Food on the Camino del norte

[Todd Emerson]

Hi there.

My husband and i will be walking the Camino del norte beginning in May this year. I am a trained cook and very interested in the cuisine.
I'm looking for recommendations of anything food related that we should not miss on our camino. Cafes/restaurants/markets etc. Any knowledge would be appreciated!

Thank you.

Todd

 

[davkel]

I've nothing positive to advise you Todd, but as we'll be walking the del Norte in mid-June (after the via podiensis) I am watching this forum with bated breath (well bated taste buds actually). Hope you have a great camino!

 

[Todd Emerson]

I've nothing positive to advise you Todd, but as we'll be walking the del Norte in mid-June (after the via podiensis) I am watching this forum with bated breath (well bated taste buds actually). Hope you have a great camino!

Thank you, you too!

 

[jsalt]

I'm looking for recommendations of anything food related that we should not miss on our camino.

Hi, I walked the Norte with 2 friends. Each day we would try and stop at a place with a restaurant around 1pm or 2pm (sometimes it was 3pm), so we could enjoy the Menu del Día.

The food is really good on the Norte.

We often had to look up the Spanish words on the menu, as there is not much English on the Norte, so have a good food dictionary available online or offline.

We would then walk on for another hour or two (to walk off the wine!), and stop about 5pm or 6pm.

By the time we had showered, etc, we would then head out again about 8pm for tapas.

Incidentally, we had a ban on using our smartphones when together in restaurants and bars (unless to look up an item on the menu). Occasionally, if there was no free wifi where we were staying, we would agree on a half hour use only, sometime during the evening, usually during a lull in the conversation. If we were with other pilgrims then phones were totally banned for the whole evening.
Jill

 

[Tia Valeria]

Menu del dia, or platos combinados, not menu de peregrino. Look to see where the locals eat and sometimes ask for what they have if it looks good.
If choosing one salad and one main then salads are often served before the main course if you have platos combinados, but you can ask for them to come together. As a general rule you can share these if only choosing one item but not the menu de dia.

 

[Pilger Gal]

Hi Todd,
On the Norte you are in the foodie paradise. My mouth is watering right now thinking of all the amazing places my husband and I enjoyed last autumn on our Camino to Santiago.

San Sebastián has amazing pinxto bars and quite a few Michelin starred restaurants in the area. Of course for those you must book ahead. For a lovely lunch option try Ni Neu next to the concert hall.

In Bilbao make an effort to go to Mina. You will again have to plan this and book ahead but it is fantastic. When you book request spaces at the bar. The show for you as a trained cook will be wonderful. And the staff is very welcoming. Our favorite pinxto bar if I had to name just one is in Bilbao on Plaza Nueva. There are many but this one is outstanding for its creativity. It's called Gute Toki. The Spanish cuisine uses eggs in the most amazing ways. You'll see.

As you travel west the food changes but is no less exciting. Gijon has its specialities. Try Sidreria La Galana for some amazing tapas, Sidreria Asturias for fresh seafood and La Tropical for their specialty which you will see. Get there early or late and you may get a seat. Or book the day you arrive for the evening.

Sorry for my long windedness but we had such beautiful food on our journey. Most were family places with simply good food. My one suggestion is always try something new. The menu del Dias are great but they tend to be the same style of food. So mix it up. Be adventurous. You will be rewarded. And Buen Camino. I would do it all again.

 

[peregrina2000]

Hi, Todd,
Welcome to the forum. Just a couple of random things to add to the good recommendations, even though I am by no means a foodie. Cheeses in Asturias are, IMO, the best in Spain. You will get lots of opportunities to sample with a "tabla de quesos" and I don't think you will be disappointed.

By chance, I once happened upon a fish market in Luarca. It was really a fascinating experience -- no more shouting, it's all done via a big electronic board, but the quantities and varieties of the fish and the whole gathering of buyers and sellers was a lot of fun to watch. I am sure lots of other coastal ports have a similar market.

A year or so ago, @JohnnieWalker posted a link to a really terrific food article. https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/percebes-galicia-and-sisterhood.44376/
The article is a chapter from a book, Grape, Olive, Pig. I haven't read it, but this thread reminded me that I want to!

