Asador El Irati

Asador El Irati is a traditional wood-fired grill restaurant on Calle Estafeta — the most famous street in Pamplona and the final straight of the encierro, the running of the bulls during San Fermín. The location adds a layer of cultural resonance that few restaurants in the city can match: the stone walls of the dining room look onto the very street where the bulls charge each July morning. The kitchen is anchored by the asador tradition, with a wood-fired grill producing succulent, smoke-edged results that characterise great Navarrese and Basque grilling. The chuletón de buey — a bone-in ribeye of aged Basque-Navarrese beef — is the flagship dish: served simply with coarse salt and a wedge of lemon, it needs nothing else. Cordero asado, roast lamb from the Navarrese countryside, is cooked slowly until the meat falls from the bone. Merluza a la vasca, hake prepared in the Basque style with clams, garlic, and parsley, rounds out a menu that demonstrates the kitchen's dual roots in Navarrese and Basque culinary tradition. The dining room is straightforward and convivial, with plain wooden tables and walls decorated with bulls and San Fermín imagery. Noise levels are high during festival season. The wine list is strong on local Navarra reds and Rioja. The restaurant is particularly busy during San Fermín week — reservations are essential in July.