6 Best Restaurants in Zaragoza, The Pyrenees

El Tubo, the area surrounding the intersection of Calle Estébanes and Calle Libertad, is tapas central. Try to stick to one tapa per bar so you can sample as many spots as possible. El Champi (Calle Libertad 16) isn't much to look at, but this tiny establishment serves killer griddled mushrooms stacked on bread to soak up the garlic-infused oil. Bodegas Almau (Calle Estébanes 10) has shelves heaving with wine bottles and a bar stacked with gargantuan pinchos, which regulars gobble down in the standing-room-only barroom. The vermut con anchoas (a small plate of anchovies and a serving of house vermouth) is classic. La Republicana (Calle Casto Méndez Núñez 38) is a quaint antique space with a wide selection of tapas and migas (fried breadcrumbs) that rival those of the more famous La Miguería (Calle Estébanes 4), laden with garlic, olive oil, crispy chorizo, and optional lacy fried egg. A few steps away, Taberna Doña Casta (Calle Estébanes 6) fries up a lengthy list of inventive croquettes. Sin Nombre (Calle Libertad 7) serves cheffier tapas than the aforementioned and accompanies them with a varied wine list. 

For upscale tapas, sharable raciones, and a more sedate atmosphere, step into Palomeque. Dishes hinge on market produce and fuse traditional recipes with playful modern plating. Staff are happy to recommend wine pairings for any of the zany, updated versions of risotto, gazpacho, and other restaurant standbys.

Tucked away in a working-class neighborhood on the outskirts of Zaragoza, Will and Margaret is an unassuming eatery worth a stop on your way in or out of town. The Ecuadorian family running this jewel delights neighborhood lunch goers, students, and families alike with a menu that blends traditional Spanish fare with global influences and subtle nods to South American flavors. Dishes are crafted from fresh ingredients, artfully plated, with genial service. The three-course menu changes daily, featuring plates like turkey stewed with peaches and black pepper, or monkfish tail with shrimp, peanuts, and cilantro. 

With locally cured hams curtaining one side, hunks of beef aging on the other, and critter-filled fish tanks in the back, there's no question what this family-run establishment is cooking up. Sit outside on the terrace overlooking the Plaza de España, or go indoors and enjoy your fire-grilled steak alongside carefully preserved ruins of the ancient city walls.

Named after a much-feared and respected breed of fighting bull, this rustic tavern, located behind La Seo, is dripping with taurine paraphernalia. It offers an elaborate and inventive selection of pinchos and tapas. Jamón ibérico de bellota (acorn-fed Iberian ham), Spain's culinary crown jewel, is a no-brainer, though quail eggs or the tapa de la casa—jamón, foie, and mushrooms, with port sauce—is hard to resist. 

This rollicking wood-paneled dining room serves surprisingly sublime seafood, cooked a la plancha (on the griddle), al horno (in the oven), or folded into a variety of rice dishes. The beer is fresh and cold, and the house wines, largely from Upper Aragón's envelope-pushing Somontano D.O., are big and bold—and dangerously economical.