Expand your mind and your waistline…

La Rioja isn’t all about wine, its also about breaking bread together and gathering around hearty meals made from a dazzling array of fresh local produce like tender lamb, garden-fresh fruit and vegetables, fish and seafood whizzed down from the coast, and hearty homemade chorizos and morcillas. It’s also, though less famously so, an important olive oil region.

No matter how small the town or village you find yourself in, you’ll find restaurants and bars literally shoe-horned into them, offering some memorable dining experiences ranging from new-wave Rioja cuisine by Michelin starred chefs, to casual stand-up bars serving mouth-watering tapas.

Your only challenge is to get through it all …

EZCARAY: best for celebratory lunches and dinners

Echaurren
Chef: Marisa Paniego
Décor: classical dining room, local landscapes, liveried waiters
Dishes: grilled morcilla (blood sausage) with sweet red piquillo peppers; potaje (chick pea stew with monk fish and clams);
Héroes del Alcázar 2, Ezcaray, 941 354 047

El Portal de Echaurren
Chef: Francis Paniegos, 1 Michelin star
Décor: fresh flowers, elegant table settings, lots of space
Dishes: new-wave Rioja cooking at it’s finest: sweet and sour foie gras
C/Héroes del Alcázar 2, Ezcaray, 941 354 047

Casa Masip de Ezcaray
Chef: Pedro Masip
Décor: Periwinkle blue walls, ancient wood beams and crisp white linen
Dishes: oven roast turbot with shallots and trompeta de la muerte mushrooms, steak with foie, tomato “sphere” with bonito (mackrel) “bomb”
C/Academia Militar 6, 941 354 327, www.restaurantecasamasip.com


HARO: best for tapas

Bar El Pasadizo
Chef:
Décor: renovated 16th century church, great views
Dishes: excellent local wine list
Plaza San Martin 2, No Phone

Beethoven II
Chef:
Décor: rustic
Dishes: tender baby lamb chops grilled over vine cuttings
C/Santo Tomás 3-5, 941 311 181

Riojas Seleccion
Chef:
Décor: deli with tasting room
Dishes: vast selection of Rioja products and wines
Plaza Paz 5, 941 303 017

La Catedral de los Vinos "Casa Quintín"
Chef:
Décor: deli
Dishes: superior of wines, delicatessen style picnic goodies
C/ Santo Tomás 4, Haro, 941 312 143


LAGUARDIA: best for atmosphere

Hotel Marqués de Riscal
Chef:
Décor: sleek pale woods, designer crockery, architectural beams and picture windows
Dishes: Iberian ham ice-cream, foie gras custard, tomato tartar with chilled garlic soup
C/Torrea 1, Elciego, 5 mins from Laguardia, 945 18 08 88, www.luxurycollection.com/marquesderiscal

El Medoc Alavés
Chef:
Décor: first floor, light and airy
Dishes: potatoes rosti with lightly poached quails eggs and crisp jamón, juicy steaks
Hotel Villa de Laguardia, Paseo San Raimundo 15, Laguardia, +34 945 600 560, www.hotelvilladelaguardia.com

Antigua Bodega de Don Cosme Palacio
Chef:
Décor: rustic, lots of wood and brick
Dishes: grilled wild mushrooms, Iberian pork steaks, hearty stews
Carretera Elciego, Laguardia, 945 62 11 95, www.habarcelo.es

Entreviñas y Olivos
Chef:
Décor: 18th century cellars, red brick, rustic
Dishes: wines from small producers, artisan olive oils
Cuatro Cantones 12, Laguardia, 945 600 911, www.entrevinasyolivos.com

Ansan
Chef:
Décor: bright lights, bustling bar
Dishes: ‘cojonudos’ - jamón, mixed pepper and quails egg breakfast pintxos
C/Paganos 60, Laguardia, 619 910 043

Bar Los Sietes
Chef:
Décor:
Dishes: fruity,  vino joven Viña Ayesa, garlicky, D.O. mushrooms skewered with prawns
C/Páganos 92, Laguardia, 941 600 008, 941 121 085

