Els Caçadors

Stone Vaults and Regional Roots in the Eastern Pyrenees

The Alto Ampurdán sits in one of Catalonia's most quietly productive agricultural corridors, where the Tramuntana wind shapes not just the terrain but the character of what grows there. Maçanet de Cabrenys, a small village at the foot of the Pyrenees near the French border, occupies the upper edge of this zone, and the cooking that comes out of this part of Girona province tends to reflect exactly that geography: game, foraged ingredients, mountain herbs, and the kind of produce that travels short distances. Els Caçadors, located in the basement of the hotel that shares its name at Urbanización Casa Nova, positions itself squarely within that tradition.

The dining room's physical setting does something interesting with contrast. Vaulted stone ceilings and raw stone walls carry the weight of the building's history, while designer lamps and white furnishings push in the opposite direction. It's a combination that avoids the dressed-up rusticity that many rural Catalan restaurants lean on, producing instead a room that feels grounded without being heavy. The space reads as a deliberate editorial decision: the architecture does the regional storytelling, the furniture keeps it from becoming a museum.

What the Kitchen Draws From

Editorial angle that Michelin has used to frame Els Caçadors is telling: it's described as a place to recharge while exploring the Alto Ampurdán, with regionally inspired cuisine as the anchor. That framing positions the kitchen not as destination dining in the mode of, say, El Celler de Can Roca in Girona or the four-figure tasting menus at Azurmendi in Larrabetzu, but as the kind of honest regional table that earns its place by sourcing well and cooking close to tradition.

Alto Ampurdán has a clear larder. The area around Maçanet de Cabrenys sits within reach of the Cap de Creus coastline, the Albera mountain range, and farmland that has supplied Girona's markets for generations. Mushrooms, game birds, cured meats, and local vegetables have historically defined the cooking of this inland-Pyrenean stretch, and a kitchen calling itself traditional and regionally inspired in this context carries a specific claim: that the sourcing reflects the land immediately surrounding it. Els Caçadors holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand for both 2024 and 2025, which is Michelin's shorthand for good cooking at moderate prices, a credential that confirms the kitchen is meeting a consistent technical standard without asking for the spend that the guide's starred tier would imply.

Unusual element in the menu is the inclusion of dishes from the Far East, which the Michelin notes flag explicitly as a contrast to the regional baseline. This isn't uncommon in Catalan cooking more broadly. Catalonia has absorbed Asian culinary influence at various price points for decades, and a regional kitchen folding in selected techniques or ingredients from that tradition without abandoning its root identity is a different move from the progressive Asian-European fusions practiced at places like DiverXO in Madrid. At Els Caçadors, the Eastern dishes appear to function as a complement rather than a pivot, a seasoning on an otherwise firmly Catalan menu.

Where Els Caçadors Sits in the Broader Bib Gourmand Category

Bib Gourmand category across Spain covers a wide range of formats, from urban tapas bars in Barcelona to rural inn kitchens like this one. What connects them is the price-to-quality ratio rather than any particular style. In the rural Catalonia and Pyrenean context, the designation carries particular weight because the competition thins considerably once you move away from the provincial capitals. A kitchen in a village of Maçanet de Cabrenys's scale holding the award across consecutive years signals that the cooking isn't coasting on location or novelty.

For comparison, the €€ price tier at a traditional regional table in this part of Girona typically means a set lunch or a menu that covers multiple courses without the supplement structure that characterises Spain's fine-dining end, where places like Arzak in San Sebastián, Cocina Hermanos Torres in Barcelona, or Martin Berasategui in Lasarte-Oria occupy an entirely different economic bracket. Els Caçadors is not in conversation with that tier. It operates in the accessible-regional space, which is its own competitive set and one where the Bib Gourmand is the most relevant external measure available. The Google rating of 4.4 across 503 reviews adds a further data point: consistent satisfaction from a volume of guests that suggests the kitchen performs reliably rather than in occasional flashes.

Other traditional-format kitchens holding Bib Gourmand recognition in rural European settings offer useful comparisons. Auberge Grand'Maison in Mûr-de-Bretagne and Auga in Gijón occupy broadly analogous positions in their respective regions: traditional kitchens with strong local sourcing credentials and moderate pricing, recognised by Michelin for delivering above the level their format might suggest. Els Caçadors fits that pattern in the Catalan Pyrenean context.

Planning a Visit

Els Caçadors is attached to the hotel of the same name at Urbanización Casa Nova in Maçanet de Cabrenys, Girona, which makes it a natural stop for anyone moving through the Alto Ampurdán and wanting a proper meal rather than a snack. The village sits in the foothills above the Empordà plain, accessible by road from Figueres, which connects to the AP-7 motorway and has a rail link to Girona and Barcelona. The €€ pricing makes the restaurant accessible for a range of travellers, and the hotel context means the option of staying overnight rather than driving back after dinner is built into the proposition. The website and phone details are not currently listed in our database, so confirming hours and reservations directly through the hotel is the practical route. For anyone building a broader itinerary in this part of Catalonia and looking for context on where to eat, drink, or stay, our full Maçanet de Cabrenys restaurants guide, hotels guide, bars guide, wineries guide, and experiences guide cover the area across categories. For broader reference points on Spain's serious restaurant scene, see our coverage of Quique Dacosta in Dénia, Mugaritz in Errenteria, Aponiente in El Puerto de Santa María, Atrio in Cáceres, and Ricard Camarena in València.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Els Caçadors work for a family meal?

At €€ pricing in a hotel dining room in a Pyrenean village, it's a practical and comfortable choice for families looking for a proper sit-down meal in the Maçanet de Cabrenys area.

How would you describe the vibe at Els Caçadors?

If you're arriving from a day in the Alto Ampurdán and want a room that feels rooted in the region without being heavy-handed about it, the stone vault setting with contemporary furnishings delivers exactly that. The Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition for 2024 and 2025 and the €€ price point together indicate a kitchen that takes the cooking seriously without the formality that would make it feel out of place in a village of this scale.

What's the leading thing to order at Els Caçadors?

Order from the regionally inspired side of the menu rather than the Eastern dishes if you're here specifically for Alto Ampurdán cooking. The Bib Gourmand award signals that the kitchen's traditional Catalan output is where the technical consistency lives, and this part of Girona has a genuine larder worth eating your way through.