El Boj, Restaurant at the Hotel Santa Cristina

Above the valley, on the way to the pistes

El Boj is the restaurant of the Hotel Santa Cristina, a late nineteenth-century building that was once a barracks of the Carabineros, at about 1,300 metres, on the road that climbs from Canfranc Estación to Candanchú and Astún. It came about with the hotel's 2006 refurbishment, together with the petit spa and the viewpoint terrace. Its panoramic terrace looks onto the River Aragón, the Canfranc valley and the Coll de Ladrones fort, and is also used in winter if it is sunny.

What you eat

Seasonal mountain cooking with local and Aragonese produce: traditional recipes with a contemporary touch, à la carte service and a selection of wines. At dinner, the menu takes in salads, rice dishes, pasta, vegetables, fish, meat and homemade desserts. There is a children's menu. The website does not publish prices or specific dishes.

There is also a snack menu for eating at any time without sitting down to a full meal: sharing plates, fried eggs, pizzas, sandwiches and drinks, which can be taken on the terrace, at the bar or in the dining room. It is the option for coming back from the pistes or for a stop on the Somport road.

Opening hours

• Snacks: in summer, from 13:00 to 20:00; in winter, from 15:00 to 20:00.
• Lunch: in summer, from 13:00 to 15:30. In winter only on public holidays, from 13:30 to 16:00.
• Dinner: from 20:00 to 22:30.

That is, in winter, on a working day, there is no à la carte lunch at midday: either snacks from 15:00 or dinner. Confirm before you go up.

Booking and groups

Book from the hotel's website, on 974 373 300, by WhatsApp on 686 285 283 or at [email protected]. On a ski weekend, book a table in good time. El Boj also organises birthdays, baptisms, family lunches, groups of friends and weddings, with private rooms.

If you are staying at the Hotel Santa Cristina and want to eat outside lunch hours, the terrace snacks are the practical choice.

Getting there and what to combine

It is on the N-330a, at kilometre 669, between Canfranc Estación and Candanchú, with free outdoor parking in front of the hotel. It fits with a day at Candanchú or Astún, or with the guided tour of the International Station in the morning and lunch up here. If you are looking for something in the village, Restaurante Universo is open every day.