Cal Talaia’s sardine breakfast has, over time, become a cherished event for both locals and visitors, bringing together up to 25 people in ever-changing gatherings that offer both familiarity and a sense of newness.

We started making sardines many years ago, when we ran the village bar for a couple of years. The idea came about after I was invited to a sardine brunch at a friend’s house—he had the habit of inviting a group of men once a year to prepare and eat sardines the old way. It was a traditional breakfast, cooked outdoors by the men.

A simple recipe—and it’s often the case: simple recipes are the ones that become true culinary spectacles—of which every village around here has its own variation. As this is—and has long been—garlic country, it plays a surprisingly prominent role…

The rest need not be told: it has to be experienced firsthand…

And you’ll always find something more on the table, so you’ll leave well fed—breakfasted, lunched—and perhaps even having worked up an appetite on foot.

Around the table, people have gathered and shared—from Barcelona, Athens, Passanant, Vallfogona, Manresa, Ciutadilla, Guimerà, Belltall, Tarragona, Valls, Reus, Moià, Rocallaura, Amsterdam, Sant Boi, Forès, Berlin, Glorieta, Montoliu, Paris, El Prat, Els Prats de Rei, Gavà, Rajadell, Ripollet, and many, many more places…