We’ll be driving from Madrid to Burgos in mid November and would love to try some roast suckling lamb along the way. A lot of options come up on google maps when searching and was wondering if anyone would have any recommendations that are convenient when travelling along the E-5. I see Mannix mentioned a lot which sounds great. Are there any other standouts that might have a more unique/historic atmosphere (excluding Segovia)? Thank you!
Absolutely go to MANNIX!!! Fantastic!
The gorgeous town of Pedraza de la Sierra has some great lamb restaurants, and then there is Sepulveda, where you can find EL FOGON DE TININ and their sibling (link below) and few others. I’ve had some of my best meals in Spain in those places.
In ROA, there’s ASADOS NAZARENO, also superb!!
But I’d go with MANNIX first..but I think it’s out of your way between those two points, but for me, worth the drive.
Some of these have limited menus; the lechazo is the star.
MANNIX, in Campospero, Spain
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Thanks @erica1 - the towns of Pedraza and Sepulveda looks very atmospheric - Tinin looking like a good contender! Thanks for the tips.
Any reviews for Asador Casa Anton in Lerma?
The towns of Pedraza and Sepulveda are more atmospheric but I would head to Mannix if you can as I feel there is a gap between it and some of the other places. Seems like it will be about 45 min out of your way.
Regardless of which place you choose, make sure and call ahead and reserve a lechazo quarter, otherwise they may not have any available or you may have to settle for a “racion” small portion.
I’ve been to most of the baby roast lamb temples in Castilla León, following García Santos’s no longer published “Lo Mejor de la Gastronomía, which the over meister himself of Mannix, Marco Antonio, declared ¨his bible”, the first time we dined there.
Baby roast lamb is something that I do know a great deal about, having spent many years on the lechazo trail! I´ve yet to hit all these lamb roasting taverns but am working hard at it! And erica1 has followed in my footsteps with my recommendations for quite a while, since we last dined at Mesón González in Sacramenia in its butcher shop annex because the Mesón itself was closed in November..
Of all the hornos de asar in Old Castile for dining on lechazo …
Mannix in Campaspero, Figón Zute el Tinín in Sepúlveda (zero atmosphere but great lamb), El Soportal on the lovely square in atmospheric, medieval Pedraza & El Corral de Joaquina tucked away there (el Yantar there has closed), Nazareno & El Chuleta Balcón del Duero in Roa, El Ermitaño in Benavente (Zamora province), Casa Ojeda, Casa Azofra & El Lagar de Isilla in Aranda, Mesón González in tiny Sacramenia, El Rancho de la Aldegüela & La Ported del Mediodía in Torrecaballeros etc., etc) Mannix is by far my favorite, and now, luckily, it’s close to home!
Not only is it my favorite for the roast lamb but also for the highly creative appetizers (Gemma’s famous trampojos) and Gemma’s desserts, now created by her sister, Alicia, since Gemma has decamped to Valladolid. On our last visit, our waiter told us that on our next visit, we should just order lots of apps and desserts! Mannix also boasts a stellar wine list compiled by Gemma.
But..all that said, .it would be quite a detour from the direct route on the A1 from Madrid to Burgos if you’re driving straight up the A 1. We’ve visited Mannix when staying in Ribera del Duero, not when driving from Madrid to Burgos.
As tigerjohn has noted, it would be a 45-minute detour.
You might want to save it for a time when you stay at the fabulous Abadia Retuerta in Sardón de Duero (where the daughter of Antonio Banderas/Melanie Griffith will be wed mid-October). We’ve stayed there twice and headed there again in December.
And as tigerjohn notes, you must reserve your lamb quarter ahead of time.
In Sepúlveda in the Segovia province which would be the quickest detour from the A1. When you reserve at Zute, he will tell you when to arrive so that your lamb will be freshly roasted for you. He chooses the arrival time, not the diner!
The ones I mention above are members of the association of Asadores de Castilla y León.
http://www.asadoresdelechazo.com/asadores?prov=Segovia.
