Borda restaurants in Andorra: traditional mountain cooking

Those traditional local dishes, full of flavour and generous on the plate, are one of the best reasons to sit down at the table when you travel. In Andorra they also come with a setting of their own: the bordas. Here is what they are and where you can try them.

Andorra’s traditional “bordas”

Bordas (or bordes) are the traditional mountain houses found all over the Principality. They were once used to store grain and shelter livestock. Today, with farming methods having changed, many have been turned into restaurants.

That means you can eat in one of the most characteristic places in these mountains and try the local cooking, which has Catalan and French influences and relies largely on local produce and chargrilled meat. If you want to see bordas in their original surroundings before you sit down to eat, the Incles valley still has several in a high-mountain landscape.

Authentic borda restaurants in Andorra

To enjoy this architecture it is worth heading a little way out of the towns, because these houses were built in the countryside. This selection brings together bordas from different parishes, spread out so that you can find one near your route. Opening times and menus change, so call before you go, especially outside the main season.

1. La Borda de la Coma

You will find it at La Coma del Forat, in the Ordino Arcalís area. It is known for its chargrilled meat, and also serves fondue, raclette, pierrades and burgers. If you have a food intolerance, it offers gluten-free, lactose-free and fructose-free options.

2. Borda L’Era d’en Jaume

A stone house facing the mountains on Avinguda de l’Angonella in Llorts, with an entry in the Gault&Millau guide. Its speciality is olla dels padrins, a hearty stew of mixed meats and chickpeas. Dishes such as lamb chops, beef onglet and crema catalana have also featured on the menu.

3. Borda Xixerella

This one is in Pal, at Carrer Doctor Vilanova 7. It mixes traditional Andorran, Mediterranean and international cooking, and its strong point is chargrilled meat.

4. Borda Pairal 1630

If you would rather not leave Andorra la Vella, this is the one. It serves snails a la llauna, chargrilled meat, roast kid and veal with duck foie, along with homemade pastries and a list of about 400 wines and cavas.

5. Borda Molí dels Fanals

In Sispony, in La Massana, about 4 km from Andorra la Vella. It serves croquettes, meatballs with cuttlefish, snails a la llauna, duck in red fruit sauce and, naturally, plenty from the grill.

6. Borda de les Pubilles

In Aixirivall. This is the stop for anyone after something warming from a bowl: onion soup gratin with egg and a shepherd’s soup made with bread, garlic, oil and salt, to which other ingredients are added.

7. Borda Xicoies

Formerly known as Raubert, it has been open since 1972. Try the cream of nettle soup, the escudella or the mountain trinxat with chilli, and finish with local cheeses and cured meats.

Other chargrill restaurants near Pas de la Casa

Pas de la Casa belongs to the parish of Encamp, as does Grau Roig. If you are staying in this area and want to stay with chargrilled meat and mountain cooking, you do not need to cross half the country.

1. Borda Vella

In Encamp. Andorran, Catalan and Spanish cooking with chargrilled meat, octopus, fillet steak, stuffed artichokes, mountain pâté and roast cheeks. It also has a large wine cellar.

2. La Vaquería

This is Hotel Grau Roig’s slopeside restaurant in Grandvalira, serving traditional mountain cuisine. In winter, the high season, it makes a practical stop between runs on the Grandvalira slopes.

3. La Fromagerie

Also at the hotel, and devoted to cheese: fondues and raclettes for a cold night. If you prefer something else, there is the market cuisine of La Marmita and El Teatro del Vino, with a cellar of more than 300 labels. The hotel is listed in the MICHELIN Guide. You will find them all under the hotel’s restaurants.

Enjoy Andorra’s most authentic food

Bordas work best when you fit them into a day in the mountains or around the villages, since nearly all of them are outside the towns. You can combine a meal in Llorts or Sispony with a tour of Andorra’s villages or one of the area’s hiking routes. In winter, check the road conditions first, as several bordas are on mountain roads. And if you would like to move from the grill to fine dining, take a look at Andorra’s gastronomic restaurants.