'Budget' Michelin tour: What to see and where to eat (northern Spain)

WHEN the summer reaches its hottest weeks, the idea of cooler climates suddenly becomes more attractive. And although Spain generally cannot offer temperatures similar to northern Scandinavia, not everywhere in the country sees the mercury pushing the 40ºC mark in July, August and September.

These months are the ideal time to head for mainland Spain's northernmost regions – the ones where the thermometer drops into double figures below zero on winter nights, and where you need thermal underwear and the heating on even in early autumn.

You'll be treated to some of the most breathtaking scenery in Europe – and be prepared for all your pre-conceived ideas about what Spain looks and feels like to be blown away (literally, in the more exposed rural areas at high altitudes, where it can get a bit blustery at times). Palm trees and cacti belong in the south, on the Mediterranean, and on the islands; Spain's north is an endless carpet of green and gold, closer in appearance to Switzerland, France, Ireland and the UK than to the sun-drenched beaches of the summer holiday brochures.

If you've read our previous two articles on 'budget Michelin tours' in the south, east and islands and in Madrid and inland Spain, you'll know that wherever in the country you travel, you'll be near a major global attraction or a lesser-known hidden gem - or both – and a top gourmet restaurant you can actually afford to eat in.

That's because the Michelin 'Bib Gourmand' section is made up of award-winning restaurants with a maximum price per head of €35, based upon three courses, dessert included, and one drink.

So, if you just have one course and a drink, you can dine Michelin-style for even less.

A number of these eateries are also hotels, which takes some of the organising out of your trip for you.

Given that you're unlikely to travel hundreds of kilometres across Spain purely for the dining-out opportunities – great though they may be – our comprehensive three guides offer you an overview of what to see and do in every part of the country, and where to get a 'Bib Gourmand' meal nearby.

Although if none of the regions featured here are cold enough for you during the typically-sweltering Spanish summer, plan yourself a chilly getaway at one of the destinations in our article on where to find the 'Laplands of Spain'.

Aragón

One of Spain's most rural and sparsely-populated regions, about an hour and a half by motorway inland from the Mediterranean and running from the Pyrénées to around a third of the way down the mainland, villages where time seems to have stopped a couple of centuries ago (working donkeys and oxen on farms, everyone knowing everyone else, and nobody bothering to lock their front door) and dramatic mountain scenery that seems to change colour around every corner – from clay-red to hay-yellow through pale bluish-purple – Aragón is probably among Spain's most beautiful parts. 

It also has one of the highest numbers of ski resorts, and which are surprisingly affordable compared to much better-advertised snowy destinations in Europe; the Pyrénéen stations of Cerler and Formigal-Panticosa, in the province of Huesca, and the smaller, cosier pistes in Javalambre and Valdelinares in that of Teruel, mean Aragón is topped and tailed by white slopes and, in the case of the latter, can feasibly be visited in a day from Valencia city.

In Huesca, Michelin-standard dining can be found at Trasiego, in Barbastro, at La Capilleta in Plan, at El Montañés in Biescas, Canteré in Hecho, Casa Chongastán in Chía, La Era de los Nogales in Sardas, El Origen, Casa Arcas Villanova and Carmen Binéfar in the provincial capital, Huesca city; in Teruel, at Meseguer in the Mediaeval mountain village of Alcañiz, La Alquería in Rafalés, El Rinconcito in Mora de Rubielos – one of the closest villages to both ski resorts – and Existe in Mosqueruela. 

Despite the remote, bucolic and rustic feel of Aragón as a region, it's actually where Spain's fifth-largest city is based – Zaragoza, capital of the province of the same name, in the middle part, has an airport well-served by low-cost flight routes, a majestic cathedral, and attractive, very classical-looking buildings.

