Riojan Food...

Tapas in Logroño

For a night of fun and delicious tapas head for the Calle Laurel (Laurel Street) in Logroño. Located in the heart of Logrono's old town, The Calle Laurel's speciality is tapas, tapas and more tapas!

Each bar has its own speciality indicated on chalk boards or represented on luminous signs at the entrance. Competition is fierce which means the standard is high.

When tapas crawling in Logroño, there are a few local specialities not to be missed. Start at Bar Soriano or Bar Angel with “champiñones” (cup mushrooms marinated in garlic) cooked on a hot plate. Order “una de champiñones” (one mushroom) with a “Rioja tinto” (red Rioja) and let the evening begin.

Other specialities include “cojonudo” (chorizo and spicy red pepper from Rioja topped with a fried quail's egg and served on bread) at Bar Simpatia. Not for the faint hearted, “embuchados” from Bar Achuri (sheep's intestines flash fried on a hot plate) is another local delicacy.

Fish and seafood is also outstanding in Logroño. Try fresh "calamares" (squid) or "sepia" (baby squid), "gambas" (prawns), or "mejillones" (mussels). Other must-eat classics are "patatas bravas" (potatoes with spicy sauce), "tortilla de patata" (Spanish potato omelette), "jamón" (cured ham) and "croquettas" (croquettes).

Food shopping in Logroño

For the best and freshest local foods, visitors should head to Logroño's central market: the Mercado de San Blas, located at number 1, Sagasta street. This is a great place to marvel at the fish or vegetable stalls or shop for goodies to take home.

Best buys include fresh chorizos (if you like spicy chorizos, pick the ones with the red string), salchichón sausage (seasoned with pepper corns), serrano hams, cheeses, "membrillo" (quince paste) as well as jars of asparagus and peppers. Prices are low but quality is high and many stalls can vacuum pack your purchases!