GALICIA 2025 questions

Regional Dining Discussions Italy, Spain, Portugal
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I’m planning a quick return to Galicia in June. There is a chance that my partner will go along but more likely is that I will travel solo.

I’ve yet to buy plane tickets but will almost certainly fly from JFK to Santiago, with change in MAD.

Hotels are booked:

Parador Santiago–three nights (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday)
GH La Toja–eight nights
Casa de Marcelo, Padron–two nights (Saturday, Sunday)

The inclusion of Padron came about because I needed a stop not too far of a drive from the airport in Santiago for my last night or two, and I wanted to eat at O’PAZO… The hotel connected to O’PAZO was full, as were a couple of other hotels/B&Bs near Padron, since this is a weekend and many weddings are scheduled.

I had a great visit to (rainy) Santiago last May, and have a decent idea of where to eat. I’d like to return to ABASTOS 2.0, but am open to trying places new to me on the other nights. Ideas most welcome!! I prefer a la carte to long, elaborate tasting menus and so ruled out a couple of restaurants. We loved LUME, the sibling of A TAFONA, but might want to have a new experience this year…but bar seating, half orders, all that’s great for me. But I won’t rule out anything…it will be difficult to forego another dinner at LUME.

At ABASTOS 2.0, would the common table in their bar room be a better choice for a solo diner than the dining room across the street where we had that excellent dinner last year?? (I think so…)

I’ve marked down a few more possibilities but would need to cut this list way down; the Parador should have a great breakfast so it would be difficult to fit in more than a small bite for lunch…

All these in Santiago de Compostela:

O TESTO
INDOMITO
ANACO
A HORTA DO OBRADOIRO
PAMPIN (maybe for a bite, rather than full meal; could not find an actual current carta but what I did see seems to indicate very hearty stews…??)

I plan to rent a car on leaving Santiago and drive to LA ISLA DE LA TOJA, for an eight-night relax. I was here for two nights last year and each of the two dinners was a hit: CULLER DE PAU and ASADOR D’BERTO.

This year I plan to return to D’BERTO in the port of O"Grove which is only a few minutes’ drive from hotel. I might have more than one meal here and am open to any other suggestions in O’GROVE or within a short drive of Isla de la Toja.

There are “mussel tours” by boat that seem to be very popular in around the Isla de Arousa, but I’ve read mixed reports about these with some commenters saying it’s a party scene with little education about the mussels, etc… I’d love to hear of your experiences with this, and with any other tours I could take, or easy drives I could do on my own. (No wineries, but maybe visit to cheese maker???). (Also plan to sample and purchase cheeses to bring home; something other than Tetilla)

I’m considering driving to Cambados for a meal at YAYO DAPORTA but a little anxious about driving in the dark, and I always prefer dinners to lunches.
(For years, I imagined that YAYO DAPORTA was a Galician version of a sports bar, only to learn in the past few years that it’s the name of the revered Galician chef with two Repsol “suns” and a Michelin star. Not the first and certainly not the last goof that’s tarnished my name!!). (The word “deporte” means sports, in Spanish)

Would love to read comments about this restaurant, and any others either in Cambados or closer to my base of La Toja. (YAYO DAPORTA offers two tasting menus, at either 75 or 100 euro. A less expensive option from the same chef is CONTINENTAL, also in Cambados.

After eight nights at the GH LA TOJA, I wanted a stop on the way to the Santiago airport. The town of Padron seemed to fit the bill, especially since I’d always wanted to visit ASADOR O’PAZO, the “meat temple” in that town.
Weekends in June are wedding season in Galicia and it required lots of back-and-forth to find both a place to stay, and to secure a table at O’PAZO (Their website clearly states that there are NO tables available for a single diner).
And their nearby guest house ,which looks divine, is booked out every weekend in high season for weddings, as is the asador for the Saturday that was my choice for a meal. Happily, all is resolved and I’ve booked two nights at a rural hotel just outside Padron, and lunch at O’PAZO for the Sunday, the day before I fly home from Santiago. I briefly considered a detour to La Coruna making that my last stop, but flights back to the US have better connections from Santiago; La Coruna does seem to have a lot of tempting restaurants so will keep that in mind if I’m fortunate enough to return again to this corner of Spain…)

Whether or not I can take this trip depends on my partner’s easy recovery from a pair of “procedures” a few weeks prior, but all indications point to a green light, and he may decide to come along. (I’m a bit conflicted about that, truth be told; there are benefits in traveling alone, especially since I speak Spanish pretty well and so like to strike up random conversations, almost always about food…sometimes a bit too often and a bit too long for my companion)

So, please, if Maribel or any of you Gallego-philes have ideas for me, don’t keep them a secret!!! I’ve about two months, but it’s always great to revel in the planning. A million thanks!!

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On your Santiago list you’re missing the most talked about young chefs, Axel Smyth and Claudia Merchán of SIMPAR, who won both of the most prestigious awards at this year’s Madrid Fusión.
Axel was declared the “cocinero revelación” of 2025 and Claudia, the pastry chef, honored with the “pastelera revelación” award. These two graduates of the Basque Culinary Center opened the restaurant in 2023.
(Axel opened Auga e Sal in Santiago and immediately won a Michelin star but closed it shortly after.)

