ARREA!

When you drive through small villages such as this one, what you least expect to find is a restaurant like ARREA!, where owner-chef Edorta Lamo takes guests on a fascinating cultural and gastronomic journey through the almost subsistence-like landscapes of the Montaña Alavesa region, albeit from a more contemporary perspective. Its three highly distinct dining spaces also come as a surprise, comprising the Taberna (the waiting area), the Kuadra (only offering the Mendialdea menu, featuring five market-inspired dishes and the traditional “putxero” stew), and the main dining room, with its homely rustic ambience, dedicated exclusively to the gastronomic menu. This magical menu comprises a fixed section entitled “ongietorri lunch” (pâtés, hams, preserves, rennet, tiny fried birds etc) which are explained individually, followed by what ARREA refers to as “passes” (you need to choose a minimum of three), based around different ways of preparing partridge, trout, ingredients from the orchard, pigeon, deer and wild boar. Different lichens, which are found in these mountain landscapes, also feature as an ingredient here.