Valporquero de Torio is a small mountain village in northern Leon where you can find the Valporquero Caves. It is a place worth visiting for its exceptional beauty. However, in this town the restaurant and bar options are limited since it is so small. So, if you want to eat in Valporquero de Torio, you will have to travel to Vegacervera, the municipality Valporquero belongs to. Here are our recommendations.
If you are going to visit the Valporquero Caves and want to know what to eat in Valporquero de Torio, the small village near the caves, in the Vegacervera municipality, you will have to travel a bit to find a bar or restaurant. Due to climate conditions, in cold, dry windy seasons, it is traditional to use cured meats from pork (sausage, loin, ham, pork fat) or game meat in the case of the famous goat meat.
Valporquero de Torio offers traditional stews, legumes and meat stews with pork, goat or game meat. In the stew, made with a base of potatoes and legumes, meat or cod can be added. A traditional dish is the trout soup, made with a base of onions and tomatoes.
This is an area of traditional cheese production, with both cured and semi-cured cheeses made from both cow and sheep milk.
Year after year they celebrate the Fiesta de la Cecina de Chivo de Vegacervera, in November, and the Feria de la Mantanza del Cerdo y del Chivo en Cármenes, an opportunity for visitors to taste the regional specialties. Put the finishing touch on eating in Valporquero de Torio with a delicious Vino del Bierzo or Vino de la Tierra de León, both made in the province with certificate of origin.
It is not possible to eat tapas in Valporquero de Torio, but you can travel to the nearby Vegacervera municipality, only 9 km away, and enjoy several possibilities. In Vegacervera, you can eat at Terraza Nanín, a tapas bar located on the banks of the Torio River. Nearby you will find Bar Vélez, perfect for enjoying a drink accompanied with one of their delicious toasts.
If you prefer eating a full meal visit the meals section below.
There is only one local restaurant in Valporquero de Torio, Casa Nimman. It is a friendly establishment with a rural touch where you can enjoy traditional stews or quality meats. The other options are in Vegacervera (9 km away), La Cocinona, with a good reputation, and the Hostal las Rocas, that offers homemade cuisine. They additionally participate in the jornadas micológicas and in the fiesta de la cecina del chivo.
In Serrilla de Torio (in the Matallana de Torio municipality, 11 km away) you will find El Molino de la Ropería where you can enjoy traditional homemade cuisine. It is famous for its dishes like: potatoes with octopus and crayfish, potatoes with deer, and trout and cod soup.
