Eating There
Restaurante Rodero (3 Calle Emilio Arrieta; 948-22-80-35) is in the very center of Pamplona, across from the bullring. At Bodegón Sarria (50 Calle de la Estafeta; 948-22-77-13), a favorite Pamplona tapas bar, be prepared to elbow your way through the crowds to order the signature pintxo (garlic toast with jamón jabugo). At Maher (19 Ribera; 948-81-11-50), a restaurant in a small hotel in Cintruénigo, chef Enrique Martínez’s seasonal menu is a tribute to the local organic produce (such as red cardoons and artichokes) grown by his staff on farmland that he owns nearby. In Tafalla, about 20 miles south of Pamplona, Atxen Jiménez and her son Nicolás Ramírez carry on the family business at Túbal (2 Plaza de Navarra; 948-70-08-52), which was founded by her parents in 1942. With well-executed dishes like kokotxas al pil-pil (hake cheeks in an emulsified sauce of garlic, parsley, olive oil, and guindilla pepper) and luscious borage crêpes, their lineup gives tradition a good name. Chef Luismi Lacar, a Rodero protégé, serves a variety of Navarrese specialties at Arotxa (34 Calle Santa Catalina; 948-45-61-00), 30 miles north of Pamplona, in the little Basque village of Legasa (very close to Parque Natural del Señorío de Bértiz, a beautiful forest and nature preserve). But the real reason to go is for the meat—thick, marbled cuts of Pyrenean beef from a rancher just up the hill. Perfectly grilled and topped simply with gray salt, the juicy chuletón (large cutlet) with a salad of local greens makes the trip to this picturesque hamlet worthwhile.
Being There
In the Pyrenees, visit Kabila Enea (Calle Zabalea, Uztárroz; 948-89-32-36), Jesús Orduna’s cheese museum and artisanal food shop, where you can buy honey and jam, as well as Roncal. Bodega Otazu (by appointment only; 948-32-92-00; otazu.com) is just west of Pamplona, in Echauri, on the banks of the Arga River. The wine estate dates to the Middle Ages and is home to the northernmost red-wine vineyards in Spain. Bodegas Chivite owns three wineries in Navarra, but the one to see is Señorío de Arínzano (by appointment only; 948-811-000; bodegaschivite.com), located 28 miles southwest of Pamplona, in central Navarra. The winery’s striking buildings were designed by Rafael Moneo, and the vineyards established in conjunction with the World Wildlife Fund as a model of eco-sustainable agriculture. —S.P.
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