Over the years, since these MF awards were initiated in 2003, we’ve seen how especially these two prestigious awards have lifted up, catapulted, the careers of up-and-coming chefs. (David Muñoz won the Chef Revelación award in 2008). This year at MF we cheered on the two young chefs of Arsa in Logroño, also candidates for Cocinero Revelación. As soon as these candidates are announced, we try to visit them (before the suns and stars are bestowed and prices go up!)

SIMPAR, however, offers a tasting menu only, priced at 85 euros. I think I may have suggested it to you for your last Galicia trip. It now has one Repsol sun and one Michelin star. But it’s closed on Mon/Tues.

Did you not consider staying slightly outside the city at the A Quinta da Auga Hotel & Spa (a RC)?
Or perhaps two hotel spa stays weren’t necessary?

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Have you stayed in the Parador before? I spent an unfortunate night there in 2011. Of course a lot has probably changed since then. I did enjoy the luxurious breakfast, so once Lulu and her dad joined me at another hotel I took them there for breakfast, and that was a fun way for them to experience it.

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in O Grove, Meloxeira Praia, a “chiringuito gastronómico”, 1 Repsol sun, as of this year.
In Cambados, A Taberna do Trasno (with an inverted “s”), a Bib Gourmand
(“Trasnos”=duendes, or elves, gallegos)

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I’ve stayed at the Parador and during my stay I found it extremely busy, lots of comings and goings, smack dab on the square, and people coming in to take a walk around and photograph this historic property.

erica,
You may have done the same when staying at the hotel behind it the last time.
This Parador’s breakfasts are copious though (all hot items to be ordered now fresh from the kitchen to order…eggs any style, bacon, sausages, whatever you want), not at all like your disappointing breakfasts on your last trip at the other place (where I never had any meals at all after a bout of food poisoning).

While I’m not a fan at all of most of the Parador dining rooms for lunch or dinner (with a few exceptions), their buffet breakfasts, with all the regional specialities, especially the charcuterie, the local cheeses, the pastries, are terrific. And they now have espresso machines so that one can make his/her own brew, as you know since you stayed at the one in Pontevedra last time.

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I knew you would steer me in the right direction!
I was surprised to find, when I began looking in February, that many hotels were full for my dates. (I did not try the Quinta da Agua because I wanted to be able to walk around and return to rest at hotel from time to time). I had other hotels on my list including the Altair, but they were full. (By now I’ve figured that it must be high Camino season)

The Parador website also showed full for my dates. (Main attraction would be the Parador breakfast; I figured there was a chance I might get stuck with a small, dark room.

So I wrote an e-mail letting them know I would take almost any category of room and, lo and behold, they put my on a waiting list and within a day, confirmed a “double for single use” room. I was relieved to find a spot so I did not ask any questions about “which room,” and knowing the Paradors, I did not expect that they were going to go into much detail. I think when the time gets closer, I will write them, or phone them, to get some details.

So, SIMPAR. The tasting menu is what threw me off, but with your fulsome praise, Maribel, I will put it back on the list. The prices sound reasonable, that’s for sure! I think there is another Santiago place on my list, above, that is tasting menu only, and YAYO DAPORTA is as well. I’m going to read about SIMPAR as soon as I end this post.

As for O’PAZO, they have been incredibly responsive to my e-mails. I really wanted to stay in their affiliated hotel but, as I said, it’s wedding season. The restaurant wanted to know if I wanted the tasting menu or not, but I responded that I’d let them know closer to my arrival… I don’t know why I had the notion that this was a simple asador, but from the videos I watched, it’s very elegant. I have to say I’ve never seen a restaurant booking page that specifies, before they even take you to the page for your dates and time, that the minimum number of diners is two. But looking at those large, white-dressed tables in their dining room, I do know that it’s not a cozy spot for one person. But be that as it may, I’ll look forward to dining there although their main attraction appears to be those hefty steaks…

The Padron guest house I booked was the only one with decent reviews on the two big booking sites that had space, and I’ve had a lot of chatty back-and-forth with the manager. (I’ve promised to help him with his English when I stay there, etc etc…). I don’t know if mine is an unusual experiencer, but just about every person I’ve had e-mail interchanges with has been incredibly friendly, saying that they are so happy I am visiting, etc. Even the person who wrote to me at O’PAZO.

Another reason for visiting Padron was for their Sunday market, but I’ve since watched a few videos and it looks like a motley collection of souvenir sellers, interspersed with very few food vendors, pack the streets on Saturday mornings. (I was imagining stands piled high with peppers, cheeses, etc etc) I’m not even sure it’s worth going, but I’lll ask when I arrive.

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About Sunday markets in Spain…they simply can’t be compared to the French outdoor markets, which I love!
We returned from 9 days in Paris, marveling once again about the beauty of the presentations (a photographer’s dream), the extremely high quality, the vasty variety of tempting foods presented at all the 8 outdoor markets we visited (one each day!)…and the relative lack of junk items, cheap clothing, souvenirs, etc. (like the one we experienced in Teguise, Lanzarote, which wasn’t even worth a single photograph).
Although I’ve never been to the Sunday market in Padrón, I can’t imagine it being any better than what you saw in Santiago at the Mercado de Abastos.

