The road holds many surprises, such as the one in Area 103
In fact, if you think these words can only come from someone who is hallucinating from the effects of high temperatures , if you are one of those who has paid at the price of seafood (call us exaggerated!) a mixed sandwich in the middle of the A-4, or if you are among those who they don't want to see a combination plate again when he stops in the middle of nowhere for a drink, we assure you that you will find his reading most uplifting.
because we have queried north and south , eastern and western Spain to compile the best roadside bars. Some more accessible than others, but all restaurants where it's worth refueling Y delight in the food offered n. Say goodbye to oily croquettes and say goodbye forever to breaded fillets; there is life beyond squid sandwich, and that some insist on saying that it is paella…
There are restaurants, such as Patxiku-Enea Erretegia, that are well worth a detour
BOCEGUILLAS AREA
_Highway A-1, km 115, 40560 - Boceguillas (Segovia) _
suckling lamb roasted in a wood oven, free-range rooster confit in orange and honey sauce, stewed deer, Castilian soup with chorizo, chickpea stew with mushrooms of the area… Who said that stopping for lunch at a roadside bar was synonymous with Tortilla snack ? And beware, we do not detract from that sandwich that is so ours, but taking a look at the Boceguillas menu, it is easy for us to mouth water.
This hotel-restaurant with a cozy atmosphere has a spacious and very bright living room that just makes it hard for us to resume the march, we warned! Open from 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. continuously, this complex is in the province of Segovia , and is accessed through the outputs 115 and 118 of the A-1.
THE SIERRA LOUNGE
_Carretera Villalba Villafranca, s/n, 06360, Fuente del Maestre (Badajoz) _
In 2018 La Sierra celebrates its 20th anniversary, an establishment that offers a menu of the day from Monday to Friday and a letter with proposals for traditional Extremadura cuisine. Its grilled red meats stand out, as well as its seafood. Also, if we pass through these parts in autumn or winter, we may want to try the Extremaduran stew , which is famous in the area.
The Hotel Restaurante La Sierra is one of the most requested places in the region Zafra-Bodión River to celebrate r weddings, baptisms, communions and all kinds of special events. It is open from Monday to Sunday, from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
In the Boceguillas Area your mouth will water
MARINETTO RESTAURANT
_Carretera de Málaga, s/n, Chauchina (Granada) _
we stay with the Marinetto's spacious terrace and with a very complete menu worthy of any five forks that is worth This establishment is located in Granada 100% recommendable, famous for his grilled meats.
What is recommended to try? well there is one wide variety of entrees , such as aubergines with honey, rail clams, chorizo and homemade black pudding, or lamb sweetbreads with mushrooms and peppers. To round off the job, the cod cooked in a thousand and one ways –battered, grilled, with tomato, pilpil sauce– or the fried choto with garlic , even the desired angus interlude. They also have homemade desserts and several options of Children's menu.
Marinetto wears open over 50 years and it is very well located, more or less at the height of the grenada airport . It is usually always at the top of the guide The trucker recommends , so we should still pay attention to it...
GRILL THE PUCHEROS
_Ctra. N-340, km 276, Piedrabuena (Ciudad Real) _
From 6:00 in the morning to 1:00 in the morning, operating on 365 days of the year , Los Pucheros is a perfect place to Recover energy after a long road trip . It has a wide variety of sandwiches, portions, salads, soups and pastries , as well as a daily menu that ranges between nine and 14 euros.
In addition, they boast –and they do not fall short, eh?– of a excellent traditional Castilian cuisine. Thus, in their stoves they prepare meat from own farms , fine game meats and fresh fish. Come on, whoever passes through La Mancha lands and has a craving for a good bite, he already knows where he should go.
Marinetto, 50 years of tradition
BERNARDO MACIAS HOUSE
_Ctra. N-340, Km 117, 11360, San Roque (Cádiz) _
It is A classic among classics, and any route that departs from the Campo de Gibraltar to Seville –or vice versa– usually has a stop marked at Casa Bernardo Macías. Here, breakfasts feel better than (almost) anywhere : they serve a "toast" with oil and tomato and a coffee with milk that tastes like heaven. For lunch they offer a short letter , but enough, with homemade food -lots of spoon-.
