The best wine bars in Girona

Around 200m2 of all kinds of wines is what awaits you at Mas Gusó (which is located between Sant Martí d'Empúries and Sant Pere Pescador), along with a wide range of dishes to accompany them. They have a selection of protected origin (DO) wines along with an extensive number of bottles from some of the best vineyards in the country. Thanks to its self-service wine dispenser, you can sample different wines by the glass, at just the right temperature. What's more, they change them weekly, so there's always a good reason to visit!

Finding a space at Els Barrils is practically a mission impossible these days. At this wine bar close to the beach in L'Escala, you should definitely stop off for a glass of wine (or a few) to get the evening going, or a pre-lunch aperitif. Pay attention to what Josep and Carlus have to say; part of the third generation of the family dedicated to the business, they're always spot on with their wine advice. To accompany your tipple, try a tapas of good ham, selection of cheeses or the typical Escala anchovies.

In this wine bar in Girona's Old Town you'll feel as though you were in a French bistro. It was created by Roger Viusà, who was named the best sommelier in Spain in 2007, and the second-best in the world and Europe a year later. So quality wine is assured, and the food is delicious too!

This has been Sant Feliu's go-to bodega since it opened in 1961, and in 2011, thanks to the efforts of the third generation of the owners, it also became a quality wine bar. This is a place that breathes with passion for wine, and they love advising and teaching their clients with the almost 4,000 varieties in stock. You can discover new vintages and creations of all kinds, with a special focus on protected origin wines from Catalonia and nearby wine-producing countries such as Spain, Portugal and Italy.

At this Palamós wine bar they stock some 120 types of both local and international wine, which means you're bound to find something you love. The sommelier Ricardo sources varieties from small producers who make sustainable and organic wines. They also host tastings, suppers where you can try different wine pairings and courses, if you want to delve even further into the world of wine.

Good food and good wine, a tranquil ambience and relaxed conversation. And a glass in hand, of course. Isn't that what being a bon vivant is all about? In this bar in the centre of Figueres, you can try being one yourself thanks to the different protected origin wines, and quality tapas and larger dishes. Make sure you sample their 'patatas bravas' (deep-fried potato chunks served with a spicy sauce).

The Enoteca Es Poal ('enoteca' means wine bar in Catalan) belongs to the iconic Cadaqués vineyard of Martín Faixó. In the bar you can try all the MF wines; we suggest taking your place and letting yourself be advised by the waiters. Rafel, the heir of the vineyard, knows what he's talking about when it comes to wine. The MF wines are the only ones produced in Cadaqués, on the family estate of Sa Perafita, in the heart of the Cap de Creus natural park. And the food in the bar is just as good as the wine, with much of it made using local ingredients, especially shellfish.

Founded in 1963 to improve the conditions for wine-makers in the village of Garriguella, the cooperative has the greatest number of vines in the Alt Empordà, and almost 70 percent of them are over 50 years old. Get a table in the bar-restaurant and sample some of the wines on offer, among which the predominant grape varieties are grenache, carignan, merlot and tempranillo, among the red wines, and grenache, macabeo and muscat, among the whites. The 60 or so producers who work for the cooperative are working hard to get their wines into some of the region's top restaurants.

The history of Taverna de Cal Barber is full of joy and passion. After years of cutting hair and shaving beards, when hairdresser Pere reached his 50th birthday, he decided to take his life in a completely new direction and opened a tavern in the same spot where he'd previously had his salon. Not long afterwards, his wife left her job as a midwife and re-trained as a sommelier. Gradually the two have created a wine bar that focuses on protected origin Empordà wines, and is an inviting place that's small and unpretentious. Accompany your wine with one of the house seafood dishes, such as the Cal Barber octopus (sautéed with green asparagus and moscatell grapes), cod fritters ('grasoletes'), a trio of blue fish (baked sardines, marinated mackerel and fried anchovy), or the Palamós prawns with minced chocolate.

This place is not strictly speaking a wine bar, but the wine list at the Context Llibreria-cafè (bookshop-café) in Girona's Old Town is carefully chosen and extensive enough to warrant inclusion on our list. From among classics like Rioja and Ribera del Duero, the obligatory Empordà varities, organic wine from Mallorca and a few German whites, you can order your drink by the glass or bottle.