The Perfect Lunch in Spain
La Comida
If there’s one thing that’s sacred in Spain, it’s la comida. Literally meaning “the meal,” it’s no coincidence that this phrase refers in Spain to lunch, not dinner. In a country where stores and offices still close between 2 and 5 PM, if they reopen at all, the midday meal is the main attraction. Walk past any restaurant anywhere in the country on a Sunday afternoon and you’ll see groups of relatives and friends extending these meals long past the time an impatient American could ever imagine. It is, as they say, a marathon and not a sprint. A philosophical and experiential rebuttal of takeout, working lunches, and drive-thrus, the Spanish lunch is something that has to be experienced to be understood.
A Long Lunch
Spaniards can have mult-hour lunches at all sorts of restaurants, but there are certain spots that encourage this behavior more than others. You can spend all afternoon at many tapas bars or sit-down tapas restaurants, but you can also be in and out quickly if you prefer. Michelin-star restaurants are notorious for offering long meals, with multi-hour tasting menus extended with aperitifs, digestifs, desserts and enjoyment. But it is at the most traditional of Spanish restaurants that the cult of the all-day lunch is strongest. They exist in every corner of the country: jacketed waiters, multiple dining rooms, a bar section, long menus, outdoor tables if possible and cavernous wine cellars. The best classic Spanish restaurants offer everything you could imagine wanting to consume, and more.
Classic Restaurants in Spain
After having eaten at some of Spain’s best restaurants, including many holding Michelin stars, the places that have stuck with me tend to be classic spots that put their focus squarely on the product they serve. The seafood temples of Galicia where you can order plate after plate of untranslateable delicacies washed down with Albariño until your stomach or wallet give out. The asadores of Castilla y León and Rioja, where roast suckling pig and lamb, steaks and game combine with hearty local red wine to induce narcolepsy. The roadside ventas of Andalusia which manage to serve stews and fish and meat and where sherry somehow goes with everything. The paella specialists of the Catalan and Valencian coast who can convert anyone into a rice acolyte. But it’s on the northern coast of Spain, where rolling hills and towering mountains meet the Cantabrian Sea, where the most legendary lunch experience is to be found.
Basque Cuisine
The Basques are known even within Spain as lovers of good eating. The region has a wealth of products to work with. The green hills yield vegetables and mushrooms and game and meat, in particular the legendary Basque txuleta T-Bone steaks. The sea brings every imaginable bounty, from lobsters and clams packed with flavor to fish from delicate turbot to staple hake and cod. The Rioja region at the south end fills out the bounty with Spain’s largest fine wine region and culinary contributions of its own like exceptional produce and local lamb. With all of this at their fingertips, Basque chefs have created Spain’s most dynamic food scene. From humble pintxos bars and roadside restaurants to 3 Michelin starred psychedelia, the Basque Country expresses itself and its cuisine in every imaginable venue.
Kate Zaharra Restaurant
It’s in onetime industrial behemoth Bilbao, rather than glamorous fine-dining destination San Sebastian, that you can find the legend that takes lunch to an artform in the Basque Country: Kate Zaharra. Perched on a hill overlooking the city, this icon offers an extensive interpretation of the long Spanish lunch. As you drive to the restaurant, you leave the sound and bustle of the city. The restaurant itself is a Basque country house converted into gastronomic playground. Walk through the door, and the experience has begun.
The Kate Zaharra Experience
To start your experience, a waiter will escort you down into the wine cellar. You’ll get to choose your wine, but this is far from a simple stop on the way to your table. Order some glasses or bottles of white or sparkling and accompany it with hand-cut jamón ibérico, exquisite cured seafood, and other appetizers. Enjoy the view of old vintages that embrace the cozy room and relax into your lunch.
Next, you’ll move to one of the dining rooms upstairs or the outdoor terrace. If you have a group, you might head to one of the private rooms, where you can bond with your friends or family. Now you can begin to take the menu seriously and listen to the waiter list the extensive daily specials. For starters, shellfish are sure bets, as are the seafood stews for which Kate Zaharra is famous. You’ll find the best local, seasonal sea creatures here, from clams and shrimp to exotic delicacies like goose barnacles (percebes).
The main event at Kate Zaharra is the grill, which is used to prepare top-quality meat and wild-caught fish. Fish like turbot are grilled whole and are a delicacy across the Basque Country due to their subtle flavor and texture. The Basque txuleta steak is something that has to be tasted to be believed, cooked rare to perfection by the masters of the grill. Accompany lunch with one of the great wines of the Rioja and you have yourself a perfect pairing.You’ll find yourself relaxing as the experience progresses, with each plate bringing more joy.
Dessert, of course, is a must. Once you’ve finished eating you can move to the upstairs terrace, where the Spanish afternoon tradition of the sobremesa can continue with after-lunch drinks. You might opt for the Spanish classic, a hand-crafted gin and tonic served in a large glass designed for sipping. If you are a spirits enthusiast I recommend a glass of fine brandy, cognac or whisky from Kate Zaharra’s extensive selection. To truly complete the Spanish hedonistic experience, choose a cigar from the restaurant’s menu to pair with your drink. All of this with the city at your feet, spread out below you surrounded by the green hills that encase Bilbao. An unforgettable experience.