In the province itself, you cannot miss a trip to the village of Borja – once an unremarkable market town of about 5,000 inhabitants, it is now a tourist magnet thanks to a 'botched' fresco that made international news overnight and even has an opera written in tribute to it. The lady who started it all, 90-year-old Cecilia Jiménez, says she has 'no regrets' about what she first thought would be the most embarrassing mistake of her life, literally changing the face of a 19th-century painting of Christ in her local parish church. And Borja, now on the global sightseeing map, has no regrets about it, either.

Additionally, Zaragoza has a wide selection of restaurants, including Quema and es.TABLE and, beyond the city, La Cocina del Principal in Sos del Rey Católico and La Rebotica in Cariñena.

The north coast 

Mainland Spain's northern strip often surprises first-time visitors – because it 'doesn't look like Spain'. At least, nothing like the Costas, or even inland parts of their provinces; you won't find palm trees, cacti, whitewashed villas, or any of the other tropical-like scenes shown in typical holiday brochures.

Instead, you'll find yourself amidst rolling, emerald-green hills, pastureland, grazing sheep and cattle, chalets with gables and wood beams on the outside, rugged coastlines below grassy cliffs, fishing villages, and generally a very northern- or central-European landscape.

And rain, too – plenty of it. Not necessarily downpours, but regular light showers and, in autumn and winter, Scotch mist; it's the wetter climate that makes this part of the country such a bright shade of green.

The north is where the biggest concentration of Michelin-starred restaurants are found at any one time, especially the Basque Country – and Bib Gourmand eateries are prolific in these parts, too.

Diners in the Basque province of Guipúzcoa, the capital of which is the film festival city of San Sebastián, can tuck in at Txulotxo in Pasai Donibane; Zeria in Fuenterrabía; Platero & Co in Gaucín or, in San Sebastián itself, in Topa and Agorregi. 

The port city of Bilbao, with its futuristic Guggenheim Museum, is home to the Bib Gourmand eateries Los Fueros, Kimtxu, La Escuela, and Al Margen. It is the capital of the Basque province of Vizcaya, or 'Biscay', where other Bib Gourmand eateries to be found are Gaztañaga in Sondika, and Iwasaki in Getxo.

The Basque Country's only inland province, Álava, is in fact where the region's three blue-flagged beaches are found; none of them are on the coast. And the provincial capital, Vitoria-Gasteiz, was named 'Best of the World' destination by National Geographic in November 2022.

As if you needed another reason to visit, you can dine at 'Michelin standard' for under €35 at Zabala Vitoria-Gasteiz.

In Cantabria, essential sights include the cobbled, Baroque village of Santillana del Mar, the flamboyant Gaudí restaurant El Capricho in Comillas (by the same architect as the Sagrada Família and Parc Güell in Barcelona), the majestic green Picos de Europa mountains, and the vast, open-air safari park, Cabárceno. 

For dining Michelin-style, you can find Umma, Querida Margarita, Daría, Cadelo, and Agua Salada in the regional capital, the beach city of Santander and, just to the east, in Suesa, Pan de Cuco; elsewhere in Cantabria, Bib Gourmands are based in Borleña, the Mesón de Borleña; in Cartes, La Cartería; in Puente San Miguel, Hostería Calvo, and in Cosgaya, Del Oso.

Galicia, in the far north-west – often likened to Scotland and Ireland in appearance – is another region, along with Murcia in the south-east, with one of the world's five 'Holy Cities': Santiago de Compostela, where the ornate cathedral is the 'finishing line' of the internationally-acclaimed pilgrims' route, the Camino de Santiago.

This is found in the province of A Coruña, one of the three in Galicia with a coast; here, Bib Gourmand restaurants are found in Santiago de Compostela itself (Pampín Bar, Mamá Peixe, Mar de Esteiro, Ghalpón Abastos, Café de Altamira, Anaco, Asador Gonzaba, A Horta d'Obradoiro, A Maceta, and A Viaxe); Camariñas (Villa de Oro); Ponte Ulla (Villa Verde); Carballo (Pementa Rosa); Codeso (O Balado); Fisterra (Ó Fragón); Melide (O Tobo do Lobo); Esteiro (Muiño); Ferrol (Frank); Negreira (Casa Barqueiro); Cambados (A Taberna do Trasno); Linyola (Amoca), and in the provincial capital, A Coruña city (Terreo, El de Alberto, and Artabria).

