Restaurant in Palamós, Spain
€€ Japanese fusion with a Michelin nod.
Matsu Izakaya is the most interesting restaurant in Palamós right now: a Michelin Plate-recognised izakaya where two Dominican Republic-born chefs fuse Japanese technique with Iberian ingredients and Caribbean flavour memory. At a €€ price point with a 4.8 Google rating, it delivers serious cooking without the serious bill. Book ahead — the room is small and the word is out.
Matsu Izakaya is the most interesting restaurant in Palamós right now, and at a €€ price point, it earns a confident recommendation. Two young partners from the Dominican Republic have built something that does not exist anywhere else in this stretch of the Costa Brava: a Japanese-inspired izakaya menu that fuses Iberian and Caribbean ingredients with real technical conviction. The Michelin Plate recognition for 2025 confirms what locals already know. Book it, and book it soon — the room is small and word has spread.
Palamós is a working port town, not a destination dining city, which makes Matsu Izakaya all the more worth seeking out. The two owners arrived here after years working in Barcelona's restaurant circuit, and their first solo venture reads like a considered edit of everything they absorbed — Japanese technique, Mediterranean produce, and a flavour memory that reaches back to the Dominican Republic. That combination is the engine of the menu, and it is what separates Matsu from every other €€ restaurant in town.
The editorial angle that defines this kitchen is ingredient sourcing: the menu works because of the specific meeting points between product categories. Iberian pork jowl appears alongside burrata stracciatella and truffled honey under a crispy shiso leaf , a starter that reads as fusion on paper but lands as a coherent dish because each component is chosen for textural and aromatic contrast. The shiso brings a faintly anise-like, herbaceous scent that cuts through the richness of the burrata and the fat of the jowl. This is not a kitchen decorating Japanese templates with Spanish ingredients for novelty. The sourcing logic is genuine: Iberian pork because its fat profile suits the robata grill, shiso because it performs a job that no Mediterranean herb does in exactly the same way.
The robata grill is where the kitchen's Dominican-Japanese fusion becomes most direct. The Katshu Sando , described in Michelin documentation as a fusion between the smoked pork chops traditional in the Dominican Republic and Japanese tonkatsu sauce , is the dish most diners remember. It is not a gimmick. Smoked pork chops carry a different depth of flavour than a standard tonkatsu preparation, and the sauce bridges the two culinary traditions without flattening either. Dishes cooked over the robata arrive with the kind of char-edged aroma that is difficult to replicate outside live-fire cooking, and it gives the menu's second half a sensory register entirely different from the cold preparations that open the meal.
Rest of the menu follows izakaya logic: nigiri and sashimi are available and well-executed, but most of the table conversation happens around the sushi rolls and the robata section. The selection is varied enough that a group of four can cover significant ground without doubling up. For solo diners or pairs, the counter format (if available) suits the kitchen's rhythm, with dishes arriving as they are ready rather than in formal courses.
Michelin awarded the restaurant a Plate in 2025 , a recognition that signals cooking worth a detour rather than a starred destination, which is exactly the right framing. This is not a tasting-menu restaurant. It is a neighbourhood izakaya operating above its weight class, run by a team that is clearly still building its reputation. The Google rating of 4.8 across 220 reviews suggests the local reception has been warm, and the Michelin Plate puts it in a category shared by serious kitchens across Spain, from El Celler de Can Roca in Girona to Cocina Hermanos Torres in Barcelona , though those are very different price points and formats.
For context on what Japanese Contemporary cooking looks like at higher price tiers, see The Japanese Restaurant in Andermatt or Eika in Taipei. Matsu operates at the accessible end of the category, but it is competing on quality, not just price.
The friendly approach of the owners , noted consistently in Michelin's own write-up , matters more than it might sound. In a small room in a port town, the hospitality register sets the tone for the whole meal. This is not a formal dining experience. It is convivial, attentive, and genuinely warm, which suits the izakaya format and makes it easy to eat well without feeling like you need to know the rules.
If you are spending time on the Costa Brava and want one meal that goes beyond the standard grilled fish and rice, Matsu Izakaya is the clearest recommendation in Palamós. Explore the full Palamós restaurants guide if you want to build a longer itinerary, and check the Palamós hotels guide if you are planning an overnight stop. For drinks before or after, the Palamós bars guide covers the town's options. You can also browse local wineries and experiences in Palamós to round out the visit.
Booking difficulty is rated Easy. That said, the room is small and the restaurant has gained a Michelin Plate and a strong local following, so booking ahead is still advisable, particularly on weekends and during the summer months when Palamós sees significant visitor traffic. Walk-ins may be possible on quieter weekday evenings, but do not rely on it.
The address is Carrer Indústria, 4, 17230 Palamós, Girona. No website or phone number is currently listed in our database , check Google Maps or local booking platforms for current contact details.
| Venue | Awards | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matsu Izakaya | This simple “izakaya” is run by two young partners from the Dominican Republic who have embarked upon their first solo venture following several years working in restaurants in Barcelona. Thankfully, it has had a positive impression on locals thanks to their friendly approach and the varied selection of Japanese-inspired cuisine on offer, featuring an array of modern touches and dishes teeming with flavour. Here, you’ll also find the usual nigiri and sashimi, but almost everyone veers towards the crispy shiso starter with burrata stracciatella, truffled honey and Iberian pork jowl, the varied choice of sushi rolls, and ending with a dish or two cooked on the robata grill, such as the superb Katshu Sando, a fusion between the popular smoked pork chops from the Dominican Republic and tonkatsu sauce from Japan.; Michelin Plate (2025) | €€ | — |
| DVISI | €€ | — | |
| Kaos | €€ | — | |
| La Salinera | €€ | — | |
| Entre dos Mons | €€ | — |
What to weigh when choosing between Matsu Izakaya and alternatives.
Book at least a few days in advance, especially on weekends. The room is small, and a Michelin Plate (2025) has pushed demand well beyond what a quiet port-town spot would normally see. Walk-ins may work on quieter weekday lunches, but don't count on it.
Skip defaulting to standard nigiri and sashimi on your first visit. The menu skews toward inventive fusion: the crispy shiso starter with burrata stracciatella, truffled honey and Iberian pork jowl is the dish most regulars lead with, and the robata grill section is worth finishing on. It's a €€ restaurant run by two young partners who came up through Barcelona kitchens, so the cooking is more considered than the low-key Palamós address suggests.
There is no confirmed tasting menu format in the available record for Matsu Izakaya. The venue operates as an izakaya, which means sharing plates and ordering across sections rather than a set progression. At €€ pricing, building your own meal across the starters, sushi rolls, and robata grill is the intended format and gives you more flexibility.
Bar or counter seating details are not confirmed in available records. Given the small room size and izakaya format, seating is likely compact and communal in feel. check the venue's official channels to confirm layout and options before arriving.
La Salinera is the go-to for straightforward seafood on the water if you want local catch rather than fusion. Entre dos Mons offers a more traditional Catalan approach at a comparable price point. DVISI and Kaos are the options to consider if you want something closer to modern Spanish rather than Japanese-influenced cooking. Matsu is the only Japanese-contemporary option in town with Michelin recognition.
Yes, at €€, Matsu Izakaya offers the kind of cooking you'd pay significantly more for in Barcelona. The Michelin Plate (2025) signals that the quality holds up to scrutiny, and the Dominican-Japanese fusion angle means there are dishes here you won't find anywhere else in the region. For the price bracket in a port town like Palamós, this is a strong value proposition.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
