Lunch in Lastres, Asturias: Cider and Seafood at La Rula

Lastres, or Llastres in asturiano, the Asturian language, is one of many picturesque towns in Asturias, a northern autonomous community of Spain.  Be sure not to overlook this town, though – lunch in Lastres was definitely one of my favorite experiences during our week-long stay in Asturias.

Before eating lunch in Lastres, we set off from our hotel in Oviedo and made a worthwhile pitstop at Covadonga, home to a striking 19th-century church set among the mountains. The site commemorates the Moors’ first defeat in Spain at the hands of Pelayo, an Iberian Visigoth turned Asturian king, which marked the beginning of the Reconquista in 722 AD. Near the church is a small cave with a shrine to the Virgin Mary, who, according to legend, appeared to Pelayo and his men before the battle.

Our pre-game to lunch in Lastres was a visit to the Quesería Vega de Tordín, a family-run cheesery (is that a word?) home to cows galore. For 5 euros, we took a 45-minute tour of the facility, referred to by our guide as a “5-star cow hotel.” We witnessed automated cow massages and milking, lol. We finished the tour by sampling the quesería‘s star product: Queso de Cabrales, a strong blue cheese that is aged in caves and typical of the Asturias region.

Lunch in Lastres: La Rula

La Rula is perfect for an outdoor lunch because of the views it provides of the quaint town across the harbor. Also, the north of Spain is not overwhelmingly hot in the summer – unlike the south – so sitting outside at midday (even in August) is totally bearable and even pleasant. Of course, we began lunch with an obligatory bottle of sidra, Asturian cider, served with a little machine that allows you to properly “escanciar,” or pour, the cider.

To start, we ordered my beloved zamburiñas. I had no idea what these babies were before I moved to Spain, but I am now a devout fan. If a scallop and a mussel had a baby, it would be a zamburiña. The zamburiñas at La Rula were delicious and a good size (sometimes you can get ripped off with small ones).

Next up for the main course was an “arroz con mariscos,” or seafood rice, which included clams, mussels, prawns, and crab. It was called Arroz de La Rula, so it seemed to be one of their signature dishes. So tasty!

Although we did order a very solid amount of food, we found our meal to be a bit expensive (at least by Spanish standards). However, we ate very well and had a wonderful view. I’d recommend 💯!

Lastres does have a beach, but, unfortunately, we didn’t get a chance to go in. Pro tip: always have a bathing suit ready when on the coast of Asturias!

Walk off your lunch in Lastres by getting lost in the town’s streets as you work your way up to the Mirador de San Roque.

Finally made it to the Mirador de San Roque! This was one of my favorite views on the trip!

We loved lunch in Lastres! JUST DO IT!