El Bodegon
Chef:
Décor: wood and brick vaulted dining room
Dishes: pungent goats cheese, cured sausages and jamón
Travesía Santa Engracia 3, 945 60 07 93

Biazteri
Chef:
Décor: strip lighting and formica, but wildly popular
Dishes: boat fresh rabos (battered squid rings), gildas (guindilla peppers, olives and anchovies).
C/Mayor s/n, 945 60 00 26

Bar Velar
Chef:
Décor:
Dishes: grilled, wild porcini, courgettes and artichokes wrapped in jamón
C/Santa Engracia 37, 945 60 02 69


LOGROÑO:  best for new-wave cuisine

El Soldado de Tutelilla
Chef:
Decor:
Dishes: inventive new-wave tapas like TK
C/ San Agustín 33, 94 120 9624

Marisol Arriaga
Chef: Marisol Arriaga
Décor: modern sunset hues against charcoal, dishes chalked up on mirrors
Dishes: blood sausage topped with crispy octopus; tempura with romesco sauce, duck confit with honey and rosemary
C/Pintor Sorolla 5, Logroño, 941 582 222, www.marisolarriaga.com

Marón
Chef: Félix Rodríguez Besga
Décor:
Dishes: strong international wine list, vegetable ragout with wild shrimp and  
pig’s trotter cream
C/Portales 49, 945 27 00 77

Leito’s
Chef: Manolo García
Décor:
Dishes: fish done Basque style, cocochas (cod cheeks), erizos de mar (sea urchins)
C/Portales 30, Logroño, 941 212 075

Sopitas
Chef:
Décor:
Dishes:  
C/Carrera 4, 941 380 266

Bar Lorenzo
Chef:
Décor:
Dishes:‘tió agus’ pork sandwich doused in ‘abuela damiana’s’ secret “coca cola” salsa
Travesía del Laurel 4, Logroño, 941 200 929

El Corralito
Chef:
Décor:
Dishes: breakfasts of champions,  revueltos (scrambled eggs) with ham, prawns, asparagus, peppers and mushrooms
C/Albornoz 5, Logroño, 941 229 983

La Universidad
Chef:
Décor:
Dishes: best pulpo a la gallega (octopus with paprika) in town
Travesía del Laurel 9, Logroño, 941 201 033

Cachetero
Chef:
Décor:
Dishes: high end classical dining, that has seen Ernest Hemmingway and Spanish Royals among past patrons
C/ del Laurel 3, Logroño, 941 228 463

Palacio del Vino
Owner:
Décor:
Dishes: wines from over 50 La Rioja wineries
Avda. Burgos 136, Logroño, 941 228 200


OTHER AREAS best for lunch on the road

OLLAURI
Restaurante El Conde
Chef: Belen Garcia
Focus on local products and traditional recipes. Good for substantial lunches.
Sol de la cabra s/n, 941 33 83 59, www.restauranteelconde.com

CALAHORRA
Restaurante La Taberna de la Cuarta Esquina
Chef: Laura Suescun
Traditional dishes updated with contemporary verve Suescun who trained under new-wave maestros like Ferran Adrìa, Carme Ruscalleda and Juan Mari Arzak
Cuatro Esquinas 16, 941 134 355

Hotel Victoria de Arrendó
Chef: Susana Eguizábal
Top-flight New Rioja Cuisine
Av. Constitución 97, Arrendó, 941 380 100

MUNILLA
Quesería La Aulaga, (),
Artisan, unpasterurised goats cheeses, 2 months old
C/Escaleras 48, Munilla, 941 394 204

SAN VICENTE DE LA SONSIERRA
Casa Toni
Chef: Jesús Sáez Monge
Décor: Sexy, modern, lashing of lipstick red on steely grey
Dishes: prawn, foie and truffle carpaccio, sardines stuffed with olive oil cream and mackerel roe, pickled quail with pinenuts
C/Zumalacárregui 27, San Vicente de la Sonsierra, 941 33 40 01, www.casatoni.es