Oviedo
Oviedo is a town in northwest Spain between the Cantabrian Mountains and the Bay of Biscay. The capital of Asturias, it’s known for its medieval old town, the site of the Gothic Oviedo Cathedral with its 9th-century Holy Chamber. The Archaeological Museum of Asturias, in a nearby convent, displays regional artifacts. The Fine Arts Museum of Asturias includes two palaces and has an expansive Spanish art collection. Here is our guide to Oviedo, Spain.
STAY
HOTEL DE LA RECONQUISTA Made famous in Vicky Christina Barcelona, Hotel de la Reconquista is a luxury hotel that features a baroque facade topped by a 28-meter dome. Amenities include 2 restaurants, hair salons, a shopping center and a chapel. C. Gil de Jaz, 16; eurostarshotels.com/eurostars-hotel-de-la-reconquista
BARCELO OVIEDO CERVANTES In an early 20th-century mansion with an ornate, redbrick facade, this upmarket hotel is a 15-minute walk from Oviedo Cathedral and the pre-Romanesque Holy Chamber. C. Cervantes, 13; barcelo.com/es-es/barcelo-oviedo-cervantes
GRAN HOTEL LAS CALDAS Set within Las Caldas Villa Thermal spa resort, this modern hotel in a residential area surrounded by farmland is10 km from the landmark Oviedo Cathedral. There's an airy restaurant and a cocktail bar. Resort amenities include a spa and a health clinic, plus multiple indoor and outdoor pools (some with geothermal water), and a gym with regular fitness classes. 33174 Las Caldas; hotellascaldas.com
GRAN HOTEL ESPAÑA Set among shops and restaurants, this upscale hotel is near Oviedo Cathedral and the fine arts museum. There's an elegant restaurant and a cocktail bar. C. Jovellanos, 2; granhotelespana.es
DINE | DRINK
COCINA CABAL A restaurant that takes its name from chef Vicente Cabal and which features a kitchen visible from the dining room. Cabal is truly passionate about cooking and has had a long career working in leading restaurants across the country. In 2022, it won the award for the world’s best “fabada” stew! Suárez de la Riva 5; cocinacabal.com
CA’SUSO A welcoming bistro-style eatery with a rustic-contemporary feel, enthusiastically run by two brothers (Vicente and Iván) who humbly refer to their restaurant as a canteen-like “casa de comidas”. Their more modern take on traditional, Asturian-based cooking includes an à la carte (don’t miss the famous liquid La Peral cheese croquettes or the spider crab ravioli with fennel) and two enticing menus. Some half-plate options are also available. Marqués de Gastañaga 13; restaurante.covermanager.com/reserva-en-casuso
CASA FERMIN Here, options include a classic-traditional à la carte that makes full use of top-quality ingredients, a tasting menu, plus an impressive wine list. Make sure you try the CasadiellesFermín, the restaurant’s reinvented signature dessert! San Francisco 8, casafermin.com
NM NM is situated inside the spectacular and unique El Vasco shopping mall, which has one floor entirely dedicated to food and dining. This attractive restaurant, whose designer dining space occupies an area called Nastura, features a bar counter that can also be used for dining, and a focus on dishes prepared with top-quality ingredients, which reflect the roots and traditions of the Asturias region on every plate. Here, award-winning chef Nacho Manzano employs contemporary techniques that extract the maximum from the ingredients he works with. Víctor Chávarri 2; nmrestaurante.es
GLORIA An informal restaurant where Manzano siblings Esther and Nacho showcase traditional cuisine perfect for sharing, including delicious tapas, “raciones”, a few contemporary dishes, plus two menus (one daily option, including wine, that is available for lunch midweek, and a second more extensive menu named after the restaurant, featuring Gloria’s signature dishes). Cervantes 24; estasengloria.com
CALLE GASCONA AKA El Bulevar de la Sidra “Boulevard of Cider.” Walk up and down the street and try local ciders with pintxos before heading to dinner. Try Tierra Astur, La Manzana Sidreria or La Finca Sidrería Agrobar.
CALLE MANUEL PEDREGAL An alternative to cider on Calle Gascona is Calle Manuel Pedregal or Calle Calliope, which are lined with bars selling local wines. Try El Antiguo Molinillo or La Lola.