This restaurant is in a large service station, so we can take the opportunity to r refuel and stretch your legs well before continuing on the path. But, contrary to what it might seem, this house is not only a passing place: on many occasions, it is the destination of little getaways from the locals to give themselves a good tribute (and I include myself among them).
THE MOLÍ DE LES PIPES
_Ctra. de Viladrau/ C-543, km 2, 17401, Arbucies (Girona) _
We are facing an old 15th century flour mill converted into a restaurant with charm on the outskirts of Arbucias, on the Viladrau road. In this country house, everything is good, and it is difficult to decide what to ask for . They are specialists in grilled meats, so their star dishes are pork ribs, veal steak, the lamb and the pig's feet, and their rabbit stew It is among the most recommended. But they do fish (almost) as well as they do meat.
Furthermore, at El Molí de les Pipes, as a good Catalan restaurant, you could not miss the sausage –black, of mushrooms– nor the Catalan cream: don't go without lick your fingers with this homemade dessert, or with your plate of honey and cottage cheese.
Open only from Thursday to Sunday and during midday.
El Molí de les Pipes, a charming roadside restaurant
AREA 103
_A-2, km 103, 19490, Almadrones (Guadalajara) _
You'll know which one it is from the highway, by the great concentration of trucks which is usually always on its esplanade. Area 103 is from the service areas most famous of those that wind the A-2, a complex where carriers find everything and that serves between 450 and 500 meals a day.
It's a family business –managed by the Rebollo family– with more than a century of history , which is said soon, and where they have opted to adapt to the new times without losing an iota of what was a typical roadside bar, Almadrones Sale. Open all day, it can be enjoyed both at the bar and at a table from a plate of beans to a tortilla sandwich. Among Area 103's best sellers are the beans with chorizo and ear, the torreznos, the roast knuckle and the hake with garlic.
MARINE RESTAURANT HOSTEL
_Ctra. Madrid-Valencia, km 167, Honrubia (Cuenca) _
Between castles, swamps and reservoirs is located this restaurant that has already fulfilled the half century of life. In the cafeteria you can order sandwiches, pinchos, tapas and mixed dishes , and if we prefer more comfort and other options for lunch, they have a menu with homemade food from La Mancha and grilled meat. Reading it, when you ask the waiters for the best on the menu, these will be the magic words: zarajo, lamb shoulder, lamb chops and grilled sea bass.
Area 103, a road classic
VOLVORET
_N-VI, calle Pinar, nº 2, 40410, San Rafael (Segovia) _
‘Traditional seasonal Castilian cuisine’ . This is how they define themselves. And we warn you: if you walk along the A-6 and it doesn't catch you passing by, it may worth taking a detour to try some of their à la carte proposals. They have bar service, with a more than recommended vermouth which is accompanied by tapas and portions; a outdoor area for summer , with a playground for children, and the dining restaurant, with views of the Sierra de Guadarrama.
Volvoreta customer favorites: home-made croquettes, different varieties of paellas, roasted peppers, anchovies in vinegar and charcuterie boards. For dessert, egg flan, rice pudding, various cakes and of course the Ponche Segoviano.
PATXIKU-ENEA ERRETEGIA
Gaintxurizketa Bidea, 7, 20100, Lezo
18 kilometers from San Sebastian, just 15 kilometers from the border with France, Is this establishment located in a unique natural scenery; Patxiku-Enea Erretegia is found in the slopes of Mount Jaizkibel, and is a benchmark of good eating and good drink in the zone.
This Basque farmhouse has more than 200 years old , and its homey and cozy atmosphere, with classic dining rooms from stone walls and wooden beams , gives it a rustic air that complements perfectly with the dishes they offer on their menu.
Thus, grilled meat and fish are its hallmark, with Aitor Manterola and Iñaki Legorburu in front of its embers. Take note: sea bream, hake, monkfish from Ondarroa, wild turbot, sole, Patxikuenea cutlet , suckling lamb shoulder and grilled prawns and octopus . They have an excellent wine list, some sweets, perfect to accompany the dessert like the famous Peter Jimenez to the Ochoa Moscatel or the Chivite Gran Feudo.
In Patxikuenea they know what they are doing when it comes to meat...