5 Best Restaurants in The Pyrenees, Spain

This family-run restaurant and B&B in a former 19th-century residence has a crackling fire in winter and a willow-shaded patio in summer. Prix fixes change seasonally and center on well-executed classics like secreto ibérico con crema de hongos (Iberian pork steak with wild mushroom cream) and txangurro a la Donostiarra (baked crab). Rooms fill up fast in August and public holidays.

On a bank overlooking the Garonne, the white-tablecloth, tile-floor Era Coquèla is a Vielha institution, beloved by local families, repeat vacationers, and even truck drivers passing through town. Roast meats, civets (wine-and-game stews), and seasonal vegetable dishes are native-son chef Marc Nus's strongest suits—all are served by an enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff.

At this wood-beamed barroom, dine on comfort-food tapas and mains like battered zucchini, meatballs bobbing in tomato sauce, fried eggs with sausage, and juicy steaks. 

Fontao may not look like much, what with its humdrum entrance and and 90's banquet-like dining room, but the kitchen delivers well-executed Aragonés dishes with welcomed Galician flare. Delightful proteins and carbs abound, but don't miss their salad offerings (like the warm escalivada with goat cheese) which are a nice relief from the meaty cuisine of the region.

With locally cured hams curtaining one side, hunks of beef aging on the other, and critter-filled fish tanks in the back, there's no question what this family-run establishment is cooking up. Sit outside on the terrace overlooking the Plaza de España, or go indoors and enjoy your fire-grilled steak alongside carefully preserved ruins of the ancient city walls.