Bodega Manolo Cotano — Restaurant in Lloret de Mar

I first visited this lovely little restaurant in October 2023, after reading glowing online reviews. I was specifically looking for an authentic Spanish place that wasn’t part of a chain, served great food, and was reasonably priced. This place absolutely delivered 👍

The food is fresh, full of flavour, and served in very generous portions. They also offer a lovely selection of wines from small barrels — all well-priced and very enjoyable. On my first visit, I ordered quite a bit (as a solo diner! 😆) and the gentleman and lady running the place — possibly husband and wife — were a bit shocked but so kind and welcoming, if slightly amused by my appetite! 😆

Since that first visit, I’ve made a point of returning every time I’m in Lloret de Mar. The warm hospitality, great food, and local charm make it a standout experience.

Highly recommended if you’re after an authentic local meal without the tourist-trap...

We arrived there probably around 8pm and at that time there were only two tables occupied. We were a group of six people so the owner explained from the beginning that the service might be a little bit slow because only he and his wife are currently working there but we were fine with it.

We ordered different dishes which did not come at the same time but we were ok with it and we really appreciated the effort that two  people who were both pretty old made it for us.

While we stayed there they refused a couple of people probably because they would not be able to handle that many tables at the same time.

Food was good, service was good, so I would definitely recommend this...

I've never encountered such "hospitality" before. The man, waiter, maybe even the owner, said that we would have to wait 30-40 minutes. To which we agreed and was already seated at the table. When he came over and we wanted to order a drink and food, he said a few more times that we would have to wait a long time. We ordered a drink and he still said that we had to wait. We was willing to wait, but we was just getting annoyed that the waiter was emphasizing it all the time, as if to hint that it was better to leave. It was the same with the people who sat at the next table. We just weren't wanted in...