Hotel Hito

A small restaurant divided into two spaces: an informal taberna with a bar counter and high tables perfect for snacks, and an attractive dining room (some of the tables have the feel of a small private space). The focus here is on traditional Basque cuisine designed for sharing that is simple yet delicious and based around locally sourced ingredients. One seasonal dish that we particularly enjoyed and can highly recommend was the “Porrusalda” with truffled potato foam and free-range egg yolk.

Situated on one of the main avenues that crosses the capital of Álava province, Zaldiarán is one of the town’s long-standing classic restaurants. The updated dining room serves as a backdrop for reinterpreted traditional cuisine, as well as a superb selection of grilled specialities (tuna belly, wild turbot, premium beef chop, Duroc rib etc) and the option of a tasting menu. Take time to admire the photos on display, where you’ll see restaurant owner Gonzalo Antón standing alongside various renowned chefs from Spain and further afield.

Right in the heart of the city and, although it is not bereft of history, this restaurant has been able to modernise in both form and content; in fact, after five decades since it opened, the Tobalina siblings (with Álvaro in the kitchen and Silvia running the dining room) have now firmly taken over the reins of the restaurant. It has several spaces, all with a distinctive character, where you can discover innovative traditional cuisine that varies according to the market, with the option of an à la carte service, an executive menu (only at lunchtime, from Tuesday to Friday) and a tasting menu

Located just a few minutes from the historic centre, Karmine is a restaurant that is definitely worthy of interest. Chef Jabi Sarasua's cuisine is a nod to his mother's Valencian roots, and places as much emphasis on the use of almost obsolete ingredients from Álava province as it does on the reintroduction of local recipes that have been all but forgotten (“cocido vitoriano” stew, asparagus “a la Urcelay”, rice with borage etc), but always from a modern perspective. The focus here is on a single tasting menu (8- and 10-course options) that is constantly changing as a result of the restaurant’