Rioja visit help

[jal]

Hey BWEers
Jill and I took an impromptu trip to Barcelona and will find ourselves in Rioja Saturday and Sunday evening. Any hotel, restaurant or winery recommendations will be most appreciated. We intend to visit San Sebastian on Monday and Tuesday.
Thank you in advance

[jckba]

A quel niveau?

[Blanquito]

https://www.wineberserkers.com/t/rioja- ... aro/286807

[Blanquito]

I’ve never visited, but I found that the add on Berserkers.

Have fun and report back!

[jal]

A quel niveau?

Pas fou!
Marques de Riscal hôtel is over(way over) my comfort zone
Etxebari I may do as a once in a lifetime experience

[dstgolf]

JAL,

We're almost done our time on Costa del Sol...leaving Monday and it has been a great trip.

A few years back we also toured Rioja and San Sebastien. For us the highlights were just exploring tapas/pinxtos bars in Logrono one night. Just find Calle Laurel and walk in and out of places. They have gastronomic delights on display and each place has something different. You have a glass of wine 3-4 euros and a couple of tapas that you'd like to try and move on. Some better than others but the experience is like nothing else. Same in San Sebastien in old town a Tapas crawl is a must for one of the nights. We were only in Logrono one night and it was Tapas and the hotel was ok and can't remember...just a quiet bed for the night.

San Seb we stayed up on the hill overlooking the bay with an incredible view as well as being quiet to sleep at the Mercure. Need a car and free parking. Had dinner one night at their restaurant and quite good with a spectacular view. Did one Mich star restaurant Mugaritz and it was great. Tapas crawl one night was also special. Can't go wrong in this city for food as I don't think anyone does it poorly. My brother stayed at the Londra more downtown on the beachfront and we looked at it but try to find somewhere quiet to sleep for us.

In Rioja Haro was the place we centered on for a few tastings. Stopped at Muga...very good, Roda also good and R Lopez Heredia just solo visit but we didn't call ahead and they squeezed us in. Lots of others here in very close proximity. We also visited Marquis de Riscal and had a tasting but didn't stay there. It's in the middle of nowhere but the architecture is fantastic for some photos. Also stopped into Ysios more for the building and photos than wine. Looks like waves on the sea. Some of these places are just beautiful and it's not always what's in the bottle that draws you there!

This may help in San See https://spainguides.com/gastronomy-of-s ... sebastian/

Have fun. Can't go wrong in these two areas just driving and exploring.

[jckba]

I think you can break Rioja into 2 sides; Logroño with its Pintxo/Tapas district is great — thinking Laurel Street. It is close to Marquis de Riscal, with the Frank Gehry hotel which is kind of on its own but is the most luxurious, Relais & Chateaux restaurant which is Michelin starred . On the other side of rioja, 30-40 minute drive is Haro, where La Rioja Alta, Muga and Lopez de Heredia and CVNE are all right near each other and you can stay at the Los Augustinos hotel, which has a good restaurant and there are apparently some new dining spots in Haro.

The best hotel in SS is the Maria Cristina, most luxurious and great location. A step down is Hotel Londres. Hotel Villa Favorita is a new, luxury boutique hotel with a 2 star Michelin restaurant Amelia which is more innovative /experimental in style. Arzak and Akelarre probably the most consistently top class restaurants, 2 or 3 michelin stars depending on the year. Akelarre is 10 minutes outside town, but has Relais & Chateau luxury hotel. For pintxo bars there is the old town / parte vieja and also gros, across the river but no so far and quieter and less touristy.

Early in the week on Monday and Tuesday quite a few restaurants are closed, so keep that in mind.

[jal]

That's awesome guys. Thank you so much!!

[Jay Winton]

Following as we're contemplating a visit next year.