The best restaurants PAYS BASQUE NAVARRE - RIOJA

Five minutes by car from the centre of Bermeo, this family restaurant offers traditional Basque cuisine in a rustic caserío built in 1850. The restaurant is famous for its good meat and fish grilled parilla, but it also offers more modest dishes such as garlic soup, kidney beans, talo with chorizo (a kind of wafer) and so on. In winter, an excellent sarteneko (potato-egg-chorizo) typical of the region is eaten by the fireplace.

This restaurant specialising in cod prepares innovative and refined cuisine. You can taste cod prepared in various ways (with pil-pil sauce basque, or in the form of croquettes). Very neat and cosy setting with views of the ría.

It is the tavern of the gourmet restaurant Jolastoki, offering traditional quality cuisine. Snails with biscayenne, rice to mussels, etc.

One of the best restaurants in town. Its specialities: ravioli cod, grilled octopus, or for carnivores, prime rib with confit potatoes. Appetizing.

5 kilometres from the centre of Plentzia, on the heights of Barrika beach, here is a good address to enjoy fresh fish. Here, it is the raw material that counts, and the preparation of the dishes is at the service of the product! Thus, clams a la plancha, txangurro (crab), mussels, hake, turbot or sea bass are cooked in their simplest form. A tip: save room for homemade desserts, especially pantxineta, made with almond puff pastry and cream. A pure delight.

Buffet service with seafood and all kinds of dishes.

The best address in the city to enjoy a good meal or pintxos in a nice rustic setting, with stones and exposed beams. Mushrooms (in season), seafood and grilled meats are the protagonists of an ingrained cuisine, with a special emphasis on seasonal products. The house is also famous for its delicious chuletón (grilled prime rib). Informal atmosphere around the bar or on the terrace, and white tablecloth tables on the restaurant side!

Located in the building of the Fishermen's Brotherhood, on the port of Santurce, this restaurant is a classic for eating fish grilled parilla. On two floors, in a pleasant maritime-inspired setting, you can enjoy fish soup, grilled sea bream or hake, clams in green sauce... In the summer, sit out on its large terrace to share grilled sardines and a bottle of txakoli in an informal atmosphere. Good value for money!

Traditional and copious cuisine in this tavern with a rustic decor. The place is particularly prized at aperitif time for its impressive choice of pintxos! Often crowded, always friendly, it is a good place to treat yourself to some tapas. If you have trouble identifying what some of these delicious little Basque bites are made of, don't hesitate to ask the waiters for a little more explanation, some of them even speak French. Certainly one of the most popular addresses in town.

Housed in a magnificent 15th century mansion in the old quarter, the Portalon, with its antique and sculpture showroom, is a fine example of a medieval interior: paved floors, wooden beams, period furniture and even a chapel! In this setting, you will be served dishes based on vegetables and game, well prepared and representative of the regional cuisine: Roasted suckling lamb with green salad and small onions, Entrecote de boeuf with green pepper or Idiazábal sauce, Kokotxas de Mérou au Pil-Pil...

Here they serve some of the best pintxos in the region! With its inventive or traditional, but revisited recipes, the Sagartoki is unanimously acclaimed. The idea here is to combine delicate and inventive small portions with maestro cocktails composed by the renowned Raúl Fernández. On certain evenings, especially at weekends and in the summer, DJs come to brighten up the atmosphere. Don't leave the premises without tasting the tortilla de patata, pintxo de huevo frito or parmesan croquettes. To be enjoyed at the counter or in a more formal venue.

Located in the main street of Laguardia, this restaurant (and the hotel of the same name) occupies a beautiful stone residence. Before your meal, take a stroll through the 16th-century wine cellar to sample wines and tapas. The restaurant, with its traditional and elegant décor, allows you to try some very refined regional cuisine, such as red partridge with truffle sauce or suckling pig with apple puree. There is also the "calado", a 16th-century wine cellar in the basement of the hotel, which has been converted into a space for wine tasting and other aperitifs.

This beautifully restored 18th century house has a cellar, like most of the houses in Laguardia. Here you will be able to taste tapas (there is a fine selection of tostadas on the menu: slices of toasted bread with gourmet products) to be accompanied, of course, by a delicious glass of wine in an enchanting and typical setting. Guided tours of the house are also possible. A stop for gourmets in a typical atmosphere could not be more recommended, with friends or family!

Good table managed by Patxi and Alejandra, a young couple from Laguardia. In a rather classic decor, they taste traditional recipes that have been brought up to date with talent. Situated on the outskirts of the city, the restaurant offers beautiful views of the vineyards and the Sierra de Cantabria. Some suggestions to whet your appetite: goat's cheese gratin with apple-grape compote or cod carpaccio with aioli sauce as a starter; grouper pil-pil, grilled beef steak or roast lamb as a main course... and surprise for dessert!

In Terete, the famous cordero lechal (grilled suckling lamb) has been prepared in an old wood-fired oven since 1877: the house specialty. Cooked in the same way as it was more than a century ago, it is served in generous portions, after a portion of asparagus or a plate of jamón ibérico, accompanied by a salad, homemade fries or even a ration of pan-fried porcini mushrooms. As a starter, you can also try the menestra, a traditional dish based on a variety of vegetables. Friendly welcome and warm decor with stone walls and fireplace!

