Spanish cuisine is characterised by an assortment of styles, featuring regional differences created by foreign influences when new ingredients and cooking techniques were introduced during a history of invasions and conquests.
This diversity provides food for thought for visitors to the country with an appetite for experiencing anything from tapas in Catalunya to paella in Valencia.
Consequently, Spain food tours have become an increasingly popular way to explore the country – especially when accompanied by more typical wine tasting experiences for a partnership designed to satiate all senses.
At Wine Paths, our local experts can organise a Spain culinary tour that includes dining at Michelin-starred contemporary restaurants, sampling traditional cuisine, enjoying food and wine pairings and many more unique gourmet experiences.
We cater for opportunities to try some of the finest food that Spain has to offer, while our Spain food tours can be tailor-made to meet your individual needs, ensuring every detail is taken care before you arrive.
With three restaurants in the top 10 of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants, Spain is at the cutting edge of gastronomy, featuring some of the most influential culinary minds in the world such as Catalan chef Ferran Adria and fine dining experiences verging on theatre.
The cities of San Sebastian, Barcelona and Seville are world-renowned foodie destinations while a food tour of Spain could also take you to particular regions famed for their local produce such as Iberico ham in Andalusia, Manchego cheese from La Mancha or Galician octopus.
Among the restaurants that we promote as part of our culinary tour of Spain is the Viura Restaurant at the hotel of the same name in Villabuena de Alava, a small medieval village surrounded by mountains and vineyards.
The Viura offers a sophisticated a la carte menu that is based on traditional Riojan and Basque cuisine enhanced with contemporary creative flourishes for a meal that will linger for long in your memory.
The restaurant is connected to its own Vinoteca (wine shop) located in a small, underground cellar and, since Viura is not associated with only one winery due to the hotel’s location, the wine list here is as exceptional as the food.
Another restaurant that should feature as part of any culinary tour of Spain is the Converso at the five-star hotel Casilla Temal Monasterio de Valbuena in Ribera Del Duero – where you can dine a la carte in the confines of the best preserved 12th century Cistercian monastery in Europe.
There are few more romantic settings to enjoy a menu that mixes traditional and modern Spanish gastronomy, prepared with the highest quality products from the Ribera Del Duero region that is also challenging La Rioja as the country’s premier producer of wine.
There are three different areas for relaxing and eating within the restaurant – while the hotel offers unique spaces for private dining accompanied by personalised menus that can be arranged through Wine Paths.
As well as restaurant reservations, Wine Paths also offers several unique Spain culinary tour experiences, including: an insiders’ epicurean tour of Madrid that visits the Spanish capital’s oldest market Mercado de San Miguel; the experience of becoming a chef for the day in Catalunya by learning how to prepare creative tapas; and a pilgrimage to the heart of Iberian ham in Andalusia.
Visit our destination page for more inspiration on Spain food tours before planning a gastronomic journey through history and innovation.
