PINTXOS IN VITORIA, TAPAS.

SABURDI Dato, 32

Very popular thanks to their “pintxos”. The counter is full of tempting snacks. They serve meals too.

SIDRERÍA SAGARTOKI Prado, 18

Their “pintxos” are small masterpieces, displayed in glass cases like treasures, and sorted in collections. The ones named “fritomaníacos”

(“friedmaniacs”) are a modern version of the traditional croquettes and other fried delights. The restaurant-rotisserie is 8 out of 10 rated in the guide “Lo Mejor de la Gastronomía” (“The best of the gastronomy”). Winner of the 2005, 2006 and 2007 prize for the best “tapas” and “pintxos” bar in Spain.

BAZTERTXO Plaza de España

Located between the two buisiest squares in Vitoria, the Virgen Blanca and the Plaza de España. In a traditional atmosphere, they offer creative bites, like the “pintxo de solomillo con foie montado sobre tostada de pan” (“sirloin steak with foie on toast”).

EL RINCóN DE LUIS MARI Just opposite the street from the Ondoloin apartments.

You shouldn’t skip their “serranitos”, their “antxopis” and their “bocadillitos de jamón ibérico” (Iberian ham sandwitches).

BAR TOLOÑO Cuesta de San Francisco 3

Tel: 945 23 33 36

The owner, Enrique Fuentes, can boast of winning a “pintxos” contest, beating the prestigious Gipuzcoan cooks in the process. He created a “milhojas de habitas sobre pisto de verdel” (“small beans millefeuille on pea ratatouille”) to achieve it. His “pintxos” bar is a significant classic in Vitoria.

LA MALQUERIDA Correría, 10      Telf.: 945 257 068

Coming out into the Virgen Blanca square, The Correría is one of the prettiest streets in the old town. This is a very popular spot for the “poteo” (the basque way of drinking: small drinks and bites wandering from one bar to the other, especially before meals) at midday and at night. Their very particular terrace, right in the San Miguel Cantón, will not disappoint you.

USOKARI Dato 25    Tel: 945 234 152

“Tapas” bar, with a counter full of “pintxos” and small bites.

DOLLAR Calle la Florida 26

Another classic in Vitoria. One of the best assorted “pintxos” bar in town. They serve set menues and à la carte meals. The restaurant has a very popular terrace on fair weather days.

RESTAURANTS IN VITORIA

IKEA (around 85-100€)   C/ Portal De Castilla 27   Tel: 945 144 747

This is one of the gastronomic temples in Vitoria. Javier Mariscal creates a warm atmosphere, with both a basque and a japaneese flair. The team leaded by the chef José Ramón Berriozabal creates palate delights and sense joys. And the cave is the heart of Ikea. An average prize of the menue will range between 85-100€. Not expensive if you are looking for excellence. The icing on the cake is musical sellection. Strongly recommended for the epicure. One star in the Michelin guide.

Zaldiaran restaurant (Tasting menu 55€) Avenida Gasteiz, 21 Tel.: 945134822
It has been for years the only restaurant in Vitoria credited with a Michelin star. Very prestigious in the city, its name is linked to the National Congress of Author Cooking because they organize it. If you enjoy good cuisine and you are prepared to spend some 55€ then book a table at the Zaldiaran. The 7 wonders menu is simply delicious. If your curiosity is aroused just have a look at the dishes at their website. From top to bottom, the menu is outstanding.

EL MESÓN (around 45€)   Ortiz de Zárate, 5   Tel: 945 146191 / 945 142730

Stands up among locals and visitors thanks to their “pintxos” and their restaurant. You take it for an ordinary bar at first sight, but you’ll change your mind the moment you have the first bite. Only 150m away from Ondoloin apartments.

ETXE ZAHARRA (Casa Vieja) (around 40€)

Txikita (Chiquita), 6    Tel.: 945 146 565

A good bet for traditional basque cuisine lovers. Best quality ingredients and generous plates. Their oak, beech, holm oak firewood oven cooked lamb and suckling pig are very popular, but fish is a good bet too. Their steamed sea bass is just delicious.

