3 Best Restaurants in Santander, Galicia and Asturias

The two exquisite tasting menus at this tranquil Michelin-star establishment offer a whirlwind tour of modern Cantabrian cooking at a good value. Request a table in the romantically lit brick wine cellar, and savor such delicacies as roast partridge with celery-root puree, griddled tiger prawns, and ultra-creamy rice pudding. 

The paintings on wine-barrel ends that decorate this classic restaurant have given it the nickname "Museo Redondo" (Round Museum). The building dates back to the 16th century when it was a wine cellar, apparent in the heavy wooden beams overhead and the rough, rustic tables. With meaty culinary specialties from La Rioja and fresh seafood from the Bay of Biscay, there is plenty to choose from. The menu changes daily and seasonally, but the fish of the day is a sure bet.

Five blocks from the marina, this white-tablecloth dining room with blue walls and hardwood floors pulls out all the stops: Order the tasting menu, for instance, and you'll sample no fewer than five varieties of olive oil. Mains hinge on Cantabrian seafood and run the gamut from cod al pil pil (with an emulsified garlic-oil sauce) to flambéed suckling pig to scallop tartare.