Located in the Los Agustinos Hotel, this restaurant offers La Rioja cuisine and creative recipes, offering a clever mix of tradition and modernity. Suckling pig (cochinillo), but also grilled Castilian suckling lamb, as well as seasonal vegetables are a sure bet (fried artichokes and asparagus are a treat!). Other specialities of the place: the delicious cuttlefish ink croquettes and tapas de pata negra.

It is in a historical building - in turn the residence of the lawyer Antonio Méndez de Lara and then of the apothecary Diego de Lara - located right next to the cathedral, the parador and the town hall square that since 1991 Los Caballeros have taken over the place and have become a culinary reference in town. On the menu, we find local specialties based on lamb, cod ... Succulent! And as a bonus, good homemade desserts and a friendly welcome.

A very authentic asador, in a decor of stone walls, beams and pretty stained glass windows representing scenes of grape harvest. The place is famous for its meats grilled on the embers of vine shoots (the lamb chops are a little marvel: amateurs, don't hesitate a second!), prepared in the restaurant's large fireplace. Also à la carte, a wide range of typical dishes from the Riojanes or, more broadly, from Spain, such as the tasty morcilla (blood sausage) or patatas a la riojana. Try to save a place for dessert!

In the modern part of Durango, a 10-minute walk from the Santa Maria de Uribarri Basilica, there is a traditional cuisine restaurant offering good menus at fair prices. You can enjoy them in a large modern room with a curious stained-glass window décor and large wooden tables. A la carte, delicious foie à la plancha and apple compote, creamy rice with mushrooms, and a wide variety of fish and seafood dishes: lobster salad, cod kokotxas with pilpil sauce, grilled octopus, chipirons with ink... Tasty!

Beside the road, in a building without much charm, nothing suggests the quality of this hotel and restaurant. Run by Enrique Martínez, reference in local cuisine, this establishment is the main attraction of Cintruénigo, and an economic engine for this small town. Its cuisine, respectful of the ingredients is also full of inventiveness. Vast and renovated with industrial accents, this restaurant is one of the best restaurants in the region. The hotel, more classic, setting on comfort and tranquillity of its guests.

In the center, near the church of San Salvador, this traditional family restaurant is run by the young Pili Manterola, who has taken over from her grandfather. You will be welcomed in a large and warm room, and will be seated either in the main room or on the interior balconies. Woodwork and white tables, the atmosphere is warm and friendly. On the menu, a tasty traditional cuisine, where fish is king, but where meat is not left out. Specialty of parilla, cooked on large barbecues.

Inaugurated in 1962, a stone's throw from the church of San Salvador, Kaia Kaipe is today a classic in Guetaria, renowned among the locals for its excellent fish à la parilla. On its pleasant terrace with views of the port, you can enjoy hake, sole, turbot or grilled sea bream, but also excellent seafood from the house's own fish tank... All of this is served with a chilled txakoli or a bottle of wine chosen from the restaurant's huge selection, whose bodega has some 1,000 references. A sure value!

Restaurant located on the small port of Elantxobe, with a very pleasant terrace in the beautiful days. Fresh fish, fresh fish, but also good pintxos. Nearby, in the old fisherman's brotherhood, Ogoñope (managed by the same owners) offers an elegant setting for a more chic meal.

Located in the upper part of the village of Elantxobe, and 20 m from the hotel of the same name, it is possible to admire this charming harbour while enjoying the dishes of traditional cuisine, including excellent fish and meat.

In a pretty mountain house with flowered balconies, you will be able to enjoy simple and unpretentious cuisine. The Menú del día (menu of the day) offers a choice of three starters (salad, soup or small vegetables), three main courses (fried egg and chistorra, trout with ham or lomo de cerdo), as well as a drink, bread and a homemade dessert. Alternatively, it is always possible to opt for a plato combinado: meat or fish with egg, potatoes and vegetables. It's a great way to get your strength back without breaking the bank. Upstairs, you can rent nice apartments.

This restaurant is located in an 18-hectare vineyard estate, where ecological wines are produced. It is possible to visit the estate and the bodega, but you will come especially to enjoy a good rib of beef grilled on the embers! Also on the menu, in bulk: chorizo with white wine, liver terrine, grilled grouper, and many other sweets. Tarts for dessert also make their effect. You can also, of course, try the wines from the bodega to accompany your meal!

The Ariño restaurant is a charming comedor, rustic to the core with its large wooden beams and old stone walls decorated with antique paintings or equally old painted ceramic plates. It is in this typical Basque country canteen atmosphere that we share with the locals an unpretentious but copious menu, always prepared with care. Usually you start with a salad and then move on to a solid rib of beef or fish cooked with skill. Beautiful wine list and warm welcome!

A surprisingly designer address where you can enjoy a choice of inventive cuisine or traditional recipes, depending on what you feel like eating. Awarded several times, this restaurant is one of the best addresses in the area. The wine list obviously puts Rioja in the spotlight, with an exhaustive selection. Some suggestions: cherry and langoustine gazpacho, jamón de bellota or croquetas de la casa as a starter; fish or meat Riojan style as a main course; mango and passion fruit ravioli or red wine and cinnamon ice cream for dessert!