One of the best experiences while visiting Logroño is Pinchos night out. I love it and am doing it everyday here! It is the Spanish version of street food 🙂
What are pinchos? Pinchos are similar to tapas but being served in one portion while tapas are small dishes to share, for instance. People usually order a pincho with a glass of a beer or wine.
Where to go? Calle de Laurel is the street you head to for pinchos and it is located in the city centre old town. The street is usually packed on Friday and Saturday among the locals and you can expect groups of friends and families even with kids to gather around late evening.
What time to go? 10 PM is a good time to go there. The delicious and inviting smells of charcoal grill and the chatty conversations of people will draw you near.
How it works? Each bar has its own specialty and the idea is that you bar hop and try a little bit of this and that. Here are my favorites;
1. Chistora a la Brasa at Bar Paganos. Chistora is a soft chorizo on the charcoal grill wrapped in a bun and it is to die for. I have to come here every time I am in Calle de Laurel
2. Grilled Champignon at Bar Soriano – I love mushrooms and this place makes me drool with the smell of grilled champingon and topped with a piece of shrimp. If the place is too packed, you can go to Bar Angel too. I tried at both places.
3. Setas at Bar Cid – tasty mushroom that goes well with a corto! It is similar to mushroom we have in Thailand.
4. Grilled sirloin with blue cheese spread on a toast at Bar Donosti. The mix of the creamy blue cheese spread on the toast and grilled sirloin just melts in my mouth, on the other hand, you can also choose the pepper spread instead of blue cheese.
5. Zapatilla at Bar Tennessi. Love the crusty toast topped with jamon and cheese. The zapatilla here is to die for!
What to drink? Crianza or Corto? Well it really depends of your pinchos. In La Rioja, they have 4 classifications for red wines which are 1. Rioja 2. Crianza 3. Reserva and 4. Gran Reserva. Crianza is an everyday wine as it is refreshing and not to heavy. As a result, you will see many locals order a crianza. Another popular drink is Corto or a small beer.
How much and how to do the pinchos night? Pinchos night out is best to do with a group of friends (or family). What I experience here is that each of us chips in money and appoint one person to be in charge of the bill at the bar. Let say you put 20 euros each. You can expect to pay approximately 3-5 euros per person for a pincho and a drink in one bar.
I am already drooling now writing about this! there are many pinchos bars for you to discover. Keep me posted of your new discoveries. i Wish you a gastronomic evening in logroño. good luck and bon apetit!
