Pinchos in a Logroño bar
Modern gastro-bars and old-world taverns rub
shoulders with each other as we arrive at the start
of buzzing Calle del Laurel. The choice of bars and
their window displays of pinchos can be bewildering,
but here’s a selection to get you started: The house
speciality at La Taberna del Laurel (Calle del Laurel,
7) is patatas bravas (potatoes in spicy tomato sauce),
while La Tasca del Pato (Calle del Laurel, 24) offers
white asparagus grilled with a wrap of Rioja cheese. Bar
Lorenzo (Calle del Laurel, 4 ) majors on simply grilled
chistorra (chorizo with sweet paprika and garlic) and
lamb kebabs, while Bar Soriano (Calle del Laurel, 2) is
famed for its delicious mushroom pinchos which have
been served for the past forty years – three mushrooms
grilled and smothered with a rich and buttery sauce of
garlic and olive oil, skewered on a slice of baguette and
crowned with a shrimp.
For an expert’s view and to learn more about the
marriage of Rioja and pinchos, we join José Ramón
Jiménez Berger otherwise known as El Educador en
Vinos (the wine teacher). José is a television personality
and bit of a well-known character in Logroño, and one
of his services is a guided tour of a selection of pinchos
bars in and around Calle de Laurel, where a different
Rioja is served alongside a different pinchos in each
bar. “I think this is the best way to experience the life
of the town,” says José inside Bar El Muro. “Going out
for pinchos is a great social activity, and I love nothing
more than getting a group of friends together and
visiting our favorite spots.” As another pairing of Rioja
and pinchos arrives on the bar’s counter, we could’nt
agree with him more....
Marqués de Vargas winery
FACT FILE
WHERE TO STAY
Hotel Marques De Vallejo (Logroño):
www.hotelmarquesdevallejo.com
Hotel Mercure Carlton Rioja (Logroño):
hotel-carltonlogrono.com
Hotel Gran Via (Logroño):
www.hotelgranvialogrono.com
Finca de los Arandinos:
www.fincadelosarandinos
WHERE TO PLAY
El Campo de Logroño : www.golflogrono.es
Rioja Alta Golf Club: www.golfrioja.com
Sojuela Golf Club: www.sojuelagolf.com
Izki Golf: www.izkigolf.eus
WHERE TO DINE ( LOGROÑO)
La Cocina de Ramon:
30, Calle Portales. lacocinaderamon.es
Kabanova: 9,
Calle del Benemérito Cuerpo de la Guardia Civil.
La Quisquillosa:
13, Calle Sagasta. www.laquisquillosa.com
USEFUL WEBSITES
The Wine Teacher “El Educador en Vinos”:
www.eleducadorenvinos.com
Vivanco Museum of Wine Culture:
www.vivancowineculture.com
FURTHER INFORMATION
www.lariojaturismo.com
www.logroño.es
Volume 4 • Issue 44
51