Pizzabar: When Pizza Is Just the Beginning

What is Pizzabar?

The answer may seem simple, but after sitting down at one of its tables, it becomes clear that calling it a pizzeria would be an understatement. Pizzabar is a gastronomic bar where pizza takes centre stage, while sharing the spotlight with a selection of tapas, good wine and a very clear philosophy: eat well, share, and enjoy the table without rushing.

The project is located in Sant Feliu de Boada, one of those small villages in the Baix Empordà where landscape, architecture and gastronomy come together as part of the same experience. On the village church square, Pizzabar has found a setting that perfectly matches its spirit: a peaceful terrace, away from the busiest tourist areas along the coast, yet within easy reach of some of the Costa Brava’s best-known beaches.

The idea was never to compete with the many pizzerias already established in the region. Quite the opposite. Its founders wanted to create something different: a place where you could arrive for a few tapas, open a bottle of wine, order a pizza to share and end up talking for hours.

That concept is also reflected in the name. Pizza + bar. Two worlds meeting without either having to give up its identity.

A Menu Made for Sharing

The experience begins long before choosing a pizza. The menu features options such as gildas, oysters and roast chicken croquettes, all designed to be placed in the middle of the table and enjoyed alongside a glass of wine.

Then comes one of the house’s main attractions: a thin, light and crisp pizza, deliberately different from the Neapolitan style and developed specifically for Pizzabar.

Among the creations that have already become firm favourites are the Carbonara and the Pear, two pizzas that capture the character of the concept: familiar yet relaxed, with a personality of their own.

There is no pasta, nor an extensive selection of traditional Italian dishes. Pizzabar is not trying to recreate the conventional Italian restaurant model. Instead, pizza becomes one element within a much broader gastronomic experience.

The Journey Behind the Dough

To find the direction they wanted to take, Rafa Blanc, José Bassols, Lali Rodellas and Helena Rodellas decided to look beyond their own surroundings before opening their doors. They travelled to Umbria, Italy, to discover different techniques and approaches to making pizza.

That journey proved essential in shaping the identity of the project. From those experiences came their own dough recipe, created to achieve a thin, crisp pizza that could work naturally alongside the rest of the menu.

But the story of Pizzabar had started somewhat earlier.

In 2022, Rafa Blanc and José Bassols were spending time in Sant Feliu de Boada when they noticed an unexpected opportunity. One of the restaurants on the square had closed, leaving the premises available. Rather than simply seeing an empty space to fill, they saw the possibility of creating a concept that was still relatively uncommon in the area.

The arrival of sisters Lali and Helena Rodellas helped bring the idea fully to life. Together, they began developing a project that would eventually open its doors in May 2024.

A Fast-Growing Following

The response was immediate. What began as an attempt to bring new life to a vacant restaurant space soon became a destination with an increasingly loyal following.

Throughout much of the year, weekends are particularly busy, while during the high season Pizzabar operates at an almost daily pace. One of the clearest signs of its success is the number of customers who return regularly, drawn not simply by one particular pizza but by the experience as a whole.

Fernando Duffo leads the front-of-house team, while Mireia Bigorra serves as Operations Director. Together with the founders, they have helped establish Pizzabar within the gastronomic scene of the Baix Empordà in a relatively short period of time.

Eating Without Watching the Clock

Perhaps one of Pizzabar’s greatest strengths lies in understanding that going out for lunch or dinner is no longer simply about choosing what to eat. The setting, the atmosphere, the company and the time devoted to the experience matter just as much.

Here, a dinner might begin with a gilda and end with a pizza in the middle of the table. Another glass of wine may follow, and the evening can stretch on much longer than originally planned.

And that is perhaps the best way to understand Pizzabar: a place where pizza starts the conversation, but does not necessarily bring it to an end.

In an Empordà accustomed to welcoming visitors in search of established restaurants and memorable dining experiences, Pizzabar has found its own way of making a name for itself. More informal, more relaxed, and built around a simple yet effective idea: put good food at the centre of the table and let everything else happen around it.

Words: @annaamaso