Burgos, Spain - A Day in Burgos

On a recent trip to Northern Spain we spent the day in Burgos, best known for its dramatic cathedral. We began the day by walking around the outdoor market, which sells handcrafted items as well as lots of yummy things to eat. After a tour of the gothic style Roman Catholic cathedral, we stopped at Valor for a late breakfast of churros and hot chocolate: a fried dough pastry that gets dipped directly into the rich chocolate sauce.

While nosing in and out of the shops around the main square we caught some sort of medieval parade.

Around lunchtime the streets fill to the brim with people out for their daily dose of pintxos: those small snacks the Basque region are famous for, similar to tapas. Instead of hopping in and out of each bar for a sampling, we decided to stay in one spot and sample all of the pintxos at Meson Los Herreros. 

It is a place the locals come to and the variety (over 60 different kinds) and combinations of pintxos are really quite incredible. Aside from what is on view at the bar, you can also order hot pintxos, like potato croquettes or tortilla.

I highly recommend a day trip to Burgos if you happen to be in the area. It is a lovely walkable city and foodies won't be disappointed.

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Bilbao, Spain - Pintxos Tour

On a recent trip to the Basque region of Northern Spain, I spent the day eating my way through Bilbao. Aside from the Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao is famous for its pintxos bars. Pintxos are small snacks usually served on bread and pierced with a cocktail stick. Pintxos are a great way to try many different flavors and food combinations, which is exactly what we did at each stop. 

We began in the Old Town (Casco Viejo) at Victor Montes in Plaza Nueva, widely known as the Harry's Bar of Bilbao. You can eat inside at the bar, in the restaurant, or outside in the piazza. I love the black and gold old-world facade of their building.

Also located in a corner of Plaza Nueva is Zuga. This is a popular tiny little spot that focuses on more inventive pintxos. Among the highlights are goat’s cheese with manzanilla sherry, dried fruit vinaigrette and honey; liver with red fruits and Modena vinegar.

One of my favorites that we visited was La Vina Del Ensanche, just off the main shopping street. This large restaurant has outside seating, a restaurant and a long bar (carved from a single tree). The oldest bar in the city (1927), this wood-paneled spot is famous for its ham and chorizo. There is even a shop attached to it so you can buy some of their products to take home.

Our last stop of the day was a bar that serves only oysters called El Puertito (Poza Lizentziatuaren Kalea, 22). There are dozens of different varieties you can choose from, many of them local, which we paired with some delicious champagne. This is a must-visit for serious oyster lovers!

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San Sebastian, Spain - Day One in the Basque Country

I just spent a hugely enjoyable four day weekend in the Basque Country in San Sebastian, Spain and Biarritz, France. I had wanted to go to this region for some time now, as I heard that San Sebastian is the gastronomic capital of Europe (they have many Michelin star restaurants, not to mention pintxos bars) and all my friends who have gone have come back raving about it. I cannot recommend this area enough!!

We flew into Biarritz from London and drove the 40 minutes to San Sebastian (you can also fly into Bilbao and drive as well). As for hotel choices the two best are: the 5 star beautifully interior designed Starwood property Maria Cristina, which is not on the ocean, or the 4 star Hotel Londres, which is smack on the beach. We went for the sea view room at the Hotel Londres and left the balcony door open each night so we could fall asleep to the sound of crashing waves.  

Our balcony at Hotel Londres. Jacket, Giorgio Armani. Dress, Roberto Cavalli. 

As we arrived very early in the morning, our first stop was breakfast. We decided to go straight for the famous pintxos (or pinchos) in the local bars, which are like tapas, and are a huge component of the social scene in San Sebastian. Pincho means spike, and refers to the toothpick that is put through these bar snacks to keep them together. We both had a huge Spanish omelette (eggs, onions and potatoes) in bread and sat outside at a traditional bar called Bideluze (Plaza de Guipuzcoa, 14) in the center.

After breakfast (well it was already noon) we spent the rest of the day getting to know this quaint town, walking through the small streets, doing some shopping and peeking in the windows of all of the amazing bakeries. We took a long walk on the beach in the beautiful sunshine and then got ready for the main event: bar hopping for pinchos all evening.

Our first stop was Gandarias. This is how it works: you ask the bartender for a plate, you help yourself to the huge array of pinchos laid out on the bar, and then show your plate to the bartender so he can tell you your total. You also order your wine from him and if you like, hot pinchos, like croquettes as well. Make sure to order the hot steak pinchos at the bar, this is what Gandarias is famous for.

The famous steak pinchos at Gandarias

Hot baccala croquettes ... creamy and delicious!

After gorging ourselves on pinchos and wine at Gandarias, we went to another bar called Bar Aralar. Each bar has its own special pinchos, so you can pop in and out of each one, grab your favorites and then head to the next. I absolutely loved the pinchos! You spend as much time as you want in each bar, there is no waiting to be served or hanging around to receive the bill, it is great for socializing and meeting new people, and you can taste tons of different things so the meal is always varied. I wish I could eat like this every night! The best part is the prices are dirt cheap. A glass of amazing local wine was €1.70.

After our pinchos dinner, we took a very long walk around the port, the beach and the boardwalk and watched the sun set. We were particularly struck by the friendliness of the local people. 

Dress, Roberto Cavalli. Long cardigan, JCrew.

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