The largest city in the Galicia province of Pontevedra is Vigo, which has a worldwide reputation for its dazzling Christmas lights – and its beloved dinosaur hedge, Dinoseto, and his baby son, Dinosetiño. Vigo has three Bib Gourmand-ranked restaurants, too: Morrofino, Casa Marco, and Abisal.

Elsewhere in Pontevedra province, you can enjoy a top-class, low-priced meal at Trasmallo in A Guarda, and at A Xanela Gastronómica in Ponteareas.

Ourense, southern Galicia, is the region's only province without a coast and borders directly onto northern Portugal, so many of its residents lead a very 'international' lifestyle, literally popping abroad to see friends or go shopping. For eating out, though, their provincial capital caters well for them with two Bib Gourmand restaurants, Pacífico and Ceibe.

Asturias, the region which shares the Picos de Europa National Park with Cantabria, is the birthplace of Formula 1 legend Fernando Alonso and gives its name to the immediate heir to the throne (Princess Leonor of Asturias, whose father is King Felipe VI), as well as where you find Spain's largest building – even bigger than Granada's Alhambra Palace.

And dining fit for a Princess at a much more modest price than Royalty would be able to pay can be found at Salazogue and El Foralín, in the region's most populous city, Oviedo, and in its capital, Gijón, at Farragua and El Recetario; Mesón El Centro in Puerto de Vega; Lena in Villaviciosa; El Llar de Viri in San Román de Cándamo and at El Molín de Mingo in Peruyes.

Northern inland regions

In La Rioja, a world-famous wine region bordering onto the Basque Country, you'll find Txebico Cachetero and La Cocina de Ramón in its capital city, Logroño; Morro Tango in Alfaro, and Casa Toni in San Vicente de la Sonsierra.

Whilst in La Rioja, make a detour to the village of Ceniceros, where Spain has not just one, but two Statues of Liberty – click on the name and you'll find out the intriguing little story behind how they ended up there.

The neighbouring region of Navarra, whose woodlands were made famous by US novelist Ernest Hemingway, is home to probably the most stunning fairytale castle south of the Pyrénées, in Olite – it's been compared with Germany's world-famous Neuschwanstein Castle, and looks as though it were straight out of a yarn by the Brothers Grimm or from a Disney film. For eating out, Bib Gourmand restaurants in Navarra are Venta de Ulzama in Puerto de Belate; Origen in Urdaitz; Maskarada in Lekunberri; Donamariako Benta in Donamaría; Arotxa in Legasa and, in the regional capital city, Pamplona, El Mercao Iruña.

Castilla y León

Although chilly in winter, especially at night, this huge centre-northern region is pleasantly warm in summer, without the humidity of the coast. It's very northern European in terms of scenery and climate, and served by good roads and high-speed rail.

Burgos is our favourite province. Firstly, because the capital city, of the same name, is home to Spain's second-largest cathedral, and quite possibly one of the most beautiful on earth. It can actually be difficult to really appreciate any of the world's other stunning cathedrals after seeing that of Burgos, since even the most magnificent never seem to match up. 

Given that it has to be seen in real life, we don't want to spoil it for you by showing you a picture, which would never do it justice – so we haven't. But if you decide to take our word for it and visit, you'll also find a Bib Gourmand eatery in the city once you've finished your tour – La Fábrica.

Outside Burgos city, must-see parts of the province include Frías – Spain's smallest city – the Duero wine region, named after the river that runs through it, and Spain's only known 'Viking village', the time-frozen Mediaeval gem, Covarrubias. Whilst exploring this perfectly-preserved ancient municipality, stop off to eat at De Galo for a Michelin-standard meal without the starry price tag.

