Pamplona has a vast number of options for eating out. The city welcomes thousands of visitors each year: pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela, partygoers to the huge Festival of San Fermín and tourists keen to discover the many important monuments and leisure attractions Pamplona has to offer.
Whether you’re visiting from elsewhere or live in the city, Pamplona has countless restaurants to enjoy. Restaurants and bars typically have a welcoming, hospitable atmosphere, so let yourself be guided by the staff’s suggestions and enjoy the finest traditional Navarran cooking (link to corresponding URL) or the creativity of new chefs.
Pintxos in Pamplona
Pintxos are a culinary institution in Pamplona and also a social event. They’re a way of experiencing and appreciating a meal with friends, family, and strangers, and eating a variety of quality foods at the same time.
In fact, it’s impossible to cover the whole pintxos route in Pamplona because it includes bars in both the Old Town and all the city’s neighbourhoods. It’s definitely the most popular way to eat out in Pamplona. Here are some of the most famous spots for pintxos:
Bar Gaucho (Espoz y Mina, 7)
Many say this is the best pintxos bar in Pamplona. Everyone ends up coming here at some point and enjoying its wide range of individually-served classic and creative dishes.
Iruñazarra (Mercaderes, 5)
When you visit to this bar, make sure you order some of the home-made croquettes, which are made with culinary virtuosity.
La Mandarra de la Ramos (San Nicolás, 9)
Creative pintxos made from top quality ingredients. The bar gets very busy at certain times (especially weekends) so it’s better to visit outside ‘rush hour’ i.e. midday and the early evening.
Baserriberri (San Nicolás, 32)
Aside from the croquettes and sandwiches, this bar’s star pintxo is the bOOmVeja: sheep milk bread with Thai-style lamb on truffle lactonnaise. Original and delicious.
Best restaurants in Pamplona
There are several options for eating out in Pamplona with Michelin stars and Repsol suns. In fact, there’s a clutch of restaurants in the city and surrounding area that are widely recognised by critics and discerning diners for their exceptional quality.
Europe (Espoz y Mina, 11)
This family restaurant is run by the Idoate brothers, with Pilar at the helm, and has been winning over diners since 1977 with cooking they describe as “from the roots”, meaning they use the best local and Spanish seasonal produce. We recommend the Eugenia tasting menu.
Rodero (Emilio Arrieta, 3)
Signature dishes by Koldo Rodero using luxury ingredients, with enjoyable surprises each season. This restaurant’s great achievement is soaring into the modern culinary stratosphere by preparing traditional Navarran cuisine.
El Molino de Urdániz (N-135, km 16,5, Urdániz)
This restaurant is just a few kilometres from the capital (about 15 minutes by car) ‒ it’s an emblem of Navarran cooking and has two Michelin stars and a green star. Creative chef David Yárnoz oversees the kitchen and recommends his “Classics and Evolution” tasting menu, a journey around the world through his best dishes from the past and present.
El Mercáo (Tafalla, 5-7, Mercado del Ensanche)
This is one of top temples to creative pintxos in Pamplona but is also a wonderful place to eat seated at a table. Its day, evening and weekend menus are a fantastic way to discover the best produce from Navarre and around the world.
La Biblioteca (Beloso Bajo, 11)
Chef Leandro Gil explores the many possibilities of vegetables and forest-gathered produce, presenting them in an original, creative, delicious way in the surprising creations on his tasting menu.
Traditional restaurants in Pamplona
The fresh air blowing through Pamplona and Navarre isn’t enough to sweep away its deep-rooted, traditional cooking. There are plenty of restaurants that serve this type of food; here are some of the most famous:
Kabo (Zaragoza, 10)
This is one of the finest exponents of traditional Navarran cooking ‒ and one of the best in Pamplona, reflected by its recent Michelin star. Head chef Aaron Ortiz and his partner and sommelier, Jaione Aizpura, prepare local produce that is served in a truly tempting way.
Anttonenea (San Antón, 48)
The name is a bit misleading because this is actually one of the most traditional restaurants in Pamplona. Grilled food is the order of the day, and it serves the finest Navarran meat plus other treats from the fields and sea.
Asador Olaverri (Santa Marta, 4)
Another traditional restaurant in Pamplona that specialises in barbecuing, this time focusing on produce from the sea. In fact, many say that stopping here for its barbecued fish is an essential experience when visiting the city.
Enekorri (Tudela, 14)
The Cantabrian and Mediterranean seas meet in this traditional restaurant in Pamplona, where the forests, fields and mountains of Navarre also feature prominently. Dishes include lobster salad, perfectly cooked artichokes and cardoons, venison fillet, and T-bone steak.
Arostegui (Juan de Labrit, 19)
It describes itself as a “mountain restaurant” in the heart of the city. Authentic, home-made cooking using first-class Navarran and Spanish produce, with classics like chicken stew with rice, lamb tripe, traditional txipirones, and game dishes (depending on the season).
Where to eat well and inexpensively in Pamplona
It’s easy to eat cheaply and well in Pamplona. Apart from pintxos bars and fast-food joints, there’s a handful of restaurants that aim to serve delicious, high quality food at reasonable prices. Here are some of the best:
Asador Menchu (Acella, 7)
This restaurant is next to Yamaguchi Park and the Planetarium. It’s a great option if you’d like to try reasonably priced traditional Navarran and Spanish food.
Artwohl (Teobaldos, 2)
A surprising fusion of Galician and German cooking, with nods to typical Navarran cuisine. It has vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options.
Asador Erretegia (Estafeta, 53)
This restaurant has a popular pintxos bar and it pays tribute to traditional Spanish and Navarran cooking, with classics like Spanish potato omelette, morcilla, cod, hake, Iberian fillet, torrijas, and cheesecake.
La Crepería (San Gregorio, 23)
Great dishes at low prices, this makes a change from the stews, sautés, and fried and roasted food that is commonly served in restaurants in Pamplona. It has over 50 varieties of savoury and sweet crêpes so there is always something for everyone.
Hotels in Pamplona
One of the best accommodation options in the city is the Hotel Occidental Pamplona. This four-star hotel is close to the Planetarium; it has 89 large, bright rooms that have been designed for guests’ total comfort.
The hotel’s facilities include the restaurant’s famous breakfast buffet, which offers guests a wide range of fresh and seasonable produce, plus some regional dishes.
The Occidental Pamplona is close to the Citadel of Pamplona and it’s easy to walk to the city centre from the hotel or travel by public transport.
