La Galiciana
Discover a one-of-a-kind food space: a market of more than 1,200 m² set in a restored industrial building over 60 years old. Enjoy two floors with 16 stalls that offer a wide range of culinary proposals for every taste.

Forget arguing about where to eat: this market is the perfect solution for groups with different preferences. From traditional Galician dishes to more innovative options, you will find the ideal pick for every palate here.

One tip: do not leave without trying their exquisite cheesecake, one of the market’s signature offerings that will leave an unforgettable taste in your mouth.

O 42
Love seafood? Mesón Restaurante O’42 is your spot in Santiago de Compostela. Enjoy fresh, top-quality produce with a range of options that will win you over.

Beyond seafood: let yourself be surprised by their exquisite octopus, considered one of the best in town. And if you are after traditional flavours, do not miss their cod, a house speciality you will love.

Options for everyone: choose between à la carte or the affordable daily set menu.

Taberna O Gato Negro
If you are looking for an authentic, well-priced experience, O Gato Negro is your spot for seafood in Santiago de Compostela. Located on one of the back streets behind the Cathedral, this traditional restaurant offers a family atmosphere and a wide variety of fresh shellfish.

Beyond seafood: do not miss their delicious sardines, a house speciality you will love. O Gato Negro is a charming corner that will win you over with its traditional flavour and excellent value for money.

Bicoca
Looking for a full dining experience without breaking the bank? El Bicoca is your spot in Santiago de Compostela. This cosy restaurant offers a wide variety of dishes made with fresh, quality ingredients.

A charming setting: let yourself be wrapped in the warm atmosphere created by its rustic décor. El Bicoca is the perfect place to enjoy a lunch or dinner with family or friends.

Options for everyone: its varied menu has something for every taste, from traditional Galician dishes to more innovative options. And if you are after a more budget-friendly choice, do not miss their daily menu at an incredibly accessible price.

Seafood is what Galicia does best — and being surrounded by the Atlantic and the Bay of Biscay, no surprise. From classic cod and hake to octopus, spider crab and clams. Here’s a selection of some of the best seafood restaurants in Galicia, in Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña and Vigo.

Seafood restaurants in Galicia

Marisquería Terra Nosa

A classy seafood restaurant in Santiago de Compostela, started as a traditional tavern in 1976. Today bright and elegant, with starters like cuttlefish with onion, anchovy fillet, freshly caught squid and the classic Galician octopus. Mains include razor clams, wild turbot, prawns, grouper, spider crabs and the Basque delicacy goose barnacles.

Rua Nova de Abaixo, 5, 15706 Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña.

O Gato Negro

Hidden in a small alley of Santiago, a small popular tavern — “The Black Cat”. A bit narrow and crowded, but worth it for the fresh seafood: soft clams, crabs, sardine empanadas and great octopus dishes.

Rúa da Raíña s/n, Santiago de Compostela, 15702, Spain.

Restaurante O Fado

On a peninsula by the water in A Coruña. Specialities: razor clams, baked cod, seafood rice, goose barnacles, clams in seafood sauce.

Paseo Marítimo 9, A Coruña, 15002, Spain.

Maruja Limón

In Vigo — Michelin-starred, run by chefs Inés Abril and Rafa Centeno. Seasonal tasting menus in a relaxed setting with intimate spaces in wood and natural stone.

Rúa Montero Ríos 4, Vigo.

O Porton

Near central Vigo on Rúa da Ostras or Rúa da Pescadería. Homey and relaxed. Huge seafood platters, seafood rice and big sharing portions. Try the marinated mussels, octopus with paprika and squid tapas.

Rúa Pescadería, 1 Bajo, 36202 Vigo, Pontevedra.

Pulpeira O Fiuza

In A Coruña, the city’s classic spot for Galician-style octopus. Small and basic, with old wine-barrel tables for standing. Octopus-only seafood, plus cold cuts and aromatic Ribeiro wines.

Av. Navarra, 33 BAJO, 15002 A Coruña.

