Sunday lunch at ASADOR O’PAZO in Padron:
This is a handsome, elegant restaurant that’s tucked into a complex with Hotel Scala (same ownership as the restaurant, but not the small inn five minutes away (Pazo d’Arreten, also owned by the O"PAZO team) where it might be good to overnight; the latter hotel fills up with weddings so I cold not find a room there but I think that would be THE place to stay in Padron) outdoor pool, and playground, right off the main highway leading to Santiago. To find ASADOR O’PAZO, look for the tall building housing HOTEL SCALA…there is a large parking lot.
It would be very easy to drive from Santiago de Compostela and was about an hour-long drive for us, coming from Isla de la Toja. We originally planned to spend two nights at a rural inn outside Padron, to be near the restaurant, but liked the Hotel on La Toja so much that we extended our stay there by two nights.
It’s possible that the restaurant offers a la carte but I’m not one-hundred percent clear on that. They asked me when I booked if I wanted the tasting menu (190 euro with option of adding a larger portion of steak) or a portion of percebes for 40 euro per person.
Our meal began in an anteroom where we were served on a spectacular low table crafted of magnolia wood. Every plate in this restaurant is a work of art!
We had a cup of a broth, whose details I forget but it was spectacular; then, amazing butter from a local dairy served with a thin rectangular cracker infused with pork (??). Just out of this world!
Along with those, this strips of cured pork (see third, fourth and fifth photos) that we were instructed to place in the tiny round rolls and eat as a bocadillo. This is as good as food gets, and we’ve only just begun!!
Close ups of that gossamer pork, to eat in a roll:
We are shown the components of the meal to come–all included except the percebes (barnacles), at right, available as a 40-euro supplement.
And then this fellow is wheeled in!!!
The grouper (mero) that will prove to be the highlight of the meal for me, and one of the two best fish of our trip so far:
After this, we move into the dining room, which contains about ten tables, with vast amounts of room between them. It’s beautiful!
It’s almost time to check out of our hotel, so will continue later…
