Spanish food and wine

When you see the wine list at Bolero, you could dance for joy! The Spanish restaurant on Bundesplatz in Lucerne not only impresses with its freshly prepared tapas and paellas, but also with its huge selection of Spanish wines. From the paella of your choice to the wine of your dreams - friends of Spanish cuisine will find their happiness here. We have opted for the Viña Ardanza from La Rioja Alta. Which dish goes well with this traditional Rioja? At Bolero, we are recommended the house specialty, Secreto Iberico with rosemary jus. Secreto, the «secret fillet», is a cut of pork that is highly prized in Spain. The meat comes from Spain, where the animals can roam freely in a huge area and eat mainly acorns as well as grass. This gives it a special, slightly nutty taste. The perfect match for our complex, juicy Rioja! For all those who want to improve their cooking skills: Paella courses are held regularly at Bolero.

The Spanish proverb hits the nail on the head here. As soon as you arrive at Casa Aurelio, you almost feel at home. You don't have to travel far for typical Spanish hospitality: a trip to Zurich's Kreis 4 district is enough. In 1992, the well-known restaurateur Aurelio Lorenzo opened the restaurant for upscale Spanish cuisine in the colorful Langstrasse district. Juan Carmody has been running Casa Aurelio since his retirement. In addition to the great cuisine, the restaurant's own wine cellar also impresses with renowned wines and rarities. For dinner, the restaurant recommends the grilled veal chop "Aurelio" with Spanish potatoes and spinach. We treat ourselves to the Flor de Pingus, the second wine from Peter Sisseck's legendary Dominio de Pingus. The pure Tinto Fino (Tempranillo) impresses with its velvety texture and fresh character. Do as the Spaniards do: take plenty of time for dinner! At the weekend, a live band plays at Casa Aurelio and the restaurant is open until 4 am. Olé!

The Geneva restaurant El Faro is like a lighthouse for all people who want to get to know the authentic Spanish cuisine in all its variety of specialties from the sea as well as from the land. This stronghold of Iberian gastronomy was founded in 1980 by the Moro family in the best Spanish tradition. The restaurant stands out for its fresh seafood cuisine and its exquisite wine selection, which is based exclusively on Spanish wineries. The wine cellar has been compiled over time and offers a beautiful range of regions, varieties and styles. You will find both affordable and very exclusive wines. We choose the golden mean and opt for the icon from Rioja, the Gran Reserva 904 from La Rioja Alta. A distinguished wine that impresses with its complex interplay of fruity, spicy and earthy aromas. A plate of hard cheese, Serrano and Pata Negra ham, as is often recommended as a starter at El Faro, harmonizes wonderfully with this classic Rioja.

The restaurant Mesa Madrid on Weinbergstrasse in Zurich is dedicated to fine Spanish cuisine and emphasizes its great diversity: «Iberian cuisine has been influenced by different cultures throughout Spain's history,» explains host Carlos Alberto Alonso Traveso. This diversity is also reflected in the wine selection, which is the result of very different climatic conditions, soils and grape varieties. The wine selection in the Mesa Madrid restaurant is correspondingly large. Our favorite Tierras de Cair is a joy to the bottle-opener's heart. The host recommends the Pluma Iberica «Chimichurri», a feathery cut of Iberico pork with a fine parsley and garlic sauce. The meat is wonderfully juicy due to its strong marbling. The intense Ribera del Duero with its rounded tannins goes perfectly with this noble, tasty piece of meat. At Mesa Madrid, all this is served with a large portion of joie de vivre!

What sounds like a dance is one of the most delicious traditions in Spain: «Tapear». Tapas are small appetizers that are often served with wine and beer. There are several legends about the origins of tapas. One of them traces its origins back to the custom of covering alcoholic drinks with a lid (the Spanish word for «cover» is «tapar»). The lid was then weighted down with olives to prevent it from being blown away, and over time the methods of weighting it down became more and more inventive and artistic. Anyone who has ever been to Andalusia knows the unique atmosphere and gastronomy: the Restaurant Al-Andalus in Schaffhausen has been serving traditional dishes from all over Spain since 2017, bringing a piece of the south to Switzerland. It's no wonder that the different tapas variations are particularly popular. Whether «Pimientos de Padron», «Tortilla» or «Gambas de ajillo», the Tempranillo from Bodegas Volver goes wonderfully with them. The wine comes from a single vineyard and is characterized by a great freshness and a harmonious body.