Restaurants in Andorra la Vella, eating out in the capital

Andorra la Vella is where the country eats out most, and it shows. Between the old town, Avinguda Meritxell and the department stores there’s room for a quick coffee, a lunch between shops and a dinner worth remembering. Here are the names with official backing, and how I’d choose depending on the time of day.

Where are the restaurants?

In two areas that run into each other. The first is the old town, around the Casa de la Vall and Sant Esteve church. The tourist board describes it as a shopping street with a wide choice of restaurants, and to me it’s the most atmospheric place to have dinner, with stone, narrow lanes and the Valira close by. What to see there before or after eating is in Andorra la Vella old town.

The second is Avinguda Meritxell. Andorra Turisme notes that restaurants line the whole avenue, with the widest choice at the upper end, right by the old town. It’s the practical option on a shopping day, and I walk it section by section in Avinguda Meritxell.

The names with official backing

I won’t score restaurants, because no official list with ratings exists and inventing one isn’t my style. Instead, here are the places Andorra Turisme singles out by name.

Celler d’en Toni was founded in 1966 by the family of Marcel Besolí, who runs it today. The tourist board says it has brought in contemporary techniques without betraying its essence, works with local produce and is recommended by the Michelin Guide. It’s one of the country’s six food ambassadors.

Can Manel is another. Carles Flinch has been at the helm for more than 30 years, defending the classic Andorran recipe book and reinterpreting it without losing its roots. It also holds the «Traditional Andorran Cuisine» label, which the government awards to restaurants cooking heritage recipes with local produce. If you want Andorran dishes in the capital, I’d start here.

At The Embassy, in the El Diamant building, the lower ground floor houses Diamante, chef Nandu Jubany’s culinary offer. It’s the chef-led choice right on the shopping strip.

What I’d order in the capital

In a traditional restaurant in Andorra la Vella, I’d scan the menu for the dishes Andorra Turisme lists as traditional. In winter, escudella stew or trinxat; in autumn, game with mushrooms, such as wild boar civet; in the fishing season, Andorran-style trout with almonds and ham; and all year, Andorran-style cannelloni or grilled meat with quince allioli. If the beef carries the Carn d’Andorra label, so much the better, since that means veal raised in the country itself. It’s also the only way to enjoy it, because gov.uk rules keep Andorran meat out of your suitcase on the way home.

Eating between shops

If the day is about shopping, the department stores solve lunch without leaving the building. Pyrénées has the Medacorba café on the ground floor, and on the third floor a crêperie, La Bohème restaurant, La Terrassa, which the tourist board calls the most informal space, and the Grill Buffet, with fresh fish and seafood, foie gras, matured cheeses, meat and desserts. Uailo Department Store, also central, has UAILO’s Food & Drinks, a restaurant and café for breakfast, lunch or coffee.

What else each store offers is in Andorra shopping centres.

Can you eat cheaply in Andorra la Vella?

No official source publishes menu prices for the capital, so I won’t give figures. My approach is simple. For a quick, predictable bite, the department store cafés. For a proper meal, a traditional restaurant at lunchtime, which is usually the most reasonable moment to try a kitchen properly. And if the weather’s good, a supermarket shop and one of the country’s picnic areas, my favourite option in summer. Alternatives across the country are in where to eat in Andorra.

Local produce to take away

Every season, from May to October, the old town holds the Mercat de la Vall on the opening Saturday of each month, trading 11am to 8pm with farm produce, artisan goods and stalls from the neighbourhood’s shops. The Andorra la Vella tourist office sells local products too. Remember the UK rules on food, which keep Andorran meat and cheese out of your luggage, so honey, wine and chocolate are the souvenirs that make it home. What each product is appears in Andorran food.