LA VIÑA (around 25€)   Calle Rioja, 24    Tel: 945 204393

In the same street as the Ondoloin apartments.   Perfect for a casual dinner and “tapas” lovers. Price per person is about 25€.

ZABALA (around 45€)

C/Benigno Mateo Moraza    Tel.: 945 23 00 09

A reputed restaurant in Vitoria since 1962. Located in the “Los Arquillos” building, a monumental complex you shouldn’t skip in this town. A melting pot of avant-garde and tradition in an inspirational architecture setting.

MATXETE (around 45€)  Plaza del Matxete, 4-5  Tel.: 945 131 821

Located at the Plaza del Matxete, in the Medieval Town of Vitoria. It is a popular classic in town. A particular taste that combines tradition with a creative touch.

VEGETARIAN RESTAURANT MUSEO DEL ÓRGANO (menu 14€)    Open for lunch at working days.     Florida 29.    Tel: 945136688

Very close to the Ondoloin apartments. Tasty meals and organic products. If you like vegies this is your place to eat, it is worth going, everything is lovelly

NIKABIO (3€ each tupper) Calle Ortiz de Zárate,22

Nikabio is a shop very close to the apartments where you can buy cheap take away BIO food. A two euros tupper contains one or two portions, that depends on your appetite. José Ignacio, the manager of the shop, is very careful with the products they use and they cook daily small quantities, so you always find freshly cooked food. All the ingredients are organic, and they usually have rice, quinoa, millet and pasta for starters and tofu, seitan or tempeh for the main dish. Other BIO products for personal care or for the house are also available in the shop, and they will give you some advise about diet and health matters.

DA VINCI, italian restaurant (around 30€)
150m from Ondoloin apartments.
c/ Manuel Iradier, 48.    tel: 945 25 04 58
Travel to Italy without leaving Vitoria. Genuine italian recipies, carefully cooked in a firewood oven, “Manna mia!” everything is delicious. The place is worth a dinner but don´t go if you are in a hurry.

JAPANEESE RESTAURANT GINZA (around 30€)  Pintor díaz de olano, 1. Telf.: 945 158 752

Specialty in Teppanyaki and japaneese dishes, like sushi. The staff wears kimonos and you will too if you sit by the four big grills and want to avoid stains while the cook works in front of you. A very kind staff and a suggestive musical atmosphere.

XIXILU (around 40€)    Plaza Amárica, 2    Tel: 945 230 068

First class seasonal ingredients in this restaurant, famous for its red beans. The counter displays small bites too.

ARABA (around 35€) Avenida de los Huetos, 17  Telf.: 945222669

Away from the usual leisure circuit, the Araba is everyday crowded with local cuisine enthusiasts from 1.977. Manolo, the cook, and his brothers Carlos and Pepe, the waiters,  follow a very professional family saga. It is a safe bet.

CHINESE RESTAURANT WOK (You can eat everything you want for only 11€ plus drinks)

A hundred meters from Ondoloin, in the Dendaraba Commercial Center (calle Paz), at the end of first floor. A bit difficult to find.

A self-service with a great variety of dishes. You may eat all the seafood, fish and vegetables that you want, and they will grill or wok them for you at once. Lots of chinese food too and a delicious sushi.

DOLOMITI (around 40€)  C/ Ramón Y Cajal 1   Tel: 945 233 426

Quality italian restaurant, recently redecorated, and provided with a woodfire oven. Booking recommended.

SAGARTOKI (around 50€)   Calle Prado, 18    Telf.: 945288676

Good ingredients and a classic rotisserie cuisine. Rated with an 8 out of 10 in the guide “Lo Mejor de la Gastronomía” (“The Best of the Gastronomy”).

CUBE (around 40€)

C/ Francia, nº 24 Centro Museo Artium    Tel: 945 203 728

It’s the restaurant of the Artium Museum. An avant-garde choice in Vitoria. They serve set menues and à la carte meals. One of the best terraces in town. You may as well eat delightful “pintxos” while reading one of the many magazines available for clients.

