Beautiful Burgos Cathedrals
Burgos was the last stop on our road trip but not in any way our least favourite. Burgos was named Spain’s gastronomic capital in 2013 and that was a primary reason to stop in & verify that title! We were once again more than adequately informed with hot spot details from Restless Fork blog…so off we went.
Los Herrero’s…
We arrived a wee bit late into Burgos as our old Land Rover Gertie fails to attain the highway’s top speed of 120kmph…she’s a wee bit more like 90. And it proved to be a seriously long haul from Porto to Burgos. So as we set off into our first night, we were a tad tired, dazed & confused, so we sort of wandered aimlessly, searching for one of Restless Fork’s choices – El Morito. We found it, but unfortunately for all involved (us & our Jack Russell Billie) they do not allow dogs. We put it on the schedule for the following night when we would be sans Billie…But the bartender @ El Morito was more than helpful & scribbled out a list of places we may have some success with our wee canine. That took us to Calle San Lorenzo & Mesón Los Herrero’s. And what a winner…bustling with local folks, bar stuffed to the max with tasty tapas, excellent wines by the glass (the David Sebastian Crianza was a serious find) and Billie was welcome! We closed out our first night here…to bed, to bed.
Juarreño’s Pastelería – Plaza Mayor, Burgos
Up very bright & early for Burgos town we made a bee line to a very highly recommended establishment – Juarreño’s. The description we had in our notes said a bun fight has been known to break out as the folks get impatient for their sweet tooth indulgence. But we were warmly greeted, quickly served & tucking into some excellent pastries (Hound #2 said it was the best custard she’d tasted in years) and hand warming coffee.
We had a good Burgos wander taking in the castle atop the hill offering us excellent views of the city, the gorgeous gothic architecture and Burgos’s love affair with statues & sculptures. Burgos has a beautiful wee river flowing right through the city centre with a nice bit of grassy land to either side (excellent for Hound #1) and reed beds & wonderful plantings. Spotted about 3 or 4 trout too – excellent.
Burgos Views
As lunch time rolled around & we had strolled most of Burgos’s Old Town streets, we went in search of another recommended eatery – La Favorita. And once again our gastro advice was spot on and after several dead ends, we arrived to a smashing tapas bar with wines to match. We met a very nice local fella who was a photographer & had lived in New York City for 10 years he graciously guided us through the various tapas on offer & also changed our wine order to a better value drop & then proceeded to shout us a couple of glasses. Burgos – your folks are great.
La Favorita – Burgos
Post our La Favorita nibbles, we made one last shopping pit stop before our afternoon rest – El Lagar wine shop. One of my minor passions since moving to Spain is to track down & explore the Mencia grape from the Bierzos region just outside of León. And this shop had an excellent selection of Mencia as well as many other wines from Spain – and the owner once again ticked the ‘nice folks in Burgos’ button.
El Lagar Wine Shop – My 2 Menica Bottles on the Counter
With the final destination for our final Burgos night already decided (El Morito), we decided to make a few warm up stops. First on the list was Pecaditos which was given a two thumbs up by the friendly chap we’d met at La Favorita – he told us it was the bargain drinking & eatery in town. And he was spot on – they were running a tapas & a BIG caña of beer special for €2! Nuff said – we ordered & ate.
Pecaditos – Tuna with Pimiento & Fresh Made to Order Roasted Pork Kebab
Then we took a very short wander & came across El Pez situated right next to El Morito – easy peezy. And it continued in the theme of ‘Burgos has very nice folks’.
Gastrotienda El Pez
El Pez – One of our Faves…Sweet Folks.
I ordered a glass of tinto wine but Hound #2 was itching to try the local vermut as a low alcohol alternative to the sometimes too sweet mosto. Viola! El Pez brews there own so a glass was quickly ordered…and followed up with 2 wee packets of chorizo & sausage – gratis! As well as a small bowl of bread stick crackers to go with our tapas & beverages.
Then it was on to El Morito…..
Cervecería El Morito – Excellent.
Morcilla (blood sausage) is one of the region’s specialties – so we figured the best place to give this beast a try was El Morito. Not bad at all – both of us thought it tasty as and not at all hard to swallow unlike a few our of experiences with a full cooked English breakfast.
Popular? You bet – plates that would feed an army.
Then it was on to the mains – and to say they were big plates would be an understatement. Hound #2 went with the roasted veg & gulas (supposed to be baby seals but just pressed fish) platter while I leaned towards the seafood side with some perfectly cooked calmari. We finished the plates & stumbled & rolled our way home…
So if you have never been to Burgos then you must put it on your ‘to do’ list – the folks are just so nice…you will not be disappointed.
Burgos – The End….
