La Rectoria de Sant Sebastià de Montmajor

The rector's house in a village of nine residents

Sant Sebastià de Montmajor is a hamlet of Caldes de Montbui in the sierra, with about nine inhabitants, a 12th-century church, its rectory and a few houses around, among pines, holm oaks and red earth. The restaurant occupies the old rector's house, a stone building attached to the church. From the centre of Caldes it is about ten minutes by car along the Sant Sebastià de Montmajor road, the BV-1243; from Barcelona, about 45 minutes. You can also get there by bike, motorbike or on foot along the sierra paths.

A mother in the kitchen and a son in the dining room

La Rectoria was opened in 2004 by a mother and her son: she cooks and chooses the produce, he runs the dining room. They do Catalan casserole cooking with the family's recipes, long and slow-cooked, and some of the dishes go through a holm-oak charcoal oven. Each week they go to find the produce; the veal comes from the La Bassola farm, raised in the area.

What to order and how much it costs

The specialities the house highlights are snails in a casserole with rabbit (€18), oven-roasted lamb with a gluten-free beer reduction (€24) and, above all, peus de porc a la cassola (pig's trotters in a casserole, €18), slightly spicy. If you want them in the crispy version, wrapped in filo pastry with veal, you have to order them ahead. Other mains: pork cheeks in Garnacha wine (€17), wild boar meatballs with mushrooms (€18) or venison with chocolate (€23). To start, the Montmajor cannelloni, of duck with foie (€15), the home-made rector's pâté (€15) or, from November to May, chargrilled artichokes with almonds (€14). Prices include VAT and the menu may change without notice. With a starter and a main each, allow between €25 and €40 without drinks or dessert.

Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays only

It opens at weekends all year and on public holidays, for lunch, from 13:30. On weekdays it is closed, except for groups of more than ten, who can ask for it to open another day. Book by phone or WhatsApp on 676 278 905, on the website or by email. As it opens only two days a week, on Sunday it is worth booking days ahead.

Before or after the water

It works as the close of a morning of baths in Caldes: the bath at El Safareig or the guided thermal circuit, and then go up to eat here. The plan Roman baths and a bath at El Safareig already links them this way.