COCINA DE PLÁGARO (around 60€)   Florida, 37   Tel: 945 27 96 54

Only a hundred meters away from Ondoloin appartments.

Luis Angel Plagaro, an up-and-coming talent of Alava’s cuisine, passionately proposes a set menu for 25 lucky clients. It is essential to book your chair if you want to enjoy it. The menu varies daily.

EL PORTALÓN (around 65€)   Correría 151    Tel: 945 14 27 55

The emblematic building from the XVth. century, is now a museum-like restaurant. It preserves all the medieval charm and combines traditional basque cuisine with a modern touch.

TERRACES

The center of the city, especially the two main squares, Virgen Blanca and Plaza de España, are covered with terraces in hot weather. Locals and visitors gather there day and night.

DUBLIN TERRACE. A very central terrace, just in the Virgen Blanca square, a meeting point for young people. A perfect place to get one’s strength back after a tour around the old town, or before stepping into it. Once you have a sit there, you may stay for a while, because the place is very popular and the view of the surrounding white galleries and the square itself deserve a relaxed glance.

And if you run away from tourists, very close to the Virgen Blanca square, in the Herrería Street you will find the BODEGÓN GORBEA TERRACE, best known as “The Bode”. At first sight there’s nothing special about it but have a sit and you’ll reckon a cool atmosphere, something different from the center. You can call it “alternative” if you want, but if you aim to meet people this the place to go. The bar is country decorated, with old oak beams, wood…

Very close to the two squares, in the Correría street we can find two places with terraces, small but cosy, with a great atmosphere. First one (from the Virgen Blanca square) is the LA MALQUERIDA bar, and the other, with younger regulars, the IGUANA CAFE (#151).

A very trendy and warm in cold weather (heated in winter) terrace is the JARDÍN DE FALERINA, just by the Montehermoso Cultural Center up the hill of the Old Town. They often have djs playing music and serve dishes like the delicious aple and raisin croquettes. There are live concerts in the garden in summer.

And when weather is really hot, we always have the convenient Florida parc, with Zabaltagui Florida terrace, very trendy and, above all, cool.

PARKING

Parking is not free in the center of town. There are parking meters (from Monday morning to saturday morning). There are a few private parkings, three of them 100 meters away from Ondoloin Apartments. Exact siuation can be found at the city plan, and there is a free parking area 5 minutes walking from Ondoloin, at the University campus: very recommended.

REE BICICLETES FOR BORROWING

Vitoria is full of pedestrian areas, parks and bicicle lanes. It is very flat so moving by bike is very convenient. There are eleven spots for bicicle borrowing around town. One, for instance at the touristic information office. Bikes are free, just showing the ID card or passport, and you can use it for three hours.

NIGHT PUB AND CLUBS

The very popular “la cuesta” (Cuesta de San Francisco), in the old town, is the crowded main area for pubs and clubs.

But if you are looking for something more appealing, there are a few suggestions:

GORA

Cantón de San Francisco javier, 1

DJs every friday, gigs every now and then in working days. They serve meals everyday. Very good atmosphere anytime.

CAFÉ DUBLIN

Plaza de La Virgen Blanca

“The Dublin” is a very active small bar in the center of Vitoria. Its music choice is so stunning that you can easily go to have a drink and end up sunk in some dj’s sounds flood early in the morning. From jazz to electronic music… everything is possible at “The Dublin”. The manager, Luismi, is very careful with the music offer of this bar, a classic for the cultural scene of the city. Everybody fits in this small room, eclecticly decorated.

IGUANA

c/Herrería, 151

This venue is a must if you want to know what Vitoria’s swine night is about. Very good atmosphere everyday (from 19h.). Friday and saturday djs, and many fridays free gigs. And they hold jolly and famous iguanateque partys (not every Saturday, from 13h.).

IBU HOTS

Jacinto Benavente, 6 (Judimendi)

Live music venue and bar, open everyday from 19h. to 4h. a.m. Djs at night the weekends. A pub open to all styles and trends. But you better choose the right moment. Recommended to look up schedules for gigs.

BAR EL ABUELO

End of Zapateia street.

