Carme Ruscalleda's nonpareil restaurant in Sant Pol de Mar is a delight from soup to nuts, or, more accurately, from amuse-bouches to petits fours. Spain's top-ranked female chef is a pixie-ish powerhouse and her menu changes often, but star dishes may include vieiras (scallops) with crisped artichoke flakes on roast potato, or lubina (sea bass) on baby leeks and chard in garnatxa (sweet Catalan wine) sauce. Sant Pol de Mar is a scenic 40-minute train ride along the beach from Plaça Catalunya's RENFE station: the Calella train stops at the door. (The last evening train is too early for dinner, so attempt this only for lunch.)
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