. Its enticing set menus can be enhanced by a concise list of cheeses. | € | — |
| Aponiente | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | €€€€ | — |
| Arzak | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | €€€€ | — |
| Azurmendi | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | €€€€ | — |
| Cocina Hermanos Torres | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | €€€€ | — |
| DiverXO | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | €€€€ | — |
What to weigh when choosing between Mas Concas and alternatives.
Yes, for a low-key celebration rather than a formal one. The 17th-century farmhouse setting, high ceilings, and Bib Gourmand-recognised kitchen give the meal a sense of occasion without the ceremony or cost of a full Michelin-starred experience. If you want a grander, more theatrical evening, the format here will feel too relaxed.
The set menus are the way to eat here — Michelin specifically recognises them as the core of the offer. The French rum baba is flagged in the Michelin notes as a standout on the dessert menu. Adding the cheese selection, described as a concise but worthwhile list, is a sensible addition if you eat cheese.
Yes. The Bib Gourmand designation is awarded specifically for good cooking at prices that don't punish you, and Mas Concas sits in the € price range — the most accessible tier on the Costa Brava for credentialed cooking. The set menus draw on locally sourced ingredients with French technique, which makes them feel considered rather than perfunctory.
Booking ahead is advisable, particularly in summer when L'Escala's tourist season is at its peak and the restaurant's Bib Gourmand profile draws visitors. The farmhouse dining rooms have limited capacity, and weekend tables fill faster than midweek slots. Specific booking channels are not listed in available records, so check directly via local search or reservation platforms.
The farmhouse layout, with multiple dining rooms, suggests reasonable capacity for small groups. There is no confirmed private dining or group policy in available records. For larger parties, check the venue's official channels to confirm room configuration and whether a set menu for the full table is required.
El Roser 2 and La Gruta are the other names in L'Escala with comparable local standing, though neither holds a Michelin distinction matching the Bib Gourmand. If you want a step up in ambition and are willing to travel along the Costa Brava, the broader region has more credentialed options — but within L'Escala itself, Mas Concas is the most decorated choice available.
At the € price tier with a 2025 Bib Gourmand, it delivers clear value. Michelin's Bib Gourmand is awarded to kitchens that offer quality cooking without charging at starred-restaurant rates. For Mediterranean food with French technique in a historic farmhouse in coastal Catalonia, the price-to-quality ratio is hard to fault at this level.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
