Rioja Weekend: Logroño, Haro & Tapas Nights

Logroño is the bustling, modern capital of the Rioja region, but its historic centre holds one of the greatest culinary experiences in Spain. The tradition here is not to sit down for a massive meal. Instead, you move from bar to bar — you order a crianza (a small glass of young Rioja) and the one specific tapa that the bar is famous for. You eat standing up, toss your napkin, and move to the next spot. It is fast, loud, and the absolute best way to dine solo.

What to Do

1. Calle del Laurel

   The most famous tapas street in Rioja. It is packed shoulder-to-shoulder by 9:30 PM, with each tiny bar specialising in a single, perfect dish. Wedge yourself in at the counter, order confidently, and let the joyful chaos carry you from one doorway to the next.

2. Calle San Juan

   A slightly quieter, more local alternative just a few blocks from Calle Laurel, with equally exceptional food. Come here when you want the same standing-room ritual at a gentler pace.

Where to Eat & Drink Well

1. Tondeluna

   Muro de Francisco de la Mata 9, Logroño

   If you want a sit-down meal away from the tapas crawl, book a table here. Run by Michelin-starred chef Francis Paniego, Tondeluna offers creative, modern Riojan cuisine in a bright, beautifully designed space with communal wooden tables. It is welcoming, chic, and very solo-friendly.

   Nicole's Tip: Ask to be seated at the communal table — it is the easiest, most natural way to dine alone here.

2. Bar Soriano

   Travesía del Laurel, Logroño

   Famous for one thing — the champiñón. A stack of three garlic-butter mushrooms grilled to order, topped with a tiny shrimp and served on a slice of bread. It is messy and perfect, and they have been making it the same way for decades.

3. Bar Lorenzo

   Calle del Laurel, Logroño

   Head here for the pinchos morunos — spicy, marinated pork skewers cooked over hot coals. Order one, pair it with a chilled crianza, and keep walking.

4. La Tavina

   Calle del Laurel 2, Logroño

   Located on the corner of Calle Laurel, this is a brilliant wine bar with an enormous selection of Rioja by the glass and excellent, slightly more modern tapas. The perfect spot to slow down and actually taste the region by the glass.

Haro is the historic capital of Rioja Alta. In the late 19th century, when the phylloxera plague devastated French vineyards, Bordeaux merchants came to Haro to buy wine and built a railway station to transport it home. A cluster of legendary bodegas sprang up right around the tracks. Today the Barrio de la Estación holds the highest concentration of century-old wineries in the world — and you can walk from one legendary cellar door to the next, no car required.

Where to Eat & Drink Well

1. R. López de Heredia Viña Tondonia

   Av. de Vizcaya 3, Haro

   The most traditional, uncompromising winery in Rioja. They still make their own barrels by hand and age their wines far longer than the law requires. The architecture is a striking mix of 19th-century stone and a modern tasting pavilion designed by Zaha Hadid.

   Nicole's Tip: Tours are notoriously difficult to book and often reserved for professionals — check availability early, or book a tasting in the pavilion.

2. Bodegas Muga

   Barrio de la Estación, Haro

   One of the few wineries in Spain that still employs a master cooper to build all their own oak vats and barrels. The tour is exceptional — you can smell the toasted oak in the air — and their welcoming tasting room makes their benchmark Reserva an easy, generous introduction to the region.

3. La Rioja Alta, S.A.

   Av. de Vizcaya 8, Haro

   Founded in 1890, this estate produces some of the most elegant, classic Gran Reservas in the world — their 890 and 904 bottlings are legendary. The tasting room features a lovely outdoor terrace where you can pair their wines with excellent local cheeses and light tapas.

4. CVNE

   Barrio de la Estación, Haro

   Another 19th-century icon in the Barrio de la Estación. The highlight of the tour here is the Nave Eiffel — a spectacular, column-free wine cellar designed by the studio of Gustave Eiffel in 1909.

Just a 20-minute drive north of Logroño, across the Ebro River, lies the Rioja Alavesa. The landscape changes dramatically here, with the imposing Cantabrian Mountains rising up behind the vines. This higher-altitude zone produces structured, aromatic wines — and it is home to both Spain's most beautiful walled wine village and its boldest piece of wine-country architecture.

What to Do

1. Laguardia

   One of the most beautiful medieval walled villages in Spain. Because the entire town is built over a network of ancient, underground wine cellars, cars are not allowed inside the walls. It is a stunning place to wander solo, stopping at the small enotecas to taste the local Alavesa wines.

Where to Eat & Drink Well

1. Marqués de Riscal — City of Wine

   Calle Torrea 1, Elciego

   You cannot miss this. Rising out of the traditional 19th-century sandstone winery is a wild, sweeping canopy of pink, gold, and silver titanium designed by Frank Gehry (who also designed the Guggenheim in Bilbao). It houses a luxury hotel, a Michelin-starred restaurant, and a brilliant tasting room — the ultimate symbol of Rioja's blend of ancient tradition and striking modernity.