The 10 Best Restaurants In Pamplona, Spain

Pamplona plays a major role in Ernest Hemingway’s work The Sun Also Rises, and Café Iruña, which dates back to the 19th century, was a favourite haunt of the writer’s during his time in Spain. The restaurant’s history, vintage art deco decor, and plum location on the city’s main square, the Plaza del Castillo, make it a prime destination. Enjoy a café cortado and croissant à la plancha for breakfast while sitting out on the terrace, or take advantage of the set dinner menus that offer fantastic value for money for three courses and a bottle of wine.

La Olla deals in traditional Navarrese cuisine like stews and pintxos, which are bar snacks similar to tapas that are eaten in Navarre and the Basque country. Examples of pintxosthat are served here are txangurro, a type of crab gratin, and Navarrese tomatoes topped with preserved tuna. Also available are a selection of more traditional Spanish tapas, like jamón ibérico and revuelto con setas, which can be eaten either hot or cold. To accompany these dishes, choose from La Olla’s impressive range of Navarre wines.

Opposite Pamplona’s cathedral lies the aptly named Bistrot Catedral, the extraordinary interior of which was created in collaboration with architects and designers to reflect the art and history of the city. The restaurant also has facilities for film screenings and video art projections, and hosts regular jazz sessions. The food isn’t bad either; the kitchen serves up pintxos, tapas, brochettes, and toasts, like breaded king prawns with mint chutney, smoked salmon and cod toast with egg and lime vinaigrette, and quail egg and foie gras on toast. They also have a special San Fermin menu available during the festival.

Since being awarded a Michelin star in 1993, the stylish Europarestaurant has gone from strength to strength under the guidance of its owners, the Idoate family. Gastronomy of the highest order can be had across its nine contemporary dining rooms (two public and seven private). The Idoates’ culinary achievement is demonstrated in dishes like roast pigeon with grilled zucchini and glazed onions, and tocinillo de cielo infused with passion fruit and raspberries with red fruits and frozen yogurt.

A family-run business for over 40 years, Roderoboasts a Michelin star and a high degree of conceptual and technical achievement in their dishes. This is evident in the exquisitely presented jelly of goose barnacles, cockles, and white beans, and the savory cheese and peanut nougat with foie gras, grape vinaigrette, and herring roe. The attention to detail shown by head chef Koldo Rodero is mirrored in the restaurant’s elegant surroundings and sommelier Verónica Rodero’s well-crafted wine list.

Bar Gaucho are rightly proud of their cocina en miniatura(cuisine in miniature) as their pintxoshave received numerous accolades. One look at the creativity exercised in their food, from a lentil cappuccino with pumpkin and salt ham to pea cream presented with a foie gras lollipop, is enough to show why this is one of the most popular tapas bars in Pamplona. It is regarded as a “Top Choice” restaurant by Lianorg, but perhaps a greater distinction is its popularity with the city’s residents, a sign of the restaurant’s quality and authenticity.