 

[naplesdon]

Arzak in San Sebastian is one of the top restaurants in the world. The tapas bars in San Sebastian are remarkable, one reason I am ending my Camino Norte in SS for 3 days

 

[MKalcolm M]

One of the best experiences and the best meal I had on the Norte was in the private home of a sculptor who initially invited us into his garden to stamp our credencials. The food was true peasant fare, a leg of lamb (I think) which you were expected to carve pieces off, a slab of cheese likewise, and a huge loaf of bread, washed down with a jug of wine, followed by coffee laced with the local fire water. Our host was a fascinating character who showed us his workshop and sculptures, including a carved granite pillar bearing his family tree. His house is on the path, after Baarmonde and is easily recognisable by all the carved statues in the wall outside. I bought a small piece of local quartz into which he had carved the cross of St James. We ate and drank so much that we ended up falling asleep under a tree for an hour or two, a few kilometers further on...Stop by, he is a charming man and very welcoming of peregrinos.

 

[Todd Emerson]

Hi Todd,
On the Norte you are in the foodie paradise. My mouth is watering right now thinking of all the amazing places my husband and I enjoyed last autumn on our Camino to Santiago.
.

Thank you for your message! I'll be starring all of these places on my googlemaps and make sure to visit!

 

[Todd Emerson]

One of the best experiences and the best meal I had on the Norte was in the private home of a sculptor who initially invited us into his garden to stamp our credencials.

This sounds just like the kind of experience i'm looking for! I will definitely keep a look out!

 

[Bob from L.A. !]

I echo the others regarding the food in San Sebastian and Bilbao ! Some of the best sea food I have had.

 

[erith long]

All over the north food is very good. no worries there. and you do not limit yourself just to TApas or Pintxos, when you get to Asturias The Fabada is the national dish( faves= white beans), white beans though these are the produce of the region with Denomination de Origen, in the spring Lechazo is on the menu and seafood galore all over the North (San Sebastian is very famous for it), In Galicia Caldo Gallego y pulpo. In short be adventurous, try everything you fancy and DO NOT go to turisty places
in big Cities and Towns the market is a really good place to eat

 

[DragonShadow]

You absolutely must try percebes (gooseneck barnacles). They look awful but they are incredibly delicious. Their flavor is similar to clams but sweeter and saltier. They are not cheap as they are hard (dangerous) to gather but so worth the the price.

 

[erith long]

and do not forget to eat Queso de Tetilla ( it is a soft creamy galician cheese called tetilla because is has a breast shape) with Membrillo (quince conserve) sweet and salty for dessert

 

[Addicted]

I just completed the Norte and there are countless places to get great food. . I have to say this, I was highly disappointed with the albergues kitchen facilities . As a " general rule " I found that several albergues that advertised having a kitchen in fact had very limited or next to no facilities at all . Not a big concern unless you plan to cook your own meals as we had . Still a spectacular trip. Buen Camino

 

[Pxlwiz]

In San Sebastian, a city with no shortage of top notch places to eat We went to a small bar restaurant that someone from home had recommended but everyone anywhere near San Sebastian seemed to know of called "la mejillionera". It seemed to be so well known I was expecting a large establishent but it is in fact a small unassuming place near the cathedral or Iglesias de Coro- Another worthwhile stop both for the church and its amazing collection of religious art both old and contemporary. La Mejionera is around the corner and serves mussels about half a dozen different ways plus salad and fried potatoe

 

[Pxlwiz]

Another amazing place to eat on the Norte is Sidreria Marcelo in Castro Uridales. s a block off the main drag, easily found on Google. Besides great cider - wait till you see them dispense it from a tap that shoots the golden nectar a good meter to an awaiting glass- their Pinxos are Gourmet magazine photo spread worthy and just as tasty. But they win awards for their Beef, check out the photos on their website.
Speaking of Beef, not Exactly a Spanish staple; we had a hankering for a steak as we walked in to Gernika having smelled someone grilling in their yard during the day's walked. We asked for a recommendation when we got to our albergue and the hospitalero pointed us towards bar restaurant Gernika where in fact the steaks were amazing . Spring for the deluxe steak dinnertime two [ about 35E] if you have someone to share with as it comes out on its own brazier and is about an inch and a 1/2 to 2" thick and of amazing quality, served with roasted peppers, potatoes and salad- divine.

 

[Miss Diesel]

Hi

Hi, I walked the Norte with 2 friends. Each day we would try and stop at a place with a restaurant around 1pm or 2pm (sometimes it was 3pm), so we could enjoy the Menu del Día.

The food is really good on the Norte.

We often had to look up the Spanish words on the menu, as there is not much English on the Norte, so have a good food dictionary available online or offline.

