Figueres has a surprisingly good food scene for the size of the city. From budget tapas to refined Catalan cuisine, fresh Empordà produce is always centre stage. As local hosts, we've personally tried every place on this list and recommend them without reservation.
The most important tip first: avoid restaurants immediately surrounding the Dalí Theatre-Museum. They tend to be tourist traps — overpriced for what they offer, banking on one-time visitors. Walk 5 minutes into the centre and you'll find the same dishes at half the price and twice the quality.
La Rambla de Figueres, 3 minutes from Ca La Fustereta, has the best breakfast bars in town. The classic Empordà breakfast is non-negotiable: pa amb tomàquet (bread rubbed with tomato and drizzled with olive oil) with local charcuterie — fuet sausage, sweet ham or butifarra — and a cortado. Very affordable, local market atmosphere, perfect between 8am and 10am.
On Sundays La Rambla hosts a street market. If your stay includes a Sunday, come down to browse the stalls selling seasonal fruit and vegetables, artisan cheese and Empordà produce. It's one of the best weekly markets in the comarca.
The Mercat Municipal, on Carrer de la Jonquera, is one of the finest covered markets in the Girona region and an institution of local life. The modernist architecture alone is worth a look, but the real draw is the quality of the produce: fresh fish from the Roses and Palamós fish markets, Empordà market garden vegetables, artisan cheeses and local charcuterie.
Monday to Saturday at lunchtime, market stalls and bars serve set menus with seasonal fresh produce. For under €12 you eat like a king: starter, main, dessert and drink. Very popular with local workers — always a good sign.
The historic centre of Figueres, around Plaça de l'Ajuntament and Carrer de la Jonquera, has a tapas bar circuit that's very popular with locals. Thursday and Friday evenings from around 7pm, the neighbourhood fills with people going from bar to bar with a beer or vermouth and a complimentary tapa.
Figueres tapas staples include: jamón croquettes, patatas bravas with aioli, fried squid rings, and the ever-present toasted pine nuts with Cantabrian anchovies. Average spend per person on a four-bar circuit: €12–18 with drinks. A perfect way to round off an afternoon at the Dalí Theatre-Museum.
The Empordà has one of the most acclaimed regional cuisines in Catalonia, with a long tradition of surf-and-turf dishes. If this is your first visit, these are the dishes not to miss:
The Empordà Denomination of Origin is one of Catalonia's oldest. The local wines — particularly the garnacha and cariñena reds, and the garnacha blanca whites — pair perfectly with the local cuisine. The Peralada winery (15 minutes by car from Figueres) offers guided tours and tastings. If you're interested in the wine route, ask your hosts at Ca La Fustereta — we have good recommendations for small producers that don't feature in the guidebooks.
We've been hosting guests in Figueres for years and maintain an up-to-date list of our favourite spots, refreshed each season. If you book at Ca La Fustereta, we'll send you a personalised list based on your profile — family with kids, couple, group of cyclists — and what you're looking for: budget, market cuisine, terrace, extensive wine list.
One final tip: if you visit Figueres in June and are lucky with timing, the Fira de l'Ascensió — one of Catalonia's most important antiques and brocante fairs — fills the Rambla and the central squares. Local food has a special presence and it's one of the best ways to experience the authentic Figueres that doesn't appear in tourist circuits. Also read our guide to cycling routes from Figueres to discover the villages and wineries of the Empordà from the saddle.
The best base for exploring Figueres and the Alt Empordà. Central location, private garage, bike workshop and everything you need.
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