Imagine that one day you are in Soria, without plans or friends, and you ask yourself “what am I doing here?” You have two options: go the way you came, or stay to watch in a bar, a street or wherever you want; cause if there is something here worthy to do is to watch. Also you can talk… and talk a lot… with the grocers in the market square, with the waiter at the corner bar or with the retired people at the public park. You can also talk with Fernando “Papelón” (Collado, 41) when you go to buy the newspaper in the morning. He will explain how the city goes. The press shop is in the most important street of the city, Collado Str., just opposite the oldest bookshop around here, “Librería Las Heras”. You will find here the biggest collection of books about Soria or of authors from Soria, among others.

Once the chat in the press shop is finished, you can have your breakfast in York or Nueva York cafes, depending on the direction you take. If you go upwards, that is, going opposite the river, you will go to York cafe, famous for its butter and bakery. There, try the “Agujas”, with meat, really delicious, but go there early, because they make really a few, and they are finished so quick!
If you go down to the river, you will find Nueva York cafe, which is similar, but with younger people, usually workers from the Court or the City Hall. If you keep walking this direction, you’ll find “Palacio de la Audiencia”, with exhibitions about the land. Be ware not to shout, mess up or ask or you‘ll have your first anecdote to talk if the curator, “el Piti”, warns you. If you like sacral art, you can also visit the ruins of San Nicolas Church, (Zapateria Street). Pieces of this church are in San Juan de Rabanera (Diputación Square), where a handicapped old man will explain you the miracles of theological engineering for some cents. If you go along San Nicolas church, you can visit the cloister of San Pedro Cathedral, it’s similar to the one in Silos monastery, but humbler. Also are nice the cloister of San Juan de Duero. Now it’s time to have something to eat, and it’s plenty of laudable places.

Lunch in Soria depends on the work, and some are really a whole service, depending on time and places. The most common lunch is “pincho de tortilla” (Spanish omelet) and Torreno, or Torrezno, streaky bacon, made slowly so the skin is crispy. The most remarkable places doing these meals are Rex Bar, next to the cinema (Avda. De Navarra, 5). Here, you’ll find a lot of workers from the regional government staff. Also La Mejillonera bar (Ramón y Cajal Square 7), el Ventorro bar (Mariano Vicén 33), el Rover bar (Venerable Palafox 3) or Javi bar (paseo de San Francisco 12) are great places. Words apart are the lunch, meals or dinners in Iruña restaurant, (San Clemente Square 2) or La Cepa restaurant (Medinaceli Street).

Once the stomach is full and the body strong to keep on walking, we recommend a walk to El Castillo, which can be seen from every angle of Soria. It’s a charming park, with beautiful sights over the city. In this walk you’ll see the elm tree Machado sang in his poems. Also, you’ll see El Espino church and the cemetery, the biggest “residential development” around the city. Here rest the wife of the Poet Machado, and our memories.

After resting under a pine tree and watch the city or read the newspaper, you can go to have a beer before the main lunch. Here in Soria, the beer, called “caña”, is served without anything to eat, because, as the bartenders uses to say, “If you want to eat for free, go to your home”. If you want any tapa, pay for it (It’s worthy, anyway). The best beers in Soria are in bars Iruña, Torcuato (collado) or Brasil (San Clemente Square). But the greatest place to have a beer and a tapa is bar Silencio (Portillo Square). To have a soused tuna tapa or a brine tapa is a pleasure for everybody, because it’s such a cheap place. The waiters will keep you up to the date about what’s going on the city.

If you like to be with young people, go to Herradores (Ramón Benito Aceña Square). There you’ll find Apolonia bar, with delicious squid tapas. As delicious as these are the “populares” in Queru Bar, the best solution against hang-over. Here the music is as good as the drinks. If you like a traditional red wine, go to Lázaro, the oldest bar in the city. Pepe and his son keep on with this beloved place, where sweet wine, cod, peanuts and “tiestos” are a must.
After the tapas, it’s time to eat. Apart from the above mentioned bars (Iruña, Ventorro and La Cepa, whose cook it’s amazing) you can eat in La Casa Del Guarda in the park “la Dehesa”. The specialties here are roasted chicken and Italian pasta. In addition, it’s placed in one of the most emblematic and delicious places in Soria, Marta, the owner, will make you feel free from worries for a while. Also La Casa Del Guarda in Valonsadero, 7 Km away from Soria, is worthy to see. Placed in the most beloved place in Soria, the traditional cook (beans with chorizo, salads, lamb chops, ribs or fried eggs with French fries) you can enjoy the wild nature. And if you want to eat high cuisine in the same place, some metres more and you’ll find the hotel Valonsadero, with amazing cook and incredible sights.

After the joy of eating, you can have a walk in Valonsadero, or in Soria in the different parks, or you can go to the river to have a bath (but only in the summer). The most famous zones for bathing are Soto Playa, Perejinal, Peñón, and Junta de los Rios, being this last apart from the city.

To have a coffee, a drink or a cigar, you can go to Cantina Santa Marta (Mosquera de Barnuevo Street, 4). This place is also a restaurant, naïve cook consisting in Duck, salads, or sandwiches. Also Ogham (Nicolas Rabal Street 1) is a nice option to have a drink. This bar is specialized in imported beers and whiskies. It’s supposed to be one of the most chic places of the city, but the public is so colourful. Nice music and service day and night.
If you want to dinner, you can go to the places above mentioned, plus Los Porches (Francisco de Agreda) with good seafood. Also in Patata bar (San Clemente Square) there are nice and delicious tapas, snacks (try here meat of ostrich).

Now it’s time to enjoy the night. At 11 pm it’s crowded of people drinking and enjoying the good music. After that, you can go to Ogham, or you can discover the old part of the city, Casco Viejo (Zapatería and Real streets). There are 10 lovely pubs with different atmospheres for everybody. Just like Valhalla: table football and loud music, and a small and cute indoor patio, or Espiral, with punk and heterodox atmosphere. Good karma and good music, anyway.
But the spot where everybody goes and all the pubs are together is “La Zona” (Rota de Calatañazor Street). One of the best places is “Boira” (which means fog in Catalonian).

It was opened 22 years ago by Tony, but now it’s ruled by Pepe, a nice boy, with good drinks and supreme music. Just opposite you can find “El Otro Más”, house, progressive, chill out and dance music. The patient and charming bartender, Ione, is such a discovering… Then is the Bristol, or “El Zebu” (Termancia Street), well known guy, who owns a small and quiet bar, with darts to play and lifelong music. But before visit the Tamdem, tasteful and classy.

El Último (Las Balsas Square), near the Bullring, dance music and Arturo… Almost nothing! And, if you want to dance until the sunrise, Estructuras Pub is a hard place, but plays great dance music. When the sun is shining, you can have a brunch in San Andrés, where, Jose Mari will offer you the best thrush with Roquefort sauce. And now it’s time to have a bath or go to bed, up to you. And then time to start again.