But about Casa Antón, it does make an easy on and off the A 1 highway stop and the upper town is somewhat atmospheric but can´t compare at all, really with Sepúlbeva and Pedraza charm-wise. We’ve eaten there several times and also at Casa Brigante on the square but while staying at the Lerma Parador. For us, a cuarto de lechazo and a bottle of good Riberal del Duero wine always induces sleep, quite soporific, so in Lerma we chose to spend the night!
We’re on that route tomorrow and coming back that route on October 11 and since we live in the Madrid suburbs we chose to stop for our roast lamb fix at the highly atmospheric La Portada del Mediodía in Torrecaballeros since its closer to home, but Torrecaballeros would be a further detour for you from the A1 than Pedraza.
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Maribel, lucky you, returning to ABADIA RETUERTA!! What a hotel!!
Is there one town in particular that is known as THE Mecca for lechazo? Sepulveda? Aranda del Duero? (Just curious, as usual)
This is from 2006. Beginning at #54, I comment on the lechazo at Tinin, and later on, there’s info about Pedraza. What’s incredible is that we had only a week for this trip—if someone showed me this plan, I would have told them that they would be crazy to visit Toledo, Caceres, Segovia, Pedraza, etc, on a week-long visit!!!
Near the end of the report I linked, above, Mikel gives two recommendations for restaurants in Milagros, an hour north of Madrid on the highway to Burgos. Both of these are recommended for their lechazo. Good to remember for anyone heading that way from the capital.
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Huge thanks for all this info, it’s very very helpful and now have lots of googling to do. They all look great to me! On a side note - in Segovia is Jose Maria a good option for suckling pig?
We have 2 weeks in Madrid, then hitting the road to Burgos, Briones, Logrono, Bilbao + San Sebastian. The Abadia Retuerta hotel looks great though @Maribel so contemplating whether to add a stop there too.
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@erica1
I’ve stopped on the A1 autoroute in Milagros a few times to visit the 2 places Mikel recommended. They do get swamped, as they are an easy in and out off the autovía. Going up north from Madrid, I wouldn’t stop there but instead press further on. Going south to Madrid they make a better option.
Further down south a 25-minute drive, there’s also Área de Boceguillas, another horno de asar known for its roast baby lamb and individually made tortillas and hugely popular with Madrid denizens plying that route.. We stop there for the latter, not the former because it comes for us at the mid-morning almuerzo (second breakfast) time rather than late lunch time.
What we’ve realized over these many years, is that we need to have our roast lamb feast close to where we’ll be spending the night, rather than trying to drive 2+ hours after this feast.
No, in my opinion, there isn’t one town known as the Mecca, although Aranda de Duero claims to be the “cradle of roast lamb”.
@marksound,
Yes José María in Segovia is my number one spot for cochinillo. It does have a Repsol sun as does Cándido, as does Duque… Our family took us to Cándido recently because they hadn´t been in several years and it was loaded with tourists due to the location next to the aqueduct. I still have my menu that Cándido gave me on my first visit as a teenager. Now, it has become primarily tourist-centered. I prefer José María and it`s easier to snag a last minute reservation. The basement dining room, lined with lovely ceramics, for us isn’t Siberia at all. Very professional wait staff.
The owner of José María also serves his terrific Ribera del Duero house label wine and is the owner of the prestigious Pago de Carrraovejas y Ossian wine enterprise in Peñafiel with Michelin starred restaurant and phenomenal wine service, part of the “Golden Mile” of Ribera del Duero.
JM also satisfies the needs to a vegetarian diner, as there are more vegetarian items on the menu. Order somewhat sparingly here, as the portions are huge! On a recent visit, we took home half of our meal!
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We’re now on the A1 towards Burgos and just passed the exit to Sepúlveda, which would be the shortest detour for you to have your roast lamb feast. From Madrid to the Sepúlveda exit is about a 1.5 hour drive.
When I wrote that El Figón de Zute had no atmosphere, I meant that it’s a no frills place, since a *figón
is a humble eating place void of décor. But Zute is much loved. by Madrileños, who flock there on weekends.
Simple menu: roast lamb, tomato and lettuce salad, Castilian country bread and a simple dessert. It’s a classic, though. And Sepúlveda is an atmospheric town.
Be very aware of the many speed traps on the A1!
