Galicia offers some of Spain’s best seafood from the nearby coast and estuaries. Classic local dishes include pulpo a feira (boiled octopus with cayenne pepper), necoras (spider crabs) and zamburiñas (baby scallops).
As well as the exquisite seafood we highly recommended that you try a meal consisting of caldo gallego (Galician soup) as a starter followed by lacón con grelos (ham hock with greens) all washed down with some of Galicia’s fine wines, most notably Albariño and Ribeiro whites.
Toni Vicente
Address: CL. Rosalía de Castro, 24 – 15706
The Nouveau Cuisine created from traditional Galician ingredients won this restaurant the 1998 prize for Spanish cuisine. Main course specialities include scallops with quinua couscous, steamed grouper in sweet pepper sauce, roast young pigeon with its giblets, wild mushrooms and pear in wine sauce filled with chestnut purée. The marinated sea-bass salad is the most popular starter. Desserts include fruit salad with tiger nuts and verbena ice-cream. It has a great wine selection. Closed on Sundays, the first fortnight in September and from 24 December to 7 January.
Casa Marceloa
Address: Rua Hortas - 115705
Marcelo Tejedor describes his cuisine as “Galician in products, unique in contents, and fleeting by definition”. And that is the way it is: he supplies himself with products from nearby markets and exchanges and treats them with unusual culinary wisdom; his dishes, in the form of a single set menu, vary every day. But his cuisine is of the highest class: small crab soup with artichokes, pastas and cockles, grouper in lemon and tomato pil-pil sauce, jaws in puff pastry with vegetables. The desserts are also brimming with creativity. An excellent bodega, very up-to-date, and an unsual setting, an 18th-century house where the kitchen is part of the dining room. Closed from Sunday to Tuesday.
Carretas
Address: Rúa das Carretas, 2 – 115705
This typical Galician restaurant is only 100m away from the Cathedral. Its specialities include seafood and fish, shoulder of pork with parsnip tops and fried custard. If you fancy local seafood specialities order the variado de mariscos which is a huge platter of prawns, crab, barnacles, etc. Closed on Sundays.
Don Gaiferos
Address: Rúa Nova, 23 – 15705
A warm atmosphere and careful service awaits you at Santiago’s most distinguished restaurant. Specialities are mainly Galician including fish stew, king prawns stuffed with smoked salmon, scallops and the delicious almond tart. Closed Sunday and Monday evenings except in July and August and from 7 to 22 January.
Fogón Retiro da Costiña
Address: AV. de Santiago, 12 – 15840
Located in a Galician country house with a bodega that may be visited this restaurant offers creative cuisine. Wild mushrooms and goat cheese flame-grilled with caramel, poached eggs with Iberian bacon and potatoes and crystallised pineapple in rhum sauce with hazelnuts and port wine cream are just a small sample of the interesting menu. Valet parking. Closed on Sunday nights and Wednesdays.
Fornos (Marisqueria)
Address: CL. Horreo, 24 – 15702
Located in the centre of Santiago, near the Cathedral. Seafood from the ría, seafood paella, “filloas” (Galician crepes) filled with custard are some of the wonderful dishes on offer here along with delicious Galician wines. Closed on Sundays, the last week in January and the first week in February.
La Tacita d’Juan
Address: CL. Horreo, 31 – 15702
This restaurants serves well-prepared, classic Galician cuisine. Octopus “empanada” (pasty), “mero a lo pobre” (poor man’s grouper) and caramelised “filloas” (Galician crepes) are a selection of the dishes you may order . Good service. Closed on Sundays and for three weeks in August.
Moncho Vilas
Address: AV. de Villagarcía, 21 – 15706
Moncho Porto Vilas loves to chat with his customers about Galician cuisine. His acclaimed dishes use such local seafood ingredients as oysters, clams, crayfish, lobsters and spider crabs. Salmon with clams and hake in a paprika sauce is a popular choice. A sampling menu is available and is a good way of checking out a range of Moncho’s excellent dishes. Closed on Mondays
Roberto
Address: AV. Vedra s/n. – 15885
This restaurant and small hotel has three rooms available. In a beautiful setting, an old Galician country house with a large garden, Roberto Crespo insists on modern, seasonal cuisine with Galician roots. His scallops on potato cream have already become a much-imitated classic. Very good fish dishes and a wide offer of meats which is unusual in the area. The bodega is excellent. Closed on Sunday evenings, Mondays, and the first fortnight in January.
San Clemente
Address: Rúa de San Clemente, 6 – 15705
Near the Cathedral, this Galician establishment specialises in seafood and fish, fish stew and “filloas” (Galician crepes). Closed on Mondays.
Vilas
Address: CL. Rosalía de Castro, 88 – 15706
The most classic of the classics, for its history and cuisine: clearly traditional Galician cuisine with masterpieces like its version of octopus, the excellent tripe with chickpeas, or the stewed hock. Careful selection of seafood and fish, depending on the season. Good bodega. An institution in good health. Closed on Sundays.
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