Logroño’s narrow, cobblestone streets are lined with attractive, well-preserved buildings holding a wealth of small cafés, restaurants, shops… and of course tapas bars.
While the architecture, the river, plazas and parks are beautiful, it’s the “tapas culture” that will bring you onto the street night after night.
In this region, the wine is the feature attraction, rather than the pintxos (tapas) themselves. A glass of a decent wine goes for two euros… while a premium wine will run beyond four euros. (Wine by the bottle is priced equally low.) By comparison, in California a good wine can easily top US$20 per glass.
Not only that, but Logroño’s character changes throughout the day. It’s a joy to take a stroll in the morning when the streets are quiet and there’s almost no one out and about.
During the afternoon, you can enjoy the bars and cafés with a light crowd… they’re not deserted but not packed.
After 8 p.m., the town is energetic, bustling, and chaotic along some of the downtown streets.
Tapas And Pintxos in Logroño
Go on a tapas trail around the city of Logroño.
“Tapas” in this part of Spain are more-commonly called by their Basque name of “pintxos” (pronounced PEEN-chos, and written in Spanish as pinchos).
Technically, pintxos and tapas can be somewhat different, but the idea is the same…it’s a small, less-than-appetizer sized portion of some house specialty, that’s served informally with wine…normally while standing at a bar or high-top table.
Pintxos are often a more-enjoyable substitute for a more formal, sit-down meal while in Spain.
Here’s how the experience works: You pass by an inviting-looking café or bar, and one of their appetizer-sized delicacies on display catches your eye. It could be Spanish meatballs, chorizo, olives, cheeses, croquettes, shrimp, etc.
So you walk in, order a glass of good wine, and sample the pintxos. Maybe you just have the one that caught your eye… maybe more. Then you move on, until the next pintxo (or wine) calls out to you further down the street…
After a few hours, you’ve sampled a wide array of regional wines, and a diverse selection of local delicacies, without having to spend hours inside the same restaurant.
Dining like this means you eat a lot less, spend less, and walk a lot more. What’s more, you see more places, experience more of the city, and meet more people.
The tapas bars and restaurants are buzzing, and thousands fill the downtown area to sample the renowned pintxos and Rioja wines.
To see how bustling it can be, head to Calle del Laurel—the most-popular, with its wall-to-wall tapas bars—or Calle Portales.
Culture And Sight-Seeing In Logroño
But there’s far more to the city than these popular venues… frequent visitors will stick to Logroño’s hidden-away alleys and walkways that conceal those pintxo bars that few visitors know about.
There’s more to Logroño than just great food and drink, though. Culture-vultures will delight in the many ancient structures and museums in the city.
Be sure to visit the Museo de la Rioja. The museum is situated in an old 18th century palace and houses many artifacts from pre-Roman and Roman times as well as from the Middle Ages through to modern day.
You’ll see ancient Roman coins, a collection of spears and swords, and even a tablet from the famous San Millán monasteries. These historical objects on display were all found in the Rioja region.
Also visit the oldest church in Logroño—Church of San Bartolomé. Built in the 12th-century, it’s an impressive site to behold. You can climb to the top for spectacular views of the city.
The Cathedral of Santa Maria de la Redonda is also must-see. Construction for this cathedral began in the 15th century but wasn’t completed until the 18th century.
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