Escapada a León – Fin de semana gastro con Grupo Vamuca

GASTRO WEEKEND AWAY FROM HOME

This is my proposal for a perfect weekend far from home with your couple, friends or family, perfect plan to do any time of the year.

Many of you have write me asking for different plans, because let’s admit it, Madrid is great, but what if you want to do something different away from the chaotic capital. See, I have the solution, and is just 2 hours away from Madrid by train (with ridiculous prices if you look it up some time ahead), or 3 and a half by car. We go to discover León, an amazing city that has a lot to offer for those in love with art, history, wine and specially, with food.

Just one night hotel worths to know the huge amount of offerings that this city has for everyone. It’s vary number of restaurants, from those more creatives to those super classy ones, not forgetting about the super typical tapas that you can try in every bar of the city will delight every kind of foodie. If you are one night owl, Leon’s nightlife surprised me so much (and left me wanting more). However you are, Manolín (from Bar Americano at Hotel Conde Luna), is a monument himself, worth visiting, his “ManoGins” are well known around locals for its price (just 8€ premium long drinks with some snacks), its amazing taste, and moreover, for being served with such caring and ease.

Now, where did we go  and what do we recommend the most? Let’s start from the beginning:

We stayed in the just renovated Hotel Alfonso V, located 5 minutes walking from the cathedral and rest of touristic points.

Rooms are cozy and equipped with anything you could need. I was lucky to be in a room located in the top floor with an amazing view to the cathedral.

No doubt those views, along with the huge bed, was my favorite of the hotel. But honestly, with the amazing (day/night)-life you are going to find in the streets of León, that room is perfect for just some sleeping and refueling your energy.

A huge stomach foodie like me can’t do this trip and not trying the different styles and different foods that the last Spanish Gastro Capital offers. Taking the advantage of Vamuca group restaurants with presence in the city, after talking with some locals, we select 3 different restaurants (lunch-dinner-lunch) to try everything. Each of these choices is aimed to an specific situation and public. I liked the three of them very much. Here you read in detail about each of them:

First stop. A menú that mix local product with creative combinations and recipes, just for 39€!! This Bib Gourmand (pre-Michelin star) will surely get to surprise you with some very tasty dishes and a peculiar philosophy: making the soiree choose the entire tasting menu.

This, itself, has always the same structure and its composed by some appetizer (chosen by the chef) two starters, one fish, one meat, one dessert and some petit fours. The client is the one who creates its own menu by crossing the selected option of each module, usually consisting on three different choices, and therefore making its own tasting menu.

Moreover, this menu with all its different choices are changed every 2 months (there are some hits that have remain the same since the start due to local demands). For foreigner like me, this fact grants me a new experience on each visit. This original and delicious concept, surrounded by such elegant atmosphere makes you feel like being in a Michelin Star restaurant, but without having to spend a fortune.

When I went to LAV, I was so lucky to try the “BIG HITS” menu, usually offered during December, January and February with the dishes that people has liked the most throughout the year. I can say this year HITS have been a blast! What we had:

• Leon typical stew macaroon, served with a foie scone covered by chocolate and some salmon tartare to start with the appetizers chosen by the chef.
• Following, the first starter, which we chose some foie with dried Cecina (horse cold cuts) and quince. The “star” dish I liked the most and I could have ate 3 of them was: Chickpeas with mushrooms, fresh foie and truffle.
• Main dishes: Tuna with olive sauce followed by the Meat dish: Sirloin Steak with Caviar and Morels Risotto.
• To finish, the kitchen came to us and prepared in front of us some Cotton Candy with a citric ice-cream and they served after the dessert: an amazing Cheesecake with Valdeón cheese, typical from the area, which gave the cake a strong an authentic touch. Petit fours were the best to eat with some tea or coffee… caramel chocolate, spicy raspberry gums and three chocolates macaroon.

All these drinked with some “Don Suero” red wine, a Pietro Picudo type of grape that we loved. Amazing way to start our trip!

Considering the amazing weather we were having that night, we went to a restaurant with a super nice terrace that allows you to view the entire city from above, 360º. Perfect to dine while seeing the sunset or to eat with the Leon cathedral in the portrait.

Menu is varied and thought to be shared with whoever as there are options for everyone. Cozy and detail decoration. I’d have rathered go with a couple, the place worths a special occasion.

We wanted to try a bit of everything, from the most typical and traditional like dried Cecina, to something more creative but equally good, like Quail Egg with Truffle Nigiri.

Desserts are superb, and not being able to decide among one or two, we went to try 5… “Miguel Fish Tank”, Eggs Yolk Puding, Puff Pastry with Strawberry, After-Eight IceCream and Ferrero Roche Coulant. For those who knows me well, you’d probably already know that this last one was my favourite. Only for the sweet tooth.

Once we finished the dinner, we went downstairs Hotel Conde Luna to visit one of the most important persons in the city when talking about drinks. Manolín leads and manages himself “El Bar Americano”, serving Premium long drinks at an unbeliavable Price for those of us coming from the expensive Madrid.

You can see since the very first moment you step in that he is one of a kind, really in love with his job, and probably one of the persons that knows more about drinks that Ive ever met. I’m not going to reveal his secret… he will tell you while serving you one of his famous Manolo Gins, as he offers a huge variety of gins or rum/whiskey if you are more into darker alcohols.

Following up, either as a snack or an appetizer, tapas are a must to have with some wine or beer before the next big meal. What locals usually do, is to take this step as the meal itself with the differents tapas served with each wine. We, anxious to try the maximum food possible, could only have It as an appetizer before.

Mi recommendations to have some tapas around León: 

–          Camarote Madrid: with a choice of tapa of tomato soup, garlic soup, olives or chips. Good product.

–          Taberna de Flandes: looks more like a pub and is not very comfy, but its roasted ham well worths a visit.

–          El Patio: no doubt is the cutest in the area, and its terrace is perfect for those sunny and warm days.

Well known as one of the references in typical Leon food. Located in a big and well decorated area, chimney included, with some private rooms which makes it perfect for business or family meetings.

Food, with an amazing quality, follows traditional recipes and offers dishes that are nowadays in danger, only eaten at Grandmas and prepared as she has learnt from her ancestors. We were super lucky to go during legume season with an special additional menu… just imagine our happiness!! From the dozen of options we had to choose just a few: Chickpeas with Octopus, Pork and Truffle with Beans or my favorite: Red Beans with Mushrooms and Foie. Trust me, just one bite of this won’t be enough. From here I recall to introduce this dish permanently in the menu.

Apart from the special legumes menu, we didn’t miss the specialties that could be found anytime of the year, like Blood Sausage or Spicy Chorizo with Eggs, Deer Meatballs, Cachopo (fried steak filled with cheese) or the amazing Steak that we liked so much.

No doubt this restaurant is one of the bests that León could offer to show the typical gastronomy and make people be delight and willing to be back for more.