Les Cols

The story

Les Cols: Michelin-Starred Fine Dining in Olot, Spain – Fina Puigdevall

Les Cols: A Cuisine of the Volcanic Landscape

Since 1990, chef Fina Puigdevall has been the heart of Les Cols, a restaurant set in the mountain range above Olot, her birthplace. Her cooking is a direct expression of the land: sober, essential, and generous. She works with a philosophy of removing everything non-essential while preserving what she calls “the essential poetry.” The result is a style that is both purified and deeply emotive, reflecting the austere beauty of the Garrotxa region.

The menu is a single tasting experience, a contemplative journey that begins with a view of the restaurant’s own garden and the chicken coop at Casa Horizonte, the restaurant’s research and development space. Dishes are built around local treasures: the small white beans of Santa Pau, buckwheat, wild river trout, and the volcanic soil’s wild mushrooms. Puigdevall’s approach is rooted in the landscape’s intimacy and the immutable cycle of the seasons, turning humble products into something extraordinary. This commitment to place and season has earned Les Cols two Michelin stars.

The team is a family affair. Puigdevall’s daughters are central: Martina Puigvert Puigdevall as head chef, Carlota Puigvert Puigdevall as head of pastry, and Clara Puigvert Puigdevall as head sommelier. The space itself was designed by RCR Arquitectes, winners of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, whose work echoes the same interplay of light, shadow, and nature that defines Puigdevall’s cuisine. The atmosphere is one of quiet serenity—a place where the luxury of silence and the gesture of hospitality are as important as the food.