EL LLAR DE CATEDRAL A local tavern offering traditional Asturian dishes like fabada stew and cachopo meat. Pl. Alfonso II el Casto, 8
CASA RAMÓN Casa Ramón is a traditional Asturian restaurant founded in 1973 in the center of Oviedo, near the Plaza del Fontán. Pl. Daoiz y Velarde, 1; casaramonoviedo.com
EL FARTUQUÍN Located right in the historic heart of Oviedo, El Fartuquín is a historic restaurant itself, filled with old wooden beams, wrought iron chandeliers and bare stone walls. The restaurant offers an array of starters, salads, meat and fish dishes, such as grilled prawns, octopus cooked with onions or sirloin fillet cooked in cider. They also offer a wide selection of desserts – so make sure to save room. There’s everything from cheesecake and almond cake to Cava lemon sorbet or apple cider sorbet and a selection of Asturian cheeses. C. Carpio, 19; elfartuquin.es
EL FONDÍN A charming little restaurant set on the Plaza Trascorrales, with tables spilling outside onto the street. The restaurant describes itself has having a market kitchen, with fresh seasonal ingredients. Dishes on the menu here include sautéed rock octopus with clams and prawns, and grilled Vidiago cheese with fresh tomato, basil and raspberry coulis. Pl. Trascorrales, n2; elfondin.com
RESTAURANTE TABERNA DEL ARCO One of the most well-known restaurants in Oviedo, having been a favourite here for around 30 years. It comprises a stylish and classy restaurant and a casual tavern next door. While the tavern serves both classic and innovative tapas bites such as corn tortillas with crispy duck and pineapple chutney or Asturian beef with peppers, the restaurant offers a fine three-course menu. Try the amazing sparkling chocolate ball filled with caramel cream for dessert. Pl. de América, 6; delarco.com
PEDRO MARTINO Head chef Pedro Martino showcases the best of Asturian cuisine, cooking up a storm of fresh, seasonal dishes that are simple, yet beautifully presented. These include chickpea stew, octopus with boiled potatoes, and creamy rice with clams and squid. Don’t forget to leave room for the creative and delicious desserts, such as rice pudding with local honey ice cream, hazelnut soufflé or merengue rock with Sariego cheese and a cardamom and carrot cream. La Rienda, 14; pedromartino.es
ART | CULTURE | ACTIVITIES
MUSEO BELLAS ARTES DE ASTURIAS Inaugurated in 1980 in an 18th-century palace in the city centre, Oviedo’s Museum of Fine Arts holds one of the best permanent collections in Spain. It boasts some 15,000 pieces, including paintings by Picasso, Dali, El Greco and Goya (to name just a few) as well as photography, drawing, sculpture and over 5,000 glass and earthenware items. Opened in 2015, The Modern Wing – itself a notable piece of contemporary design – is dedicated to art of the 20th and 21st centuries and has a space on the first floor dedicated to prominent Asturian sculptor José Maria Navascué. C. Sta. Ana, 1-3; museobbaa.com
CAMPO DE SAN FRANCISCO
The leafy paradise of the San Francisco park is found in the heart of Oviedo, just up the road from the city’s market and town hall. Spanning 90,000 square metres (968,751 square feet), these lush spaces served as an orchard for the San Francisco Convent before being turned into a public park in the 1800s. There is plenty to admire as you stroll its romantic promenades, including a wide range of flora, ornate fountains and crumbling ruins. Particularly of note is the archway to the 13th-century San Isidro church, the only part of the building that survived demolition in the 1920s. El Palomar; oviedo.es/-/campo-de-san-francisco
CATHEDRAL OF SAN SALVADOR The Metropolitan Cathedral Basilica of the Holy Saviour or Cathedral of San Salvador is a Roman Catholic church and minor basilica in the centre of Oviedo. The cathedral of Oviedo received pilgrims throughout the Middle Ages and became an obligatory stop before continuing on its way to Santiago. Pl. Alfonso II el Casto, s/n; catedraldeoviedo.com
MERCADO EL FONTAN No visit to a Spanish town or city is complete without a wander around its central food market. Oviedo’s is located in the city centre, in an elegant glass-and-iron structure built in the late-19th century. Within, you’ll find rows of colourful stalls (puestos), from which vendors volubly tout Asturian specialities such as cheese and cider, as well as meat, fruit, vegetables, herbs and spices. Browse among the crowd as shoppers exchange gossip and stop at one of the many surrounding terraces for a drink and tapas when you’re done. Plaza 19 de Octubre s/n; mercadofontan.es
DAY TRIP
CANGAS DE ONIS Visit the Puente Romana Roman bridge, the Lagos de Covadonga lakes within the Picos de Europa National Park, and the striking pink Basílica de Santa María la Real de Covadonga and Sanctuary of Covadonga.