Page 98 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL SUMMER 2019 PORTUGAL

A Tasty Finish

Old Town Hondaribbia had fine spots for
dining tucked into its narrow, charming
streets, among shops with local crafts and
souvenirs. Some recommended restaurants:

• Abarka Jatetxea -- For modern cui-
sine.
• El Curry Verde -- Vegetarian and ve-
gan-friendly dishes.
• Arroka Berri -- traditional cuisine
with a touch of avant-garde.
• Gran Sol – Our guide’s favorite,
known for its sophisticated award-win-
ning cuisine and imaginative pintxos. For
two examples: prawns and bacon bro-
chette on onion bread toast with a dash
of oriental seasoning and a mushroom
stuffed with cheese mousse, Iberian ham,
and aioli sauce.

As we sipped our last glass of Rioja Gran
Reserva before leaving Basque Country, we
felt our diorama had been turned into a mas-
terpiece with infinitely more local color and
detail. Our new soundtrack of traditional mu-
sic, conversations in a dozen languages,
laughter among frolicking families on the
beaches, bartering shopkeepers, chefs repeat-
ing the pintxos orders, and the clinking of
glasses of fine wines from Rioja played when-
ever we went through photos and videos of
our experiences, setting new standards for
our next diorama and travel adventure.

98 WINE DINE & TRAVEL MAGAZINE WINTER/SPRING 2024