Tira do Cordel

In Finisterre on the Costa da Morte. In an old salting factory from 1812. Specialises in grilled fish over hot embers, plus lobster, king crab, goose barnacles and scallops.

Lugar de San Roque, 2, 15155 Fisterra, A Coruña.

This list is just a tiny sample of places to enjoy this great Galician delicacy. We encourage you to discover more on your route.

Galician cuisine is one of the most outstanding in all of Spain. You cannot travel here without trying the traditional Galician dishes. It is very varied food and that is where its popularity lies, as well as in the generous portions — nobody is left hungry! On your tour of this region you will know you are going to eat well in every town you visit.

The seafood is of unmatched quality, as are its excellent cheeses, which are perfect for an afternoon of tapas and wine while enjoying some of the beautiful landscapes of Galicia.

Food tourism is a great option because it is the best way to get to know Galicia, through the palate. Everything varies depending on the region you visit, but on the coast you should try delicious mussels or octopus. Inland, you will find many more traditional Galician dishes with centuries of history.

5 traditional Galician dishes

For everyone who wants to escape to Galicia, here is a list of 5 traditional Galician dishes you cannot miss. By tasting each of these dishes you can travel around the whole region with your palate. These are the most sought-after dishes you have to try.

Pulpo á feira

Seafood is one of the most popular things in Galicia. But octopus is one of the most prominent. There are different ways to prepare it, but this is one of the favourites among traditional Galician dishes because it is how it turns out best.

Tasting this dish involves cooking the octopus with plenty of bay leaf, oil and paprika. It is quite a process: it must be served on a wooden plate, and with toothpicks you pick up each slice of octopus and bread to dip in the oil and try this delicious dish.

The Galician empanada

One of the most popular traditional Galician dishes in the world. Who does not love a good Galician empanada? The most important thing is to try it in Galicia, straight from the most typical spots.

Galicians like to make it clear that not all the empanadas you see outside Galicia are the original ones. This dish stands out for being always large — the smallest are the size of a plate. The dough recipe and the filling can vary depending on personal taste.

This empanada takes any filling, but remember that everything must be well sautéed with its oil, onion and peppers. The bonito-and-peppers version is the most traditional of all; however, the meat, cod or octopus ones are quite popular in Galicia.

Galician stew (cocido gallego)

The Galician stew is one of the dishes you must not miss. It is a hearty and abundant dish that takes time to make. If you want to try a grandmother’s dish, this is one — one of her specialties.

Pork belly, chorizo, pork and beef, hen, vegetables, chickpeas, cabbage, among others. This dish varies depending on the region of Galicia you find yourself in. Making it is quite a ritual — enjoy it.

Galician broth (caldo gallego)

On winter days, this dish must not be missing among traditional Galician dishes. The broth contains pork, chorizo, cabbage and a touch of unto, which is pork fat. The burst of calories is all you need in winter.

The Galician broth varies depending on how it is prepared, but it is ideal for cold days, as well as for the day after. It is a simple dish to make but provides all the calories you need, and is also quite complete.

Tripe (Callos)

Callos is one of the most popular traditional Galician dishes. It is one of the pampering dishes for winter days. Like most Galician dishes, it varies by area. It is a spoon dish, as it is known.

It is a combination of pulses with various kinds of meat, garlic and chickpeas. Callos are made from pork tripe. The dish is so popular that “festas dos callos” are held in different villages of Galicia.

That is why it is a dish you must include on your visit to Galicia when you take this food tour. There are many traditional Galician dishes, so you have to travel with an open mind — and an open palate too.

Galicia is the region of Spain in the north-western corner, bordered by Portugal, the Atlantic Ocean and the regions of Asturias and Castile and León. Galicia has a unique cuisine that is less about paella and gazpacho and more about boiled octopus, fresh seafood dishes and good stews. In Galicia, each portion is usually twice the size of anywhere else in Spain, so you will not go hungry.

It is well known that there is no greater pleasure on this planet than eating; delighting in an exquisite dish made with the best ingredients, and above all with love and dedication, is an experience hard to explain. Spain is famous, among other things, for its expertise in Galician cuisine.