This is the place if you’re looking for a rock&roll night. Pablo, the pirate skipper, hosts a very cool atmosphere crowded with rock musicians, urban artists and lovely misfits… Meet them all and drink the very well served draft beer.

CAPIROTE

Zapatería

One of the best places for electronic music in Vitoria. The steamy music mixer led by Mikel discharges house, techno house, hip hop, funky, latin, jazz… In his words: What I really enjoy is having fun, girls, partying, but we need to do some work, so I’ve been at the pick up half my life, starting with indie music. We had lots of fun but we barely danced, we just moved the head, and some would do some jumping. Fuck, then one day, boom boom, here’s house ¡This sounds good! it’s fun, it makes me dance and I enjoy it. From then I concentrated quite a lot in electronic music, and I keep doing it. Generations of vitorian people danced at the Capirote, if you’re from there, you may know it. Sometimes I play music as well at the Iguana cafe. My personal likes depend on the moment, but when I am playing music, I want to make people dance, feel, quiver and connect with people through the invisible thread of music.

BODEGÓN GORBEA, EL BODE.

Herrería, 26

A classic bar in Vitoria. Open every day and every night. A place where everybody goes sooner or later. Always crowded with people, music, and snacks.

Martin’s bodega

Cuchillería, 74
In words of the owner, Martin Beacham, in his small shop you will find “wine and something else…” It is a paradise for the wine connoisseurs, and guided by Martin, you will discover hand made wines produced in family caves in Lapuebla de Labarca, a small town of the rioja Alavesa. Other quality products from Alava can be found in this shop, like txakoli from Amurrio, salt from Añana or Idiazabal cheese. Before making up your mind, you may try the wines out having a bite of cheese for free on a table outside the shop. A perfect place for a stop as you visit the old town. If you want to make a good present this is the place to find it. And your shopping will be delivered for free to your apartment or hotel, so you can go on with your visit without any bags to carry.

4 AZULES

Postas, 28

A pub where you can sit and relax with a coffee and dance some house music at weekends. A very large place, not a disco, but big enough for dancing. But there are small tables all along where you can sit to have a drink or have a break in a rave night. But you must enjoy house music, because it is the only music you will listen to there. Prices are similar to any other bar in the downtown and it is close the the old town of Vitoria. They close a bit later than any other place (at 3 or 4 in the morning) so it is a good place to finish the night, or have a drink before going to a disco.

VITORIA’S CATHEDRAL, OPEN FOR WORKS

Tim Robbins, Alejandro Jodorowsky, José Saramago, Mario Vargas Llosa, Hugh Tomas, Arturo Pérez Reverte, Zoe Valdés, Carlos Ruiz Zafón, Toti Martínez de Lezea, Paulo Coelho, Rosa Regás… They were all captivated by the secrets of the old Cathedral. And you? other citys have postcards cathedrals. In Vitoria you will find a cracked site, landed over graves with skeleton sticking out of them, and supported by twisted, trembling vaults and columns, kept in place with lime injections and metal beams. A hundred thousand people come to Vitoria every year just to see this gothic church, open for repairs, but not for worship. A tour inside it invites you to allow your imagination free. As a matter of fact, several writers were inspired by its wear to create scenarios for their novels.

Less than 10 minutos walking from the apartments.

TOURS AT THE HISTORIC TOWN OF VITORIA-GASTEIZ

A walking tour around the Historic Center of the city. Starting from the Touristic Office (Plaza de España), the route takes around 2 and a half hours. We enter the Medieval Town and have a look at the renaissance palaces and manors of Villasuso, Casa del Cordón, Escoriaza-Esquibel, El Portalón and Montehermoso. We visit as well the Playing Cards Fournier Museum, with one of the biggest collection in the world. We will have the opportunity to see the medieval walls of the city, and the Santa Maria Cathedral (s. XIV) formerly used as a deffensive bastion. After visiting the church of Sam Miguel, with the Virgen Blanca sculpture ,patron virgin of the city, we finish the tour with the Plaza del Matxete, Plaza de España and Plaza de la Virgen Blanca.

