La Jarana
TAVERN
Hotel restaurants often run the risk of becoming places that are only frequented by the tourists staying there, not having other options around. In a city like San Sebastián, where the culinary options are endless, it is even more unlikely for someone to choose a hotel restaurant as a place to discover the local cuisine.that is certainly not the case of La Jarana, the tavern at the Lasala Plaza Hotel, which has managed to become an independent entity where it is extremely difficult to get a table on the weekend.the tourists staying at the hotel go, rightly, to have lunch and dinner at La Jarana, but so do locals - something which has made the establishment become a culinary leader where patrons can enjoy platters to share, à la carte dishes, or the set menu.
La Jarana Tavern’s popularity is thanks to the hard work and bold management of Ander González, a chef that proposed an update for traditional Basque cuisine solely by using local, seasonal products. The hake cake, the steak and foie gras meatballs, and the prawn, pistachio, and red berry carpaccio are some of the delicacies that are most in demand.the wine list is also impeccable, with very interesting labels – including the house ‘Crianza’ wine (aged for at least two years).
La Jarana is divided into two spaces: the bar and the restaurant. Both spaces share the common theme of a friendly, cheerful, and informal atmosphere – and they also share splendid views of the port and La Concha Bay. On an upper floor, there is the Sala Batela – a private room that can be reserved exclusively for lunches for groups of more than 14 people.
The jovial, lively, and festive soul that the restaurant’s name boasts of comes from the pseudonym by which the San Sebastián Port was known in years gone by: “de la Jarana” – a lively place from which the whaling ships departed and to which came boatloads of chocolate and potatoes from America; a neighborhood in which the fishermen unloaded their catch each day and net menders were always working. That enthusiastic spirit has lasted into our days and we can experience it at La Jarana more so than anyplace else.