We just returned today from our usual October stay in the Rioja DOC and spent the day in Logroño on Thursday plus another day in Haro, Friday, plus wine purchases today in Samaniego and Villabuena de Alava at Bodegas Amaren (their Carracaquinta), Baigorri (their Finca Las Navas Maturana) and Ostatu (their Glora and 2019 Gran Reserva Blanco, a mixture of viura and malvasía).
Today´s bonus addition was our meeting up with delightful fellow HO poster and wife at Palacio de Samaniego, whose highly talented Portuguese chef was “poached” from Marqués de Riscal (where he obtained a Michelin star) by the Baroness Rothschild when she re- opened this lovely 9-room hotel.
In Logroño we sampled wine and more creative pintxos at “Umm, Sólo Tapas”, “Tastevin”
and the new location of “Bueno, Bueno!,” (great wine by the glass selection) on Calle San Juan, avoiding the “tourist central” crowd that frequents Calle Laurel (but Bar Soriano on Travesía del Laurel is a must for its “champis” or a, grilled mushroom atop a slice of bread, topped with a baby shrimp and bathed in a very secret sauce.
For dining in Haro, your evening options will be the cutting edge Michelin starred (plus 2 Repsol suns) Nublo (with chef from Mugaritz, which tells you everthing), its more casual sister next door, Los Caños (the mother of the chef’s original place), the new very casual Etxea, across the street for pintxos and very nice grilled meats, all in the tapas bar area called “La Herradura” (which forms a horseshoe shape) and Arrope in the hotel of the same name on Calle de la Vega.
In a pinch there’s the long established Beethoven II also in the Herradura, but… for evening gourmet dining, look no further than at Nublo or Los Caños, but both closed Sun. nights and all day Monday,.
Our friends’s Repsol sunned place on the Plaza de la Paja, “Albaroque”, is only open for lunch, Tues-Sun. , unfortunately not for dinner.
We had lunch with Raúl and Laura at Alboroque on Friday and as usual, were not disappointed with our solomillo de steak tartare and blue fin tuna from Balfegó and chocolate/banana cake with raspberry sauce for dessert, plus a bottle of excellent Ana de Altún (white). But again, lunch only for only 16 diners, so one must reserve in advance.
Had we booked in advance, we would have stopped for roast baby lamb on our way home at the lovely La Portada de Mediodía in Torrecaballeros (Tinín in Sepúlveda being further from home and a greater risk of sleep inducement!!), but today was a holiday weekend (Día de la Hispanidad) and all the lechazo temples along or slightly off the A1 were fully booked, to the rafters!.
