Santiago Restaurants

The gastronomy of Santiago is very strongly influenced by the cuisine of the region of Galicia which includes Pulpo á la Gallega, cuttlefish prepared with paprika, Empanada Gallega, a pie of fish, meat and vegetables and Tarta Compostelana, a delicious tart made of almonds. The wines of the region have a great reputation with Ribeiro which is served young and fresh and Fefiñanes, Betanzos, Rosal, Valdeorras, Ulla and Amandi.

Alameda
Porta Faxeira 15
Tel: +34 981 586 657

This is a government-rated "two-fork" restaurant which has been open since the 1950s and is opposite the Parque de Alameda. The stylish snack bar on the ground floor serves a number of Galician specialties and the chef is noted for his paella. Start with the caldo gallego (Galician soup) and follow it with lacón con grelos (ham hock with greens) or necoras (spider crabs) which are a real gourmet delight.

Don Gaiferos
Rúa Nova 23
Tel: +34 981 583 894

Don Gaiferos is one of the best restaurants in Santiago standing next to the Church of Santa Maria. The freshly caught merluza (hake), scallops with Spanish rice and giant prawns filled with smoked salmon and kettle of fish stew are the city's finest. Desserts here include home made cheesecake studded with bilberries or almond tart.

Restaurante Vilas
Calle Rosalía de Castro 88
Tel: +34 981 592 170

This restaurant is situated on the outskirts of the Old Town on the road to Pontevedra. It is a Spanish tavern in a three-story town house with a baronial stone-trimmed dining room. They serve a wide variety of fish incl uding fresh sardines, three preparations of salmon, zarzuela (seafood stew), and eels. Two kinds of paella are offered and partridge and rabbit are also on the menu.

Toñi Vicente
Calle Rosalía de Castro 24
Tel: +34 981 594 100

Situated in the heart of Santiago this is the finest and most flamboyant international restaurant in the area . Dining rooms are accented with neoclassical overlay and menu items change with the availability of the ingredients, but are likely to include warm seafood salad with herbs, escalopes of veal with a confit of onions, turbot with chive sauce, seasonal game dishes and a delicious tart made with Galician pears for dessert.

O Dezaseis
Rua de San Pedro 16, Santiago de Compostela,
Tel: +34 981 564-880

O Dezaseis (or 16) is over 300 years old and is located in a charming converted stable of brick and stone and wood in a part of town frequented by students and locals. It offers excellent quality food at very low prices including octopus cooked on a super-hot griddle and sprinkled with smoked pimentón.

The dishes are tapas like, but they are raciones which come on bigger plates and are meant to be shared. Clear winners here include the razor clams à la plancha, tender boiled veal with pimentón and lacón (the local cured and cooked ham) with chorizo and grelos. The desserts are good with fresh cheese with walnuts and strawberries and a wonderful cheese flan. The wine list is very extensive and it is recommended that you try the albariño.

Casa Manolo
Plaza Cerrantes
Tel: +34 981 582 950

Situated in a dining room of a century old brick-built house, this is a family-run restaurant which offers some of the best value dining in Santiago. They offer a two-course fixed-price menu of different roasts including veal cutlets, either breaded "Milanese" or with cheese "Parmigiana", pastas (cannelloni stuffed with a form of ricotta cheese), grilled fillet steak and pork chops.

If you are planning to explore the area outside of the city centre and play some golf or go to some of the more out of the way beaches then you might consider hiring a car. There are a number of car hire firms based at Santiago Airport who will be pleased to have a vehicle awaiting your arrival. This also cuts down on transfer costs for you and your family.

We have written an Area Guide to Santiago which contains information on Santiago local attractions, golf courses in Santiago, the best places to shop in Santiago, Santiago market days and where the best Santiago beaches are. We have also included a list of recommended Santiago restaurants.