Restaurants in the Rioja
Updated October 1, 2026
For many people, the two most important things when visiting wine country are good wine and good food. There are wine regions around the world where the diversity and quality of the wine surpasses that of the local restaurants. Not so in Rioja, where the confluence of local and regional ingredients and refined cooking techniques trickling in from the nearby Basque Country has created a culinary landscape that matches the depth of the local wine culture.
From traditional asadores (grilling houses) to fine dining destinations, Riojan restaurants provide quality and variety for even the most demanding palates. Needless to say, the selection of local wines available is stunning, with any restaurant worth its salt has a cellar with dozens or even hundreds of Rioja wines, from famous to little known bodegas.
I’ve included a small selection of Rioja restaurants worth the trip. Believe me, there are many more to discover.
Alameda
Alameda is a Riojan temple to exceptional product and the art of grilling. The dining room, decorated in a cozy and classic style, invites you to settle in and relax. Start off your meal with vegetable dishes and salads that use ingredients from the owners’ garden, some excellent jamón ibérico, or some delicious seafood from the Basque coast. The main event at Alameda is all about the grill. Whether you are in the mood for fish, meat, or even both, it’ll be cooked to perfection here. Wash it all down with bottles from Alameda’s enormous wine list. This is the kind of restaurant where the meal tends to become a joyful all-day affair where the good feelings and conversation continue long into the afternoon, a temple to good eating and good sobremesa.
Amelibia
A beautiful little family-run restaurant in Laguardia, Amelibia serves updated, seasonal selections of Riojan cuisine. You can order à la carte, but the best option is to do the tasting menu, a selection of eight seasonal dishes which will guarantee you come away with a great experience and a perspective on the richness of products in the area. The wine list is carefully curated, featuring many small and fantastic producers from Laguardia and the wider Rioja alongside wines from around the world. The wine service is superb, so feel free to leave yourself in the hands of the warm staff when it comes to wine. The dining room has excellent views over the countryside around Laguardia.
Arsa
The young Riojan-Andalusian couple behind Arsa have made a strong impression in a short time. This informal fine dining spot in Logroño serves dishes that combine influences from Rioja and Andalusia, where the two met. Creative twists on Logroño and Sevilla tapas classics open the appetite for creative takes on everything from Rioja’s classic lamb to coastal shrimp and fish of all sorts. Dining here feels like a breath of fresh air, and chefs Bea and Rodrigo have made Arsa the most exciting new restaurant in Rioja.
Asador José Mari
Up towards the mountains from San Vicente de la Sonsierra, in the village of Rivas del Tereso, José Mari is a Rioja classic. Pure traditional Riojan cuisine is on display here, making this a perfect place to try specialties like patatas a la Riojana, pochas, or delicious white asparagus. The main attraction, true to the name, is grilled meat, game, and Basque seafood specialties like rodaballo and zamburiñas. You’ll find an extensive list of Rioja wines by the bottle here, classic wines and small productions that pair amazingly well with the cuisine without breaking the bank.
La Cocina de Ramón
La Cocina de Ramón is a temple to local product in the heart of Logroño. The cozy dining room features Riojan architecture, with exposed stone walls and beam-lined ceilings. Chef Ramón Piñeiro serves elegant dishes that make use of seasonal ingredients. The vegetable dishes here are splendid, while the fish and meat dishes showcase Riojan recipes and careful technique. Pair your meal with wine from the well-stocked cellar full of classic Riojan bottles.
Echaurren Tradición
Francis Paniego has two Michelin stars at his restaurant El Portal de Echaurren, but his heart may be in Echaurren Tradición, the traditional restaurant just down the hall. Here Paniego’s mother’s recipes (she herself was a culinary legend) shine with the technical excellence of the Echaurren team. Riojan classics come alive here, from croquetas and hearty stews to fish dishes with perfect sauces and offal for the adventurous. There’s no better place to taste traditional Riojan cuisine at its best. Don’t neglect the wine list, full of rare and undiscovered bottlings from Rioja and beyond.
Héctor Oribe
The only restaurant in the tiny village of Páganos, Héctor Oribe is a hidden gem. Chef Héctor and his wife run this charming and comfortable little restaurant, where Héctor puts his own surprising twists on traditional Riojan and Basque ingredients and dishes. Héctor previously worked at three Michelin star Arzak in San Sebastián, so his technique is always impeccable. The wine list features many wines from Rioja, and this is an especially good place to discover small producers whose wines are unknown outside of the region.
Ikaro (1 Michelin star)
Ikaro in Logroño seems improbable in the tradition-bound Rioja region. Yet two young chefs, one from Laguardia, Rioja and the other from Ecuador, have brought together prime Riojan products with Ecuadorian flavors. As they themselves say: A little bit traditional and a little bit modern. They also have 2 Repsol soles (Influential Spanish ranking).
