Santiago is the perfect place to discover Galician cuisine, which has a strong emphasis on seafood, among them (but not exclusively!) cod and octopus. Cheap local dishes are easy to find, but there are also more upmarket restaurants in the city. Good local wines are available and include Ribeiro and Albariño. Galician cuisine (
cocina gallega) has a reputation for simplicity and excellence, with a strong emphasis on the quality of its raw materials over culinary technique.
The restaurants below have been grouped into four different pricing categories:
$$$$ (over €50)
$$$ (€30 to €50)
$$ (€20 to €30)
$ (up to €20)
These prices are for a three-course meal for one and include half a bottle of wine or equivalent (where available).
GourmetToñi Vicente Toñi Vicente has been receiving rave reviews for her sound, solid food ever since she opened her restaurant here, and worshippers of Galician haute cuisine have made it their culinary temple. In her Michelin-starred establishment (which many argue is the best in town), she uses local ingredients, particularly seafood and vegetables, and does away with extravagant creations in favor of authentic, delicious terroir cuisine.
Avenida Rosalía de Castro 24
Tel: (981) 594 100.
Website:
www.tonivicente.com Price: $$$$
Casa Marcelo Toñi Vicente might be the grande dame of Galician cuisine, but Marcelo Tejedor, the chef and owner of this Michelin-starred restaurant, is the new generation. Eating at Casa Marcelo is an act of faith because there is no à la carte, and the only option is the daily changing tasting menu. Marcelo is the head of
Nove, a group of Galician cooks who are trying to renew the Galician gastronomic scene by focusing on the products more than on new fancy techniques.
Rúa Hortas 1
Tel: (981) 558 580.
Website:
www.casamarcelo.net Price: $$$$
TrendyEl Rincón de Gurpegui Local, seasonal produce including cod, game and roasts, as well as shellfish.
Fray Rosendo Salvado 15
Tel: (981) 598 178.
Price: $$
O Café Casino A cool place to hang out and chill out, in the center of the old town.
Rúa do Villar 35
Tel: (981) 577 503.
Price: $-$$
BudgetLa Crepe Situated in La Casa da Conga, this is a cosy restaurant in a century-old building on the Praza da Quintana (next door to the cathedral) with beautiful views of the historical city. Crepes are a specialty here (savoury or sweet), but other dishes are available, including salads, plates of cheese or ham, kebabs, and fish or meat dishes. There is a good value menu of the day.
Praza da Quintana 1 (Entresuelo)
Tel: (981) 577 643.
Website:
www.crecotte.com Price: $-$$
O Rei do Bocadillo This place is literally the ’king of sandwiches’, where you can choose from hundreds of sarnies made to order. Eat in or take away. Located near the Aladeda.
Rúa Rosalia de Castro 23
Tel: (981) 590 538.
Website:
http://oreidobocadillo.com Price: $
Personal RecommendationsDon Gaiferos A well-established restaurant, popular with locals and tourists alike. Located only 200m (656ft) from the cathedral, right next to the Church of Santa María Salomé. The food is made from first-rate ingredients, and fish and seafood feature heavily on the menu, although there are also some tempting meat dishes on offer. Oh, and the desserts are great too.
Rúa Nova
Tel: (981) 583 894.
Price: $$$
Restaurante Vilas Beautiful décor, excellent food and friendly service have established Vilas as a perennial favorite in Santiago de Compostela. The specialty is seafood, and the octopus is superb. The tripe is another favorite. This is a Santiago classic, and bookings are recommended.
Calle Rosalía de Castro 88
Tel: (981) 591 000/150.
Price: $$$
Nightlife:Santiago de Compostela is a university city and the nightlife is dominated by the student population. Characterful bars and nightclubs can be found in the Old Quarter and along the Rúa do Franco, some converted from coach houses or the stables of palaces. These mostly were a deliberate attempt to enliven the district in the evenings, because the real student life goes on in the suburbs.
The rectangle defined by Rúa de Santiago de Chile and Rúa de San Pedro de Mezonzo is the focus of this, full of raucous bars swarming with students during term time, especially on Thursday and Friday night. Bars on the Rúa Nova de Abaixo are particularly popular with students. Students also make up many of the most dramatic pageants and local festivals.
Bars typically close at 2400, while nightclubs stay open until between 0300 and 0500. The official minimum drinking age in bars and clubs is 18 years, but entry is allowed to anyone over 16. The price of a drink varies drastically, depending on the venue, but a bottle of beer or glass of wine are still cheap by UK standards.
Event listings can be found in the
El Compostelán and
Santiago 7 Días publications, available in bars and cafes and from the tourist office. The Galician newspaper
El Correo Gallego (website:
www.elcorreogallego.es) is another good source of nightlife information, as is the
Consello da Cultura Galega (website:
www.culturagalega.org).
Bars: Fucolois, Rúa Xelmirez, 25 is a rustic pub with marble walls, an antique ambience and a young student clientele, while
O Galo d’Ouro, Rúa Conga 14, is a cosy cellar bar. Nearby,
Pub El Desván and
Pub Conga are nice and welcoming pubs located at number 7 and 8 respectively, on the same street. If anyone needs an authentic Irish pub in Santiago de Compostela, there is
Moore’s, Rodrigo del Padrón, while Americans in search of a home from home should head to
Café-Bar Gran Lucky, Fray Rosendo Salvado 10.
The décor of
Pub Momo, Virxe da Cerca 23, imitates a street, while the wood-decorated
Pepa a Loba, Rúa do Castro, is a brewery pub.
Modus Vivendi, Praza de Feijoo, in the old town, also offers live music. Down in the newer part of town, near the university,
Archy, Alfredo Brañas 20, is the place to start an evening’s drinking.
Blaster, on República de Argentina, is suave and polished, while
La Ofisina, Fernando III el Santo 1, is a very popular and trendy bar.
Clubs: Sala Capitol, Concepción Arenal 5, which also offers live music, and
Liberty, Rúa Alfredo Brañas 8, are two of the busiest clubs in town. Half pub, half disco and all energy,
Ruta 66, Rúa Perez Constanti, can be found near the Praza de Galicia. Slightly more alternative, but with plenty of funky music, is
Club Insomnia in the old town, a Santiago classic.
Live Music: Galician folk music is integral to the Galician cultural festivals, and there are usually musical events on every occasion. Much live music in Santiago de Compostela is served up in bars. Under the arcades, at Rúa Nova 13,
Retablo offers live music as well as a marble bar and a 19th-century ambience.
Casa das Crechas, Vía Sacra 3, is popular with students and features live Galician Celtic music.
Jazz Club Dadó-Dadá, Rúa Alfredo Brañas 19, is the best place for jazz in town. For those who like to accompany their jazz with wines and occasional theatrical performances, there is
La Borriquita de Belém, Rúa San Paio 22 and
Café Teatro Garigolo, Algalia de Arriba 1.
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