TIMETABLES: Holy Week, July, August, September and long weekends. Saturdays all year. Time: Departure 11h30 from Touristic Office. PRICES: 5€ APROX. DURATION: 2h.

GUIDED BICYCLE TOURS

The best way to discover the outskirts of Vitoria is the guided bicycle tour. You will discover three different locations: the green ring in Salburua, the historic site of Armentia and the road to Santiago in Estíbaliz. We move along car free bicycle paths, and sightseens are splendid. There are a few stops planned and the tour ends with a guided visit to the end spot.

VISITS TO THE MEDIEVAL WALLS The Medieval Town brings you the opportunity to discover the city history with a walk along the old medieval walls of Gasteiz (s. XI). The visit starts at the Santa María Cathedral, where there are still some remaining parts of the wall. Going out of the church, you will enter a 3000 square meters area very pleasant path, with aromatic species designed for the viewing of the walls. They first defend the village, then the City of Vitoria.

The tour goes by a footbridges system and allows you to watch 300 meters length of the ancient walls, limited by four towers. The recovered part of the walls are located between the Cantón de la Soledad and Cantón de la Carnicerías and visitors will enjoy one of the unique sites of the city. Pza de la Burullería Tel.: 00 34 945 255 135 Previous reservation needed.

MUSEUMS OF VITORIA

•  Artium: Basque contemporary fine arts museum. Artium: Centro-Museo Vasco de Arte Contemporáneo.

The permanent collection composed by more than 1.600 works (paintings, sculptures drawings, engravings, pictures and installations) is considered one of the best you can find for basque and spanish contemporary art.

It is always partially exhibited, along with temporary exhibitions and they carry out many other activities.

•  Montehermoso cultural center. Centro cultural Montehermoso.

Aimed to the creation, exhibition and promotion of contemporary art and thinking. Very involved in gender equality policies.

•  Fine arts museum. Museo de Bellas Artes.

Basque classical paintings.

•  Weapons museum. Museo de Armería.

The collection holds weapons and all time war related objects. There is a section devoted to the Batalla de Vitoria.

•  Archaeology museum. Museo de Arqueología.

Objects found in the archaeologic sites from Alava. They cover the period from the first human activities to the middle age. BIBAT museum, Cuchilleria street, 54.

•  Natural science museum. Museo de Ciencias Naturales.

Everything related to natural world is exhibited here (minerals, insects, butterflies, etc.). Siervas de Jesús street, 24.

•  Fournier playing cards museum. Museo Fournier de Naipes.

In this very peculiar museum you will know about cards history and graphic design evolution, visiting the best collection of playing cards in the world. BIBAT museum, Cuchilleria street, 54.

• Sacred art museum. Museo de Arte Sacro.

Important works from the religious heritage are exhibited in the María Inmaculada Cathedral (New Cathedral). Adress: Catedral Nueva Monseñor Cadena y Eleta.

• Lanterns museum. Museo de los Faroles.

Beautiful lanterns from the Rosario de los Faroles procession. Every August the 4^th it goes round the center of the city. OTurism information office, General Loma square, 1

MUSEUMS:

• Museo de Armería: 945 18 19 25.

• Museo Arqueología: Tel. 945 20 37 07.

• Museo Ciencias Naturales: Tel. 945 18 19 24.

• Museo Fournier del Naipe: Tel. 945 20 37 07.

• Museo de Arte Sacro: Tel. 945 18 19 18.

PARKS IN VITORIA, THE GREEN RING

Vitoria is a city with many pedestrian areas, parks and bicycle lanes. Going for a bike ride is very recommended, because there are very few hills. A very easy and handy route joins the Parque de La Florida and Armentia, a small village just three kilometers away.

There are eleven points for borrowing bicycles around town. One of them is very close  from the park, in the Touristic Information Office. Bikes are free, you will only be required to show your ID card or passport.

All in all there are six parks around Vitoria: they form the so called “green ring” of the capital. One of them, Salburua, is not really a park, but one of the more relevant continental wetlands in the Basque Country, and Ramsar wetlands internationally catalogued.

There are several marked walking and bike routes there. Just follow the signs along the paths.