Juan Carlos Ferrando
Juan Carlos Ferrando, Argentine by birth and Riojan by adoption, is one of Logroño’s most exciting chefs. The elegant yet relaxed restaurant bearing his name serves current takes on Riojan cuisine, paying special attention to the seasonal produce for which Rioja is known. Opt for one of the tasting menus or order à la carte for a great taste of contemporary Riojan cooking. In the wine cellar, the best of Rioja is available, including wines from small artisan producers and a good selection of wines by the glass.
Kiro Sushi (1 Michelin star)
Chef Félix Jiménez studied with sushi master Yoshikawa Takamasa in Japan before opening Kiro Sushi in Logroño. The tasting menu (160€) of sushi and grilled or smoked fish is served Tuesday through Saturday to 6 diners. Open for 1.5 hours each day.
Lumbre
Lumbre is one of Rioja’s destination restaurants. Walk through the front door and you’ll know you’re in for a good meal in this restored historic building decorated in a cozy style that in Spain signals a long and enjoyable meal lies ahead. The most exciting space requires navigating a narrow stone staircase that leads underground until you emerge into an enormous wine cellar. You’ll find wines from the finest wineries in Rioja as well as other parts of the world, aging in perfect conditions right below the restaurant. In the restaurant, you’ll have a full range of expertly prepared Riojan dishes to pair with your wine.
Nublo (1 Michelin star)
Miguel Caño comes home to Rioja with Nublo, terroir-focused fine dining in the old town of Haro. Caño spent years at Mugaritz near San Sebastián, perhaps Spain’s most experimental and molecular fine dining restaurant. When coming to Haro, right next to his parents’ traditional restaurant, Caño has done something grounded. Nublo is in a restored two-story palace. Most of the dishes are touched with fire, whether on the grill, in the wood-fired oven or on the old-style wood-powered stove. Each dish on the tasting menus is recognizable and flavorful. Nublo’s food is innovative without being alien, and directly enjoyable. The wine celler is packed with rare Rioja wines and jewels from around Spain, so whether you opt for an expert pairing or choose bottles the liquid side is up to the challenge.
El Portal de Echaurren (2 Michelin stars)
El Portal de Echaurren was the first restaurant in Rioja to get a Michelin star. Today it has two and sit sits at the center of the projects of the Paniego family in the tiny village of Ezcaray in the south of Rioja, which include a boutique hotel and the also excellent Echaurren Tradición restaurant. Chef Francis Paniego unleashes his creativity at El Portal, imagining dishes that take local ingredients to new heights. His feet are firmly planted in the traditional cuisine of Rioja and particularly his mother’s cooking, so even in the midst of the extensive tasting menu classics like (impeccable) ham croquettes appear. José Félix is in charge of the extremely complete wine cellar at Echaurren, where you’ll find wines from classic and undiscovered producers of Rioja at the heart of the wine program. Let José Félix and the knowledgeable staff guide you in pairing your meal, or choose bottles that catch your eye. Either way, a meal at Echaurren is the peak of dining in Rioja.
Tierra y Vino
Tierra y Vino serves refined dishes using local Riojan ingredients with a dash of French sensibility and great wine. The restaurant occupies part of the Palacio de Samaniego, a stone palace bought and tastefully refurbished by the Baroness Arianne de Rothschild. The tranquil dining room is decorated with art from the Baroness’s collection. Whether you opt for a full-scale tasting menu featuring French and Basque-Riojan dishes or a shorter local-focused menu, expect local vegetables, seafood from the Cantabrian Sea, balanced sauces and careful presentation. Wine-wise, the Macán wines from the nearby Rothschild-Vega Sicilia collaboration winery are a must-try, but the cellar is full of small-production Rioja wines and iconic French bottles.
Venta Moncalvillo (2 Michelin stars)
Treat yourself to lunch at Venta Moncalvillo, a mandatory stop for wine lovers in Rioja. This two Michelin star restaurant lies in the tiny village of Daroca de Rioja south of Logroño and makes extensive use of products from their own garden and the surrounding countryside. Chef Ignacio Echapresto handles the extraordinary dishes while his brother Carlos presides over the equally important and impressive wine cellar. The restaurant has over 600 different wines available, from Rioja and many other regions inside and outside Spain. Carlos is a notable collector of old and rare bottles of Rioja, making Venta Moncalvillo a great place to taste the history of Riojan winemaking and see its unmatched aging potential in action.
Ventilla
The flagship restaurant of the Hotel Palacio de los Ángeles is run by the Echapresto brothers, longtime Riojan culinary legends who hold two Michelin stars at Venta Moncalvillo. At Ventilla, expect an à la carte menu featuring classic Spanish and Riojan cooking in elegant form alongside selected dishes from Venta Moncalvillo’s tasting menus. You can opt for lighter fare or hearty dishes. Vegetables abound, a specialty of the Echaprestos.
Sommelier Carlos Echapresto manages the extensive wine cellar. The restaurant claims to have the largest collection of Rioja wines and vintages in the world, so expect rare wines and old vintages that are difficult to find elsewhere.