Despite its small size, Asturias has managed to shape a rich and diverse gastronomic universe in recent years like few others. It is true that it started from a traditional cuisine substrate that is very well represented throughout the territory, but an ecosystem has grown from it in which tradition and avant-garde go hand in hand without conflict.
If this is the case in all the regions, in the Ribadesella-Asturias axis the phenomenon reaches a surprising diversity and is especially attractive now, during the summer, when the area becomes a regular destination for vacationers and more fleeting getaways. If the density of emblematic restaurants in the area is overwhelming, the number of eateries and offers with an informal character is no less, making it an ideal choice for those considering a gastronomic route. And among all that offer, this is our selection:
The truth is that in this area it is difficult to choose only one essential, but if you can only go to one restaurant here and want to experience the most exceptional, Casa Marcial should probably be your choice. And not because it is the only Asturian restaurant that holds two stars in the Michelin Guide, but because the Manzano family house has been on an upward trajectory for years that seems far from having reached its peak.
The place is charming, the location as unlikely as it is spectacular and the cuisine is on a level out of the ordinary. The sum of all this with a really cozy room, with the work of Juan Luís García, one of the finest and most intuitive sommeliers in Spain, and the already historical character of the place make Casa Marcial one of the great Spanish restaurants. The Manzano brothers have shaped a place here that you have to go at least once.
In the center of Arriondas is another of the area’s great classics: El Corral del Indianu, a cozy space with a small patio perfect for summer nights.
Peeking into the kitchen of José Antonio Campoviejo here is peeking into the history of contemporary Asturian cuisine. With more than a quarter of a century of experience, the restaurant run by the chef and his wife, Yolanda Vega, is not only out of fashion, but has developed its own style in which the kitchen, atmosphere and dining room are part of a whole with a welcoming and personal character.
Quince Nudos has made a name for itself from its rice dishes, considered among the best in Asturias and northern Spain, but its offer goes much further.
With a wonderful location just a step away from the beach of Santa Marina de Ribadesella, the restaurant by chef Bruno Lombán is perfect both for those who want to explore more informal classics, which are successfully updated here -mellow pitu caleya croquettes, lobster salad- as well as for those who are looking for proposals with a more personal nature.
And, although the cuisine of Quince Nudos is not only rice, it has one of its fundamental pillars in these: from classics such as rice with Cantabrian lobster to those that are defined on the menu as “Gastronomic”, such as rice with cider, eel smoked and foie, as well as a whole section dedicated to seafood rice dishes: broth with crabs and prawns, a banda with scallops, with tuna from the north in a roll, with red shrimp and a spicy touch…
The product of the local rulas rules in a good part of the kitchens in this area. And if anywhere this rises almost to the category of a commandment, it is in Güeyu Mar.
Abel Álvarez and Luisa Cajigal have been offering local product cuisine with an essential character for 15 years, with the grill as the protagonist, in this small restaurant overlooking the Vega beach that has become a place of pilgrimage for lovers of applied grill to the Cantabrian product.
With a militant position in the marine pantry, Güeyu Mar’s menu does not offer meat and has its fundamental pillar in the grill and in an unusual cellar. It is also worth exploring their assortment of their own preserves, of an unusual level.
The Hotel Caravia is an unpretentious accommodation located in Prado (Caravia), just over 10 kilometers from the center of Ribadesella. The offer of its restaurant is equally simple and is offered in a space with a lively atmosphere, with the character of a traditional eating house.
Its specialties include dishes such as beans with wild boar, but above all beans with andaricas (small crabs) that bring customers from all over Asturias. The restaurant also has the Quality Seal of the Virgen de Guía de Ribadesella Fishermen’s Association, which makes it a great option for those who want to explore the traditional fish cuisine of the area.
El Molín de Mingo is more than a restaurant, an experience; a place that only makes sense where it is, at the end of a narrow and winding road that winds its way up 5 kilometers through the valley of the Zardón stream.
There, in an old restored mill, Dulce Martínez runs one of the most charming restaurants in Spain, a fairytale place where, in season, it is worth trying to get one of the outdoor tables, in the small garden or next to the granary, to enjoy classics such as croquettes or the unforgettable rice with pitu within menus at very reasonable prices in which, depending on the season, come and go dishes such as homemade pickled bonito, verdinas with octopus and trotters of pork, stewed kid or suckling gizzards with celeriac puree.
La Huertona is a peculiar restaurant. It is not in the center of Ribadesella nor in one of the most touristic corners of the region, but even so it has become a must stop for those looking for sensible product cuisine, offered in a quiet space, in which the kitchen it is the center of the experience.
José Manuel Viejo has spent 15 years making the grill, and in particular his work on it on marine products, a hallmark of the restaurant. Barnacles, red prawns, eels or kokotxas are subjected to millimeter cooking with impeccable results, although if one of the products that goes through the grill must be highlighted, that is the king, a Cantabrian fish with a subtly seafood flavor, which arrives at the table with a juicy meat, very lightly smoked, and a crispy skin that makes one think of the marine version of a suckling pig. One of those specialties that justify a trip.
Casa Eutimio is in Lastres, about 20 minutes by car from Ribadesella. Even so, the detour is worth it to explore the area known as the Jurassic Coast, visit the town, one of the most picturesque in this transition area between the center and the east, and get to know the cuisine of a classic that has been updated.
The restaurant looks back on half a century of history and, in the hands of the second generation of the Busta family, has managed to preserve its hallmarks while updating and complementing its offer with the creation of a micro-cannery that it shares with the restaurant its firm commitment to the best seafood from the markets in its area.
Classics such as fabada, fried hake a la Romana or its famous soupy rice with clams share the menu with recipes such as hake with its tripe, lobster salad or razor clams with organic cider pickle, proposals that suit different audiences without losing sight of the main lines of the kitchen of a seafood and local cuisine house.