Just stopped for coffee & tortilla in Milagros . Como en Casa is a bar/cafetería/comedor with a 7/11 type shop that motorists and bus tours use. Open continuosly while El Llagar de Milagros across the street is a fancier horno de asar for a sit down meal. Both have adobe roasting ovens. Too early in the day for us!
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Reminiscing time. July, 2018, the Ziggy clan discover the perfect tourist town, Segovia. And end a glorious day with a glorious meal at José María. I remember so many details. When he came to the table wearing his medal, speaking to us in Spanish, we picked up a few words… International, Culinary, Sensation. And he wasnt speaking about himself, I dont think. Our tour guide that day, who simply knew I have a food blog, as amateur as it is, told them that when she made the reservations. 
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@Ziggy
Great description of the slicing with the side of the plate ritual.
Don Cándido the second (Alberto) at age 92 still performs this ritual daily to hushed silence from the diners, then applause after throwing the plate to the ground smashed to smithereens . Can’t post our video here but afterwards he sits down to enjoy his cochinillo lunch with his wife every day.
@marksound
Since you mentioned Briones, we have loved our 2 recent stays at the Hotel Santa María there. The 2 properties that I often suggest in the Rioja wine region are SM and the Palacio de Samaniego, now owned by the Baroness Rothschlid.
The SM also is nice for a visit to the Vivanco wine museum and it does also have a noted restaurant, although not open every day. It has lots of character yet the guest quarters are quite contemporary.
So the key to living till 100+ is a daily cochinillo. Interesting. I always thought it was an apple.
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For the owner of Luis Cañas/ Amaren it was his mid morning blanquito, glass of white wine taken every day around noon. Whatever works!
Thanks @Maribel - I think we will do Tinin as it’s seems easy to access and a nice town to stretch out legs in. I noticed there’s two venues - is either better?
We are going to stay in Hotel Santa Maria. We have four nights to reach Bilbao so just deciding where to stop. 2 nights in Briones and two in Logrono is our first idea. All ears for any other recommendations though!
What’s the transport situation like in the evening in Rioja? If we were to have a dinner in Haro, would it be hard to get a taxi back to Briones? Thanks again for your help.
@marksound
I hope you enjoy the Santa María in Briones as much as we did. The short drive between Briones & San Vicente de la Sonsierra is beautiful.
If you need an evening wine bar in addition to the cellar in SM or if it’s not open, we go with our friends to the wine bar owned by Bodegas Contador in San Vicente de la Sonsierra that serves small plates and those impressive Contador wines. It’s called La Tercera Estación Wine Bar.
For dinner in Haro you have the very innovative Nublo, Michelin starred (chef from Mugaritz) or its casual, traditional outpost next door (same family), Los Caños.
Also the 16-seat Alboroque on the corner of the Plaza de la Paja (in a former bank). The chef Raúl and his wife Laura are friends of ours. Reservations essential in all 3.
For a taxi to return to Briones you may want to pre book Taxis Haro or have the hotel book the return for you.
Thanks @Maribel. Just booked two nights in Santa Maria and now planing Logrono. Is the Áurea Palacio de Correos the best hotel to stay in?
Yes!
Sit down dining we’ve enjoyed in Logroño in addition to the bars in the Laurel and San Juan zones:
Ikaro
Aitor Esnal
Ajo Negro
Wine Fandango
La Quisquillosa
Tondeluna, the informal spot of Michelin- starred Paniego of Echauren (very much worth the drive down to lovely Ezcaray to dine at Echauren— we prefer the Tradición side to the cutting edge El Portal of Echauren but we’ve dined happily at both. Ezcaray is a very pretty mountain village.
Another drive down south to the tiny village of Daroca de la Rioja:
Venta de Moncalvillo by the Echapresto brothers: fab wine list, their own vegetable garden (with Michelin green star for sustainability) plus now their own farm, La Granja!
2 Michelin stars plus the green star, 2 Repsol suns
Next year the Echapresto brothers will supervise the dining at the new (yet to open) 5- star hotel Palacio de los Ángeles in Haro, being renovated by the Majestic hotel group. It’s about time that Haro can boast a fine hotel!
This is great! Thank you - just booked two nights in Longroño. Too many options…need more days and another stomach !
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