El Fogaril

El Fogaril is the dining room of the Hotel Ciria, on avenida de los Tilos, right in the centre of Benasque. It is run by chef Dioni Ciria, from the family that has been in the valley's hospitality trade for more than thirty years, and it cooks the traditional Alto Aragón with today's techniques: game, chargrilled meat, fresh vegetables and seasonal mushrooms. It seats about a hundred people.

Game rules the menu

If you are looking for roe deer, red deer or partridge in Benasque, they are on the menu here. The dishes the house itself puts first are roe deer loin in truffle sauce with morels stuffed with foie gras, mountain partridge with onions and red deer chuletón with a wine and cranberry reduction. Away from game, lamb, veal and beef reared in the Benasque valley, cooked over embers.

For dessert, the Radiquero goat's cheese flan or a citrus sorbet, and to finish, the house's homemade liqueurs. The wine list is by denominations of origin: Somontano, the wine of the province, Ribera del Duero and Rioja, with cava and champagne.

Set menu or à la carte

Every day they prepare a menu with six starters, five main courses and homemade desserts, which changes daily. The website does not publish its price, so ask when you book. The full à la carte menu, with the game and the chargrill, can be viewed online before you go.

If you have an allergy or intolerance, tell them in advance: the hotel prepares adapted menus and gluten-free dishes if it knows beforehand. They also prepare a picnic for the mountains to order, useful if you are setting off early the next day to ski or walk.

The fogaril that gives the house its name

In the valley's houses, the fogaril is the open fire hearth in the middle of the kitchen, under a hood. The hotel keeps one in its lounge: a stone dome with wooden chairs around a central fire, a good place for coffee after lunch. The building keeps its beamed ceilings and stone walls. The hotel café serves homemade tapas, hot chocolate and cocktails, for those who do not want to sit down to a whole meal.

Opening hours and booking

Lunch from 13:00 to 15:30 and dinner from 20:30 to 22:30, according to the hotel, which warns that hours may change with the season. Book on 974 55 16 12 or by WhatsApp on 637 171 008, especially in winter, when Benasque fills with skiers from Cerler, about 6 km away.

Before or after the table

El Fogaril fits well at the end of a day in the valley: after the pistes, or after an afternoon at the Palace of the Counts of Ribagorza, a few minutes' walk through the old town. If you are staying at the Hotel Ciria itself, ask about its half-board rate.