This region, with so much to offer visitors, is renowned for the exquisite recipes prepared in its towns and villages. Do not hesitate to come and discover the fine dining tradition of this Spanish autonomous community.

The most typical dishes of Galicia

What stands out, without doubt, is the quality, flavour and colour of the ingredients used. Spanish gastronomy is exquisite in general, and especially in this region, where the use of fish and shellfish in combination with meat and poultry turns its dishes into true pleasures fit for the gods.

In previous articles we already mentioned some of the best-known recipes of Galicia, such as empanada, octopus or Galician stew, but today we focus on other traditional Galician dishes, standout products and Galician desserts that we consider essential on your trip around Galicia.

TRADITIONAL GALICIAN DISHES

LACÓN CON GRELOS (HAM WITH TURNIP GREENS)

This is one of the simplest traditional Galician dishes to prepare: it is made with pork shoulder and grelos (the tender shoots that appear just before the turnip plant flowers), and to give it a

Galician touch, boiled potatoes and paprika are added. It can also be served with chorizo or sausages, which are a good combination too.

It is a winter classic in Galicia, when the turnips are young and tender. The meat used is the lower part of the front ham. It is usually cured with salt and soaked for 24 hours before boiling, making it tender and tasty.

ZORZA GALLEGA

This is not one of the most popular traditional Galician dishes, but it is one of the most traditional. It is made with minced or chopped pork, fried and mixed with ingredients such as garlic, oregano, parsley, white wine and paprika. It is usually served with chips.

Its origins go back to the process of making chorizo. The mix of meat and spices was fried to check the seasoning and flavour before stuffing it into pork casings. And that is how Zorza was born.

HAKE GALICIAN STYLE

Hake cooked this way is another traditional Galician dish not to be missed on your trip around Galicia. Besides hake, it contains potatoes, peas, peppers and onions. It is seasoned with sweet paprika, garlic, bay leaves, salt and pepper.

TYPICAL GALICIAN INGREDIENTS

Beyond traditional Galician dishes, this region has typical ingredients that, every time we taste them, remind us of the wonderful film-worthy landscapes of Galicia.

PADRÓN PEPPERS

These are long, small peppers, roasted, steamed or fried and served with olive oil and sea salt. These juicy, unusual peppers are ordered as tapas and can now be found all over Spain. Their name comes from the area of Galicia they originate from, where a festival is held in their honour every year. They have a curious feature: one in ten peppers is spicy, hence the typical saying: “Padrón peppers — some are hot, some are not”.

ARZÚA-ULLOA AND TETILLA CHEESE

This is a very traditional soft, creamy cheese, with a slightly sweet, herbaceous flavour. It is often eaten with quince paste as a dessert. Its flavour is similar to its cousin Queixo de Tetilla, which has a unique appearance and a pointed shape.

It is made with raw or pasteurised milk and has a maturing period of between six days and four months. Unlike Tetilla cheese, this one has a soft, flexible rind and a disc shape. Its unusual name holds Protected Designation of Origin status. It is usually eaten with honey collected from the hives of Arzúa, where the cheese is produced.

TYPICAL GALICIAN DESSERTS

And what would a list of traditional Galician dishes be without some desserts? Here are some of the most notable:

SANTIAGO ALMOND CAKE (TARTA DE SANTIAGO)

A traditional sweet of Galician cuisine from Santiago de Compostela, the capital. Its main ingredients are almonds, eggs, cinnamon and lemon. The cross, symbol of the city’s cathedral, is drawn on top with icing sugar. It is a perfect sweet to go with tea or coffee, or simply as dessert.

FILLOAS

Filloas are a mix of flour, milk and egg; they are white and resemble crêpes or pancakes, typical of carnival days, although nowadays you can find them all year round.

They are served filled with honey, cream, chocolate, quince paste or any other kind of sweet cream; however, they can also be savoury, with cheese or cream.

LEITE FRITA (FRIED MILK)

Fried milk is a milk custard that is coated and fried, then sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon.