Vitoria has become a champion of the Green Capital label in recent years for its commitment to sustainability. But the capital of Euskadi is more than a “green city” that invites visitors to stroll. It is also an example of a culinary tradition that attracts more and more followers. The excellence of its bars and restaurants, where you can find everything from menus to a wide variety of pinchos, and its wines led it to become the Capital of Gastronomy in 2014.
The capital of Álava is a city to live, step into and savor. Its wide avenues mean that distances can be counted in minutes, allowing you to discover several of its gastronomic temples in the same day. Precisely, to enjoy the variety the best ally is the skewers. That bite, which began as an ally so that the glass of cider, beer or glass of wine would not fall into an empty stomach, is today the gastronomic flag of the city. It has become a product with its own entity within the hospitality industry and customs. Proof of this is that many have already replaced the classic “let's go for wine” with “let's go for skewers”.
Along these lines we go for pinchos, but also for wines because here you can try some of the best vintages of the so-called Rioja Alavesa. The most characteristic is the red. Most of the production is made from the Tempranillo grape variety. With this conjunction, what is practiced in the city is txikiteo or poteo, drinking small glasses of wine (txikitos) or beer (zuritos), changing venues every so often to enjoy the wide offering.
In its medieval town, which maintains much of the medieval layout intact, we find some of the most classic taverns in the city. These almond-shaped streets, which is why the place is known by the name of this nut, hide bars full of character and history. In Plaza del Machete is located Le Basque, a restaurant that promises to “update tradition” and that has recently won a Repsol solete. Its tables extend into the square to enjoy the outdoors, but inside its rustic style leaves no one indifferent. Whether on the terrace or at the bar, we cannot leave this place without first trying their osso buco croquettes.
Walking towards San Francisco Street we find another classic: Toloño. It was the first bar to win the Euskadi pintxos championship. One of its specialties is the Irish perretxikos, an egg cooked at a low temperature and sautéed with perretxikos -mushrooms- and cream. If eggs are the thing, then you have to walk to Cuchillería Street to try the poached eggs with chorizo in cider offered by the Idoia bar. Without leaving this street, one of the best to find a spot in a bar, we find the Jango Taberna or Anboto Jatetxea. The list goes on because we are in an essential place for tapas: Siete, Taberna Txolarre or Bistro Bar El Gautxo.
Since not everything is going to be eating, we recommend looking up as we walk through Almendra to appreciate the murals that decorate the facades of buildings. Urban art spreads like a canvas that collects the past and present with the neighbors as main actors. The cathedral of Santa María, the three churches that are housed in the old town and the layout of the wall that is still preserved are also worth a stop.
Not only the most historic area of the city invites you to pincho-pote. In the center is Sagartoki, twice awarded Best Pinchos Bar in Spain. Their kitchens do not stop all day and it is not easy to find a space in their bustling interior. It is a sanctuary for lovers of this snack and hides a real gem: the fried egg with potatoes. It seems like a simple dish, but nothing here is. This cooking classic becomes in your kitchens a dehydrated sheet of potato that wraps a small chicken egg.
It is not the only attraction, here you can also enjoy the Senén potato omelette, awarded in 2010 as the Best Potato Omelet in Spain. If there is something that cannot be missing from a good bar, it is croquettes. At Sagartoki you find them with cod and confit onion, blue cheese and walnuts, truffle, boletus and potato flakes. In addition, for the most insatiable, they can also be satisfied with parmesan and tomato stracciatella, and Iberian ham and crusty bread.
A few meters from the Sagartoki is the Florida Park, created in 1820. It is one of the emblematic places to take a walk and rest in its gardens, which are reminiscent of romantic French gardens. Inside, you can also see the statues of the Gothic kings sculpted in 1750 and even take your boyfriend or girlfriend out on the walk because, if you want to feel like a local, you should go to the tree of love, famous for being an ally for the conquering hearts.
One hour from Vitoria by car is Villabuena de Álava, a mecca for wine lovers. This town, which is part of the Rioja Alavesa, holds a world record: it is the town with the most wineries per inhabitant in the world. Its population does not reach 300 residents and it brings together more than 40 wineries. It is a small town that can be visited in a day enjoying its Renaissance and Baroque style streets and houses. Examples of this architecture are the Casa del Indiano or the palace of the Marquis of Solana. But if what you intend is to immerse yourself in its wineries, it will be necessary to dedicate more time. Some of the most notable are the Bodegas Luis Cañas, with captivating viewpoints of the vineyards, Bodegas Izadi or Bodegas y Viñedos de La Marquesa-Valserrano. There are those where centuries of history treasure this cultivation and the production of wines, this is the case of the Ramírez Baigorri Wineries whose origin dates back to the 17th century.
In the month of December, for a few days, Vitoria hosts a sample of the best of the land. Ardoaraba is the fair in which the culture of wine, gastronomy and gourmet products become protagonists. At their stands you can not only try some of the best wines from the Rioja Alavesa, you can also taste txakolis, ciders from Euskadi and other invited denominations, accompanied, as it could not be otherwise, with some good skewers that serve to fill you up. stomach. The city's bars and restaurants usually join the event, offering a route with which to enjoy the variety.
