Occi

Modern Catalan cuisine 

Soup rice of lobster, cuttlefish and dried fruit

For my trip to Girona, trying out popular local restaurants was high on my to-do list. From my extended research, Occi appears to be one of the top local restaurants in Girona's town center. Labeled as a Catalan restaurant offering classic dishes with a creative touch, Occi is highly regarded by the locals and also listed in the Michelin Guide. Located right in the heart of the old town, the interior of Occi is actually very modern with glass tables and dark walls that won't look out of place inside an edgy contemporary hotel. The menu is fairly big with 12 starters and 12 mains. Everything sounded very appealing and I ended up pretty much ordering everything from the mains session and shared between the whole table. 

Grilled octopus, potato and tomato

Chicken, crayfish, prunes and mushrooms

Confit duck cannellini, apple, port wine

Slow cooked chicken with crayfish and mushroom: It was the first time ever for me to sample a dish that contains both chicken and crayfish together, somehow it worked wonderfully together, the sweetness of the shellfish created a fine harmony along with the really tender chicken, both had a similar texture, thanks to the low-temperature cooking method of the chicken. Less impressive was the duck cannelloni, it was almost like a giant spring roll with overly sweeten sauce due to the port wine which dominated everything on the plate. The best dish on the day was the veal tenderloin with grilled foie gras and mushroom, a dish packed with richness and powerful taste, everything was seasoned to perfection, as was the cooking. It was classic flavours combination done in such a high-level standard.

Iberico pork fillet, blue cheese ravioli

Lamb rack, honey, asparagus and artichokes

Duck breast, mushroom rice, truffle

Veal tenderloin, grilled foie gras, mushroom

It was a very enjoyable meal, while not everything worked to the level I was expecting, I love the flair and creative approach from Occi which made the meal very exciting. I can also see the restaurant used top ingredients in all of the dishes so it was easy to understand why this is such a popular restaurant. On my weekday visit, Occi was full while all other nearby restaurants were half empty, clearly showing it is a place that is loved by both locals and tourists.   


Food 3.5/5


What I paid: 
£33 per head with wine

Average cost without drinks and services:
£25

Carrer dels Mercaders, 3, 17004 Girona, Spain

http://www.restaurantocci.com/