FESTIVAL ACTUAL IMPAR 2013 AND PINCHOS IN LOGROÑO

There is no better way to start 2013 than attending a festival of arts. As usual, at the beginning of the year Actual Festival takes place in Logroño, La Rioja. From 2 to 6 January you can enjoy with cultural activities and taste the typical pinchos (another word for tapas, used in the northern Spain).

“Festival Actual IMPAR 2013” gets together music, cinema, exhibitions, workshops, shows and loads of cultural activities at different places of the city. For example, next Friday, you can attend a comic workshop in the morning, go to Julián Maeso concert in the afternoon and see a short film competition in the evening.

Logroño is not only well known for being the cradle of Rioja wine, but also for its pinchos. It is very popular to go to Laurel and San Juan streets to have them. These streets are full of little bars and it is very common to stay on the street and have a cup of excellent Rioja wine with a pincho.

In the last few years, bars and restaurants of Logroño are very concerned with the gluten-free diet and a lot of them offer gluten-free food and even gluten-free beer. ACERI, the Coeliacs Society of La Rioja, publishes a list of places where you can find food safe for coeliacs / celiacs. In La Laurel area you can go to:

BAR BLANCO Y NEGRO -- C/ Trav. Laurel, 1 - Tel. 941 210 146

(specialty: “matrimonio”: anchovy, pepper sandwich; other gluten-free sandwiches and beer)

BAR PATA NEGRA -- C/ Trav. Laurel 24 - Tel. 941 213 645

(specialty: ham sandwiches; gluten-free beer)

BAR PATA NEGRA SA -- C/ San Agustin, 35

BAR SORIANO -- C/ Trav. Laurel, 2 - Tel. 941 228 807

(specialty: mushrooms; no gluten-free bread so ask for them without bread)

BAR LORENZO -- C/ Trav. Laurel, 4-6 - Tel. 941 200 929

(specialty: “pincho moruno”, meat; no gluten-free bread, so ask for them without bread)

BAR JUBERA -- C/ Laurel, 18

(specialty: “patatas bravas”, potatoes with spicy sauce; gluten-free beer and bread)

BAR DONOSTI -- C/ Laurel, 13
www.bardonosti.es

(specialty: mushrooms with ham sandwich; other sandwiches, cold meat and gluten-free beer)

BAR EL CID -- C/ Trav. de Laurel, 1

(specialty: mushrooms)

BAR LAS CUBANAS -- C/ San Agustín, 17

(specialty: piglet without sauce; ask for other pinchos)

BAR TC WINNE & BEER -- C/ San Agustín, 8

(specialty: meat with honey)

BAR SEBAS -- C/ Albornoz, 6

(specialty: Spanish omelette)

BAR JUÁN Y PINCHAME -- C/ Laurel, 9

(specialty: prawn with pineapple grilled)

BAR TIO MAURI -- C/ Laurel, 10

(specialty: pork scratchings, “pincho moruno” and kidneys)

BAR EL RINCÓN DE ALBERTO -- C/ San Agustín, 7

(specialty: gluten-free tapas and menus; call up early enough)

BAR LA TRAVESIA -- Trav. San Juan, 10 - Tel. 941 230 717

(specialty: Spanish omelette; gluten-free bread)

RESTAURANTE DE PERDIDOS AL RIOS -- C/ San Agustín, 5 - Tel. 941 502 086

There are other bars which offer gluten-free pinchos:

BAR LA RUEDA -- C/ Pepe Maguregui, 5

(specialty: quail eggs with prawns and pork scratchings)

BAR BOCA BOCA -- C/ Ronda de los Cuarteles, 23 - Tel. 941 224 293

(specialty: pork scratchings, Spanish omelette, pasta, menus, sandwiches; gluten-free bread)

By Verónica Martínez Ruiz de Gopegui

And cafeterias where you can have a gluten-free beer:

 

CAFÉ DOMINÓ -- Avda. Portugal, 21

CAFÉ BAR EL DORADO -- C/ Portales, 81

CAFÉ VILLARREAL -- Parque del Carmen, 7

CAFÉ GENESIS -- C/ Gran Vía, 43

BAR LA FUNDACIÓN -- C/ Villamediana, 14

CAFETERÍA DOVER -- Parque San Adrián 3

CAFETERÍA IGUAZÚ -- C/ Murrienta esquina con Carmen Medrano

BEAT CLUB -- C/ Sagasta 19

If you want to have a full meal you can visit any of the following restaurants:

RESTAURANTE IRUÑA -- C/ Laurel, 8 - Tel. 941 502 044
www.restauranteiruña.es

(gluten-free bread)

RESTAURANTE HERVENTIA -- C/ Capitán Gallarza, 10 - Tel. 941 244 092.

www.asadorherventia.es

(gluten-free bread)

RESTAURANTE EL PORTALÓN -- C/ Portales, 7 - Tel. 941 241 334

RESTAURANTE CASA CHUCHI -- C/ Vitoria 6 - Tel. 941 202 505
www.casachuchi.es

(gluten-free bread)

ASADOR EMILIO -- C/ República Argentina, 8 - Tel. 941 233 141
www.asadoremilio.com

(for gluten-free bread, call up early enough)

RESTAURANTE TONDELUNA -- C/ Muro de la Mata, 9 - Tel. 941 236 425

www.tondeluna.com

(for gluten-free bread, call up early enough)

EL LATTINO -- C/ Avda. Portugal, 23-25 - Tel. 941 202 500

(pasta, salad, gluten-free bread and beer)

BOCATERÍA TIO TITO -- C/Labradores, 16 - Tel. 941 280 823

(gluten-free sandwiches, beer and pasta)

TELEPIZZA -- Avda. de la Paz, 69 -- C/ Estambrera, 15 -- C/ Chile, 11

(gluten-free pizzas)

And finally, here is a list of hotels which can offer gluten-free food if they are warned about the gluten-free diet when booking:

HOTEL HUSA GRAN VIA -- C/ Gran Vía, 71 Bis - Tel. 941 287 850

(for gluten-free breakfasts and dinners, call up early enough)

HOTEL NH HERENCIA RIOJA -- C/ Marqués de Murrieta, 14 - Tel. 941 210 222

HOTEL PORTALES -- C/ Portales, 85 - Tel. 941 502 794

(only breakfast, book two days before)

HOTEL TRYP BRACOS -- C/ Bretón de los Herreros, 29 - Tel. 941 226 608

For other kind of business, like bakeries, shops or ice-cream shops, in Logroño or in other towns of La Rioja, you can visit

http://www.aceri.org/donde_comprar.html