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From the humblest of cafeterias to the hautest of dining rooms, chefs in Galicia, Asturias, and Cantabria emphasize the use of fresh, local ingredients. Excellent, cheap meals can be found at smaller, family-run eateries, which usually stick to traditional foods and tend to draw mostly local crowds. Restaurants that stray from the culinary norm—and which also offer top-notch service and elegant surroundings—usually also include a higher price tag.
"From market to plate" is this nueva cocina restaurant's philosophy: chefs start and finish the day with an empty larder and a blank menu. The freshest fish and produce are handpicked at the neighboring Mercado de Abastos and coaxed into exciting dishes that defy tradition. Be sure to book ahead as the industrial-chic dining room and terrace fill up fast.
This tiny restaurant is beloved by locals for its authentic food. It feels like an old farmhouse, with stone walls and floors, a fireplace, pine tables and stools, and dusty wine bottles (adega is Gallego for bodega, or wine cellar). Appetizers such as pulpo con almejas al ajillo (octopus with clams in garlic sauce) are followed by fresh fish at market prices and an ever-changing array of delicious desserts.
Fusing traditional Galician cuisine with Japanese, Mexican, and Peruvian, among others, Casa Marcelo whips up creatively plated dishes in an open-plan kitchen. The jovial dining area—always full and always loud—seats guests at long communal tables, a nod to the fact that the dishes are meant to be shared.
An invitingly cozy space awaits behind the ancient stone facade of this restaurant, 200 meters (656 feet) from the main plaza. Part of the house is original, but much has been renovated, providing an attractive combination of traditional mountain design and modern construction. The menu is all well-priced highland comfort food—think leeks in vinaigrette, braised beef tongue, and cocido lebaniego (a boiled dinner of sausage, chickpeas, and vegetables) The lunch menu is one of the best values in the area.
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.
La Galana is a typical Asturian sidrería with colossal barrels lining the walls, thick wooden tables, and plenty of standing room at the bar, where locals munch on Cabrales cheese. The kitchen serves refined cider-house fare: Expect cheeses with quince jam, bubbling cauldrons of fabada, and a range of creative tapas. There is also a terrace overlooking the porticoed Plaza Mayor and a sit-down dining area beyond the bar with fancier fare including coal-fired steaks, suckling lamb, and grilled sea bass.
Although the eggplant-colored walls, crystal chandeliers, and carefully chosen antique furniture evoke a traditional French dining room, the food at this restaurant—attached to the A Quinta da Auga hotel—is unmistakably Galician. Try delicacies such as chestnut cream soup, fresh-caught hake, and bay scallops roasted in their shells with garlic-parsley oil. The weekday lunch prix fixe is a steal at €29.
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