Restaurante La Gran Taberna

Restaurante La Gran Taberna is a traditional Oviedo restaurant and vermouth bar at C. del Águila, 5, a short distance from the city’s Cathedral in the old town. Its cooking takes inspiration from Asturias and from the established recipes of Oviedo, while allowing the menu to change with the season and the ingredients supplied by local producers.

The restaurant combines a dining room with a lively bar, high tables and stone-lined passages. Its setting includes a courtyard designed in the style of an Asturian palace, with vegetation, stone and wooden galleries. The courtyard provides an outdoor setting for meals or drinks, while the interior suits a more classic table service experience.

Vermouth has a central place in the La Gran Taberna experience. The house serves a mature vermouth from the barrel with lemon rather than ice, alongside beers and a selection of wines. The wine list covers familiar Spanish regions and varieties, including Rioja, Ribera del Duero, Bierzo, Toro, Somontano, Ribeiro, Monterrei and Rías Baixas. Wines are available by the glass as well as by the bottle.

The food works particularly well for sharing. Tapas include traditional bar options such as gildas, preserved mussels and Iberian ham with toast and salmorejo. The menu also includes croquettes, Spanish potato omelette, anchovies from Santoña, fish pâté, squid from Avilés, Cecina de León, asparagus and smoked salmon. These dishes reflect the restaurant’s preference for recognisable recipes, quality ingredients and preparation associated with classic Spanish cooking.

For a fuller meal, La Gran Taberna offers a more formal table setting while retaining the character of a traditional taberna. The mix of small plates, regional produce, vermouth and wine makes it suitable for a relaxed aperitif, a shared lunch or dinner, and meals connected with business gatherings. It offers a grounded introduction to traditional Asturian and Spanish flavours in central Oviedo.