Seafood and cellars – where to wine and dine in Costa Dorada

The food of the Golden Coast is a celebration of the region’s landscape, whether it’s through the fresh vegetables at local markets in Vila-seca, La Pineda or in one of the legendary restaurants in Cambrils.

Jet2holidays makes it even easier to dive into the gastronomic delights of Costa Dorada. Flying from 10 UK airports in 2024 and 11 in 2025, they provide package holidays you can trust. With hotel, flights, transfers and 22kg baggage included, there’s plenty of time to indulge in the seafood and wines of Costa Dorada. Here’s how…

From the sea

With a coastline stretching for 81km and covering some 60 golden sand beaches, Costa Dorada cuisine leans heavily on its natural, ocean-based larder. Popular dishes like suquet (a fish-based stew), arròs caldós (a soupy rice) and octopus cooked with potatoes feature on many menus. The coastal resort town of Salou is particularly known for its seafood paellas. Restaurants and tapas bars stretch along the coasts of places like Cambrils and Vila-seca, La Pineda, ranging from the small and simple to Michelin dining restaurants. Meanwhile in the port city of Tarragona, venture to the fishing neighbourhood of El Serrallo to tuck into some of the freshest seafood – it’s right next to one of the biggest seaports in the Mediterranean.

From the mountains

Vast mountain ranges and lush forests also make up the landscape of Costa Dorada. And it’s from here that the area’s cuisine gets its agricultural influences. Wild boar is considered a particular delicacy, whether smoked, fried or roasted. The region’s mountainous towns typically serve up more hearty dishes, like olla barrejada (a meat and vegetable stew), rabbit with rice, pig’s trotters with snails and partridge casserole. But it’s also from the rolling hills that Costa Dorada gets its abundance of olive oil. The Tarragona region of Baix Camp produces some of the most renowned olive oil, with the area dominated by olive trees and cooperatives where visitors can taste the local produce.

“Mar i muntanya”

Typical of Catalan cuisine is mixing ingredients from the sea and mountain (mar i muntanya) to make complementary contrasts. There’s a whole range of combinations that you can expect to find, where this Mediterranean destination really leans into its varied terrain and landscape to produce local dishes. The tradition…