11 Best Restaurants in Extremadura, Spain

This jaw-droppingly elegant award-winning restaurant and hotel, housed in a medieval building redesigned by star architect Mansilla + Tuñón, is the crown jewel of Extremaduran hospitality. The ground-floor restaurant specializes in refined contemporary cooking, and the menu changes according to what's in season in chef Toño Pérez's private garden. Venison, partridge, Iberian pork, wild mushrooms, and truffles are recurrent themes. The round wine cellar in the basement is an architectural marvel with a backlit Château d'Yquem "temple" that was the site of a 2021 heist that made international news (the culprits who stole some $2 million in wine remain elusive). There are 14 drool-worthy high-design hotel rooms above the restaurant as well as a rooftop pool; 11 suites were added in 2020 to the tune of €2.6 million with an even costlier expansion—into the 16th-century Casa Palacio Paredes Saavedra across the square—just this year. 

Locals will point you here for fresh, reasonably priced tapas and mains including croquetas (try the wild mushroom rendition) and secreto ibérico (seared Iberian pork shoulder steak). The weekday lunch menú del día—three courses plus wine—is a steal.

The drab interiors of this Mérida standby belie a well-executed menu of must-try dishes including migas (fried bread crumbs with bacon), jamón-wrapped melon, gazpacho, and whatever puchero del día (stew of the day) happens to be burbling out back.

This homey, sun-drenched restaurant serves honest Extremaduran fare at an excellent price. Unlike at other dining options in the area, cooks here pay special attention to presentation and ingredient quality—attributes on display in the not-too-greasy migas, wonderfully juicy Iberian pork dishes, and refreshing tomato salads.

The third-generation owner of this beloved bar keeps endangered Cacereño dishes alive such as eggs scrambled with lamb brains (a delicacy!); spicy stewed pig ear; and zarangollo, a garlicky, vinegary salad of blistered roasted peppers and parsley topped with flaked Spanish tuna. There is outdoor seating available.

Alberca's two-story stone dining room boasts a comfortable minimalist design and a fire-focused menu. Most dishes get some time on the grill, even the local goat cheese with ash and apple. The oxtail croquettes are truly exceptional as well, whether you find them in the tasting menu or order a-la-carte. And the grilled, smoky take on the torrija, a rich Spanish-style French toast, is beyond memorable. 

A fixture on the quiet and pleasant Plaza San Juan, this restaurant has been run by the same family for 70 years and counting. In its jumble of old-fashioned dining rooms with wood-beam ceilings, feast on regional delicacies including venado de montería (wild venison) and perdiz estofada (partridge stew) complemented by full-bodied local wines.

This well-priced restaurant, with tablecloths and fresh flowers on every table, serves attractively presented international fare: you'll find steak frites made with Extremaduran beef, but there are also dishes like teriyaki-glazed duck and tuna carpaccio with avocado—played-out gastronomical relics from the aughts that we begrudgingly admit to missing.

You may have to ring a bell and stand around aimlessly outside to be seated, but once settled in at your high-top table in the quirky but pleasant dining room, it's smooth sailing. The slow-cooked pork cheeks are a must, along with gelatinous pig snout pie if you're feeling adventurous. 

This tiny taberna, which serves some of the best tapas in town, is always packed with locals. Order a few tostas (open-faced sandwiches on crusty peasant bread) and raciones (shared plates), and pair them with Extremaduran wines.

A Trujillo institution conveniently located on the Plaza Mayor, Bizcocho specializes in Extramaduran cuisine—think local jamón, cheese, and migas—and the stone-and-tile dining room is cozy and cool even in the summer. Reservations are essential on holiday weekends. The prime location means menu prices are a tad higher than usual.