Other Bib Gourmand restaurants in Burgos province are Casa Brigante in Lerma, La Vasca in Miranda de Ebro, and Posada Real Torre Berrueza in Espinosa de los Monteros.

Perhaps, if you're visiting Spain's most impressive cathedrals, then, you'd be better off seeing the one in León before that of Burgos. León cathedral is one of the most-photographed and best-loved in the country, so it deserves your full appreciation when you first see it. 

Whilst in León city, capital of the province of the same name, you can get a Bib Gourmand meal at Becook or ConMimo, or if you want to explore the countryside in this enormous and atypical region – and there's plenty of it; Castilla y León is very rural – you could head to one of the towns and villages elsewhere in the province for sustenance.

Michelin-ranked meals can be found for under €35 a head at Coscolo in Castrillo de los Polvazares, La Lechería in Val de San Lorenzo, and Las Termas in Astorga.

The Palentina Mountains nature reserve, a ski resort in winter and snow-capped most of the year, is the province of Palencia's best-loved attraction and an ideal destination for hiking and enjoying nature in any season. Whilst there, you'll find excellent food served up for very reasonable prices at Terra in Palencia city, and Casa Ches in the town of Tariego de Cerrato.

Prepare to be awe-struck by the colossal, overpowering and perfectly-preserved Roman aqueduct in Segovia, one of Spain's most famous international visitor magnets, and rivalling Navarra's Olite castle for its fairytale quality and majestic beauty is the Alcázar, or Mediaeval Royal residence. For Michelin-ranked dining without the star prices, head out into the province to the town of Real Sitio de San Ildefonso, and book a table at La Fundición.

Salamanca, close to the Portuguese border, is often referred to as the 'Oxford of Spain' – this classical, sandstone-coloured city is where the country's first-ever university was opened. You can almost feel the history books coming to life as you stroll around its magnificent Plaza Mayor, voted the number one attraction in the province in a poll by excursions organiser Musement.

Once you've worked up an appetite exploring the erudite, élite and elegant provincial capital, head out to the town of San Miguel de Valero for a Michelin-standard meal at Sierra Quilama.

Another historic city worth the detour – and, in this case, no bigger than a medium-sized town, with only around 40,000 inhabitants – the capital of the province of Soria, of the same name, draws in numerous visitors every year to explore its Alameda de Cervantes park and botanical gardens, a verdant oasis in the urban hub. Elsewhere in the province, excellent cuisine is guaranteed in the town of Navaleno at its Bib Gourmand restaurant El Maño.

Valladolid is reputed to be the province where the purest 'received Spanish' is spoken, as well as being home to Spain's only 'Book Village' – which takes its inspiration from Hay-on-Wye, in Wales – and the provincial capital city, with its stately-looking architecture, museum in tribute to Don Quijote author Miguel de Cervantes, and huge Campo Grande gardens with peacocks living 'wild', is the second-least polluted major metropolis in Spain after Sevilla, the ninth-least polluted in Europe, the 12th-sunniest city in Spain, and 30th-sunniest city on the continent.

Plenty of reasons to visit, and star-quality dining can be found at the Bib Gourmand establishment Llantén in the town of Pinar de Antequera.

Backing onto Portugal, the highly-rural province of Zamora should be high on your road-trip list if you're seeking spectacular countryside views and some of the most sublime scenery you never realised existed: Arrange a tour of the Lake Sanabria and Segundera and Porto mountains in Galende, a vast nature reserve where you can take a boat ride through hidden rivers between imposing sierras. 

Zamora city is small and manageable, far from being an urban sprawl, and easy to explore; once you've finished, pop into Taberna Cuzeo for a Bib Gourmand meal.

Or, elsewhere in the province, head to the town of Sos del Rey Católico and book a table at La Cocina del Principal.