Calle del Laurel

The Calle del Laurel is the most famous tapas street in Spain, a short, narrow lane in the old town of Logroño, the capital of La Rioja, lined from end to end with small bars that serve pinchos, bite-sized snacks on a piece of bread or a toothpick. It runs for only a couple of hundred metres, but it is packed with dozens of bars, and together with the parallel lanes around it, notably the Calle de San Juan and the Travesía de Laurel, it forms the centre of the city's social life. The street is said to take its name from a laurel tree that once stood here, and it has been a place for wine and food for generations.

The local custom is to go from bar to bar, taking one drink and one pincho in each and then moving on. This is called the tapeo, or in La Rioja the ruta de los pinchos. Every bar has its own speciality, often only one dish that it has perfected over years, and locals know them by heart. Among the best-known is the grilled mushroom topped with garlic and parsley and served on a skewer, a simple dish that draws crowds, and others include fried quail eggs, small kebabs, battered prawns, stuffed peppers, slices of cured ham and little plates of stewed tripe and pig's ear. Some bars go for more elaborate creations. The food is sold at modest prices, and a small glass of Rioja wine, often called a chiquito, costs little.

The wine is the point of the whole thing. La Rioja is Spain's most famous red wine region, and its Tempranillo-based reds, aged in oak, are the standard drink here, along with white and rosé. Many bars serve wines by the glass from different bodegas, so the street is also a free-flowing tasting. The atmosphere is noisy, cheerful and crowded, particularly on weekend evenings and during the Fiestas de San Mateo in September, when the whole city celebrates the grape harvest. Bar counters spill out into the street, and conversation, laughter and the clatter of plates fill the air.

The street lies close to the Co-Cathedral of Santa María de la Redonda, and the old town has other churches, squares and the Ebro riverbank. Logroño is also a stage on the Camino de Santiago, and many pilgrims enjoy the street after the day's walk, which explains the international mix of people. Tapas bars generally open at lunchtime and again in the evening, and many close on certain weekdays.

It suits food lovers, groups of friends and couples. Go early in the evening to find space, wear comfortable shoes for the crowds, and keep cash for small orders. Pace yourself, since a night of pinchos adds up.