We would then walk on for another hour or two (to walk off the wine!), and stop about 5pm or 6pm.

By the time we had showered, etc, we would then head out again about 8pm for tapas.

Incidentally, we had a ban on using our smartphones when together in restaurants and bars (unless to look up an item on the menu). Occasionally, if there was no free wifi where we were staying, we would agree on a half hour use only, sometime during the evening, usually during a lull in the conversation. If we were with other pilgrims then phones were totally banned for the whole evening.
Jill

I 'm wondering if you have any info about getting your backpack carried on Northern Camino from Irun to Bilbao. Marian

 

[Miss Diesel]

Just wondering if you know of any company who will transport backpacks on Northern Camino from Irun to Bilbao

 

[jsalt]

Just wondering if you know of any company who will transport backpacks on Northern Camino from Irun to Bilbao

Hi, have a look at this thread:
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/luggage-transfer-irun-to-santiago.52532/
Jill

 

[Miss Diesel]

Thanks

 

[VeganCamino]

I'm on the Norte now and wondering if there are towns with food after Comillas? Every town looks small West of here. Thanks.

 

[Bob from L.A. !]

Colombres, llanes, ribadesella, sebrayo. many more to follow

 

[Rick M]

The first week of the Norte is a real treat from a food standpoint. Yeah, the world is your oyster in San Sebastian and Bilbao, but even the small towns will serve up superb Basque cuisine if you are willing to wait till eight or nine for the restaurant to open. We had the best menu del dia at a picnic table under a tent at asador zubi ondo in zarautz. It's the first place you encounter walking into town. Restaurant Urgain in Deba served a superb dinner with fine wine. Really good service from the owner and head chef who takes pride in his work. One of the best foie gras I ever tried. Brasserie Turcano in Castro urdiales, produced the best plate of grilled veggies with romesco, like, ever. It's on the main strip in the old town, where I suspect you can't get a bad meal.

Enjoy!

 

[Bob from L.A. !]

Hey Rick M

Remind me to walk my next Camino with you !

 

[MinaKamina]

I now understand why they say the Norte is so heavy.

 

[oursonpolaire]

The first week of the Norte is a real treat from a food standpoint. Yeah, the world is your oyster in San Sebastian and Bilbao, but even the small towns will serve up superb Basque cuisine if you are willing to wait till eight or nine for the restaurant to open. We had the best menu del dia at a picnic table under a tent at asador zubi ondo in zarautz. It's the first place you encounter walking into town. Restaurant Urgain in Deba served a superb dinner with fine wine. Really good service from the owner and head chef who takes pride in his work. One of the best foie gras I ever tried. Brasserie Turcano in Castro urdiales, produced the best plate of grilled veggies with romesco, like, ever. It's on the main strip in the old town, where I suspect you can't get a bad meal.

Enjoy!

For restaurant Urgain in Deba, I would underline this as a place of great quality, but would suggest that you speak with the owner directly. I was very badly served there on my second visit, and it was an unhappy contrast to my first-- I would have dealt with it more directly with the owner, but was too exhausted by my day to do so.

While it is possible to eat poorly on the de Norte, it takes work. I always asked my innkeeper for recommendations and one has to eat at the Spanish hour. Or just ask for a salad and a racion, preferably of seafood. In Castro Urdiales, I liked Maison Marinero, and had a fine lubina in the portico. In Liendo, you have a choice of Restaurant Ambigu (excellent grilled raya, from my 2018 notes), or Restaurant El Roble, where I succumbed to a desire for a steak, and was easily satisfied. The kitchen at Casa Roja, the casa rural where I slept in Cadavedo, is another recommendation-- I imagine that they cook for non-residents, but it never hurts to ask. Taking a detour from Muros de Nalon down to the Playa de Aguilar will also give you an opportunity to take lunch at the Agiazpu at the far end of this spectacular beach. And in Tapia de Casariego, the Marinera down by the harbour will provide many spiritual rewards for the weary pilgrim.

For Vegan Camino, I did not see any exclusively vegetarian restaurants along the way, but my experience in talking about this with veggie and vegan pilgrims suggests that a combination of self-catering when albergues have kitchens, using ingredients from the supermercado or tienda (prepared chickpeas and other pulses are often available in containers, and local greens are splendid in quality-- as well, the Spanish are nut-mad and there is not shortage of them) and discussing your needs with restaurants, tends to work out well. The Spanish are much more aware of food sensitivities and needs than they were ten years ago and their default is to be as helpful as possible.