12 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.

El Tubo, the area surrounding the intersection of Calle Estébanes and Calle Libertad, is tapas central. Try to stick to one tapa per bar so you can sample as many spots as possible. El Champi (Calle Libertad 16) isn't much to look at, but this tiny establishment serves killer griddled mushrooms stacked on bread to soak up the garlic-infused oil. Bodegas Almau (Calle Estébanes 10) has shelves heaving with wine bottles and a bar stacked with gargantuan pinchos, which regulars gobble down in the standing-room-only barroom. The vermut con anchoas (a small plate of anchovies and a serving of house vermouth) is classic. La Republicana (Calle Casto Méndez Núñez 38) is a quaint antique space with a wide selection of tapas and migas (fried breadcrumbs) that rival those of the more famous La Miguería (Calle Estébanes 4), laden with garlic, olive oil, crispy chorizo, and optional lacy fried egg. A few steps away, Taberna Doña Casta (Calle Estébanes 6) fries up a lengthy list of inventive croquettes. Sin Nombre (Calle Libertad 7) serves cheffier tapas than the aforementioned and accompanies them with a varied wine list. 

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. 

Stop here for Basque and Navarran comfort food served in an old stone house on the river. Start with any of the local vegetable specialties, such as tender asparagus spears swimming in tangy vinaigrette, before digging into heftier mains like monkfish-stuffed piquillo peppers and (seasonally) roast squab and milk-fed lamb.

In this graceful, rustic building in the upper part of town, the dining rooms are lined with historic photographs of Torla during the 19th and 20th centuries, and in late fall, civets of deer, boar, and mountain goat are the order of the day. In summer, lighter fare and hearty mountain soups restore hikers between treks. The black-marble-and-stone floor and the cadiera—a traditional open fireplace room with an overhead smoke vent—are extraordinary original elements of Pyrenean architecture.

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.

Coveted mountain views on the sprawling Plaza Mayor terrace are the primary draw to this tapas bar, which serves a solid list of pinchos (two-bite tapas usually on toasted bread) and mains. Don't miss the gildas (skewered olive, anchovy, and spicy pepper), which sit in a monstrous bowl on the bar, along with local river trout and grilled meats. 

This restaurant has a classy 1970s charm made modern with colorful tiled floors and funky wall art that's surprising for a small town. Start with the olla jacetana, their take on the local stew made with regional white beans, frizzled cabbage, and a fall-apart spiced pork rib. Then try out other seasonal specialties like the savory puff pastry with Swiss chard or the beef tongue salad.

One of the best tapas bars in town, La Tasca de Ana is boisterous and filled with locals. With only a handful of tables and standing room by the bar, it's not the setting for a quiet romantic dinner, but it's a fine place to kick-start the evening with local wine and tapas like rodolfitos (battered prawns) and pork paté and eggplant toasts. 

Named after a much-feared and respected breed of fighting bull, this rustic tavern, located behind La Seo, is dripping with taurine paraphernalia. It offers an elaborate and inventive selection of pinchos and tapas. Jamón ibérico de bellota (acorn-fed Iberian ham), Spain's culinary crown jewel, is a no-brainer, though quail eggs or the classic gilda—olives, green peppers, and anchovies on a toothpick—are also on the bar and hard to resist. 

This rustic spot in Anciles is ingeniously constructed of glass, wood, and stone and specializes in local Benasqué and Aragonese dishes, such as civet de jabalí and perdiz guisada con setas de temporada (partridge stew with seasonal wild mushrooms). The latter is a perennial house favorite—the meat is cooked to perfection. The restaurant is sometimes closed unexpectedly on weekdays and out of season, so check before you go. Memorable and exuberant holiday meals are served at Christmas and Easter; reserve well in advance.

This rollicking wood-paneled dining room serves surprisingly sublime seafood, cooked a la plancha (on the griddle), al horno (in the oven), or folded into a variety of rice dishes. The beer is fresh and cold, and the house wines, largely from Upper Aragón's envelope-pushing Somontano D.O., are big and bold—and dangerously economical.