Restaurants in the Rioja

Note: Venta Moncalvillo received their second Michelin star in 2023.

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 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 serving dozens or hundreds of local wines, famous and unknown.

I’ve included a small selection of restaurants. 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.

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.

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.

El Portal de Echaurren

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.

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.

La Tercera Estacion (Contador Wine Bar)

In the old part of hilltop San Vicente de la Sonsierra is a very unusual wine and tapas bar. La Tercera Estación belongs to Benjamín Romeo, the mastermind behind Contador whose wines have garnered acclaim and high prices around the world. The bar is elegant, but not the fancy place you might expect from Contador. Instead, La Tercera Estación offers tapas and shared plates of traditional Riojan cuisine. A selection of Contador wines are available by the glass and all by the bottle, or you can opt for a small tasting. The casual environment, good food, and exceptional wine have made La Tercera Estación a popular spot with the locals of San Vicente and wine lovers from all over the world.

Nublo

Nublo is the brainchild of Mugaritz (2 Michelin stars) alumni who came to the center of Haro to bring out the best of Rioja’s products and dishes. The restaurant occupies an impeccably restored palace in Haro’s old part. All of the cooking is done using wood, whether in the wood oven, on the grill, or on the traditional Basque wood-powering stove. Expect a tasting menu that highlights seasonal Riojan products alongside excellent fish and seafood sourced from the waters of the nearby Basque coast. To accompany the pure flavors of the menu, Nublo boasts a cellar packed with wines from Rioja and around Spain, where you’ll find classic bottles alongside rarities from talented growers. The restaurant’s opening in Haro in 2021 made an immediate impact, so much so that in less than six months Nublo earned a Michelin star.

Venta Moncalvillo

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.

Eating in Rioja: The Best Wine Country Restaurants