Legends say that it was Calatañazor where Almanzor, the great Muslim leader, suffered a mythical defeat that would ultimately serve to advance the Reconquista. But you will not lose anything in Calatañazor, don’t worry, in fact quite the contrary. Eating in Calatañazor will allow you to enjoy the Castilian gastronomy in all its splendor.
If you want a recommendation regarding what to eat in Calatañazor, in this small Mozarabic town you’ll be able to discover the gastronomic greatness of the province of Soria. You can start with a good appetizer of seasonal mushrooms like setas de cardo, níscalos or boletus. If you go in autumn, take advantage of the season and eat a plate of its star product: the exquisite níscalos “a la cazuela” (“as a stew”). If you choose as an appetizer a homemade paté, you can enjoy it spread on the town’s typical bread, pan de hogaza.
To continue, you can eat a plate of roast beef, suckling pig or lamb in the purest Castilian style, which will be worth it to experience the tradition of Castillian-Leon asado. Another option is to choose a lighter dish to start and then combine it with another, like a plate of grilled red meats, a stew, or some pickled game.
In this municipality you can also taste the famous ‘milas pastoriles’, a dish prepared with “crumbs” from hardened pan de hogaza mixed with bacon, chorizo, and panceta, a flavorful trimming that can accompany any type of meat. And finally, you can’t miss the natural butter, salted or sweet, which has D.O.P. Mantequilla de Soria, native to the province.
Various restaurants in the area organize the Fines de semana de Sidería (February-May) and the Jornadas gastronómicas mozárabes (weekends in November and year-round for groups), in which diners wear period dress to match the menu—from chicken to delights like honey, cous-cous, hummus, tahini, blood sausage… And for dessert, some delicious pestiños!
For eating in Calatañazor there aren’t many options since it is a small town. There are basically no tapas bars, but you can always go to one of the town’s local restaurants and taste what they have to offer. For example, a good option is the Restaurante Sabinar, which has a terrace for relaxing during your visit, as well as the Restaurante Calatañazor, in a country house, where you can eat a mushroom scramble or another one of the typical dishes. You can also go to the terrace at the Restaurante El Palomar and enjoy a cup of coffee.
Here we highlight some restaurants in Calatañazor. The restaurant at the Calatañazor country house has a dining room with a nice fireplace and offers traditional cuisine, with in-season mushrooms as a specialty. In November during the weekends and, by reservation, during the whole year for groups, they host a few Mozarabic gastronomic celebrations enlivened with medieval music, belly dancing and tastings of traditional dishes from the period.
At El Sabinar, Gonzalo Sacristán, experienced chef, prepares homemade cuisine that includes traditional Soria recipes, with very high-quality products.
In Calatañazor you can also eat at the restaurant at the royal inn, La Casa del Cura de Calatañazor, which organizes Mozarabic celebrations.
El Palomar, located in the country house called La Villa Calatañazor, occupies an old dovecote dating back to the year 1700, reconstructed with limestone, sabina wood, pine and Arab tile; they have an original firewood oven from the 18th century where they cook their asados.