Your difficulty with Santiago lodging is not only the wedding weekend but full blown Pilgrim season!
The Parador is slowly being remodeled to the tune of 36 million euros and the full works are “supposed to be” finished in June of 2026. The vast amount of money will be spent in general repairs of this ancient, history building (the Paradors’ flagship) and improvements of the public rooms, adding another elevator, etc. with a bit of that amount spent on the rooms’ decor.

In the Padrón vicinity, did you happen to reserve at the Pazo de Lestrove?

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@erica1
About Galician cheeses other than tetilla, Cebreiro and the Savel blue that you purchased on your last trip:

The cheese seller, Ardai, presented their cheese selection at the annual Vila Viniteca Cata por Parejas wine judging competition in Madrid’s casino. At their stand we tasted a cow´s cheese from Arzúa Ulloa. It has its own D.O.P. label. But since it’s creamy, you will probably want to enjoy it while you’re there rather than attempt to take it home. The Galmesán is a hard cheese, an añejo, matured for 18 months, that would be easier to transport home.

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Maribel this is wonderful information about the Galician cheeses. Because Santiago is my first stop, I plan to buy a good variety that I can enjoy in the following days while they are still in good condition. The others I will bring home.

I tried Pazo de Lestrove but they, too, were booked for my dates.

The place I booked is CASA DE MARCELO, just outside Padron.

There now seems to be a strong possibility that my partner will accompany me on this trip; I won’t know for a few more weeks, after his eye procedures, so I’m waiting to buy the air tickets, which makes me a little nervous, but…

If he goes along there is a chance that he might agree to one more stop, after Padron, before returning to US. I’ve been having fantasies of driving from Padron into western Asturias (have to look at driving times) or somewhere else closer that I’ve not been. The trouble is that the best flights from Galicia to JFK are from Santiago; the ones from La Coruna and from Vigo depart far too early in the morning. I will look at flights from Oviedo but this idea probably will get nixed by the “other half…” Is there any super fabulous hotel in eastern Galicia that I should taker a look at??? (I only had one night at HOTEL EGO and that might be a good add-on, but are there others I should look at?) I won’t pursue this further here until I investigate driving times and flights… Another idea, if I could find a room, would be A QUINTA DA AGUA, so as to have two stays in and around Santiago…all this needs in-house discussion before proceeding!!! But at this late date, they, too, may be fully booked. I’ll have some fun later today reading and dreaming about a possible trip extension, but can’t get my hopes up too high!!

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Super fabulous hotel in eastern Galicia close to SCQ? Not that we have found yet, And we’ve searched on the Mariña Alta.

And driving around the Costa da Morte can be exceeding slow due to the non stop curves.
That said, there´s the new-ish spa hotel, PARADOR COSTA DA MORTE outside of Muxía.
Taking the toll route, you would be only about 1 hour, 15-20 minutes from SCQ.

The EGO in Viveiro would be almost a 2 hour drive from SCQ.

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Maribel you responded faster than I could edit! Took at look at the driving times, so Asturias is out for this trip. I’ll take a look at the parador in Muxia…any great places to eat that could help lure me to spend two or three nights there???

Should I plan YAYO DAPORTA? If I have a driving companion, I could go for dinner, otherwise I think I’d book for lunch. When I was in Cambados last year, the town was shut down completely in early afternoon; I thought it would be nice to meander around, have a drink, shop for conservas, and have a meal. Now that I may have a companion, I’d be more relaxed about venturing further than O"Grove for a meal, but I am hoping to visit D’BERTO more than once or twice on this trip…so many incredible temptations, new to me, on their menu, and the menus of so many other restaurants. A seven for lovers of seafood, as are so very many restaurants in Galicia.

I don’t understand why the region, with its stellar wines and food, not to mention the scenery, is not a bigger draw for non-Pilgrimage-goers from my side of the Atlantic.

I look at the TA Spain forums a few times a week. Apart from a few queries about the pilgrimage (even those are scarce) you can go for months without seeing one question about traveling to Galicia. (I have to see if the Spanish-language forum on that site is more interesting…).

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You just happened to catch me at my computer, putting the finishing touches on our trip to Villabuena de Alava for the wine festival tomorrow!

I’ve dined at YAYO DAPORTA while staying at the Cambados Parador (like the one in Pontevedra, very old style, whose rooms in Cambados. could use an update). I think that in June you would find Cambados much more lively.

I wouldn’t spend 3 nights at the Muxía Parador unless you planned to drive the Costa da Morte for day trips. We’ve done it several times, all the way to Fisterra, and enjoyed our visits to Muxía, the lace town of Camariñas, Laxe, Cedeira, the Faro de Roncudo, to watch those brave perceibeiros harvest on dangerously steep slopes in the pouring rain! And some are women.
But for 2 nights, this very contemporary Parador has your name written all over it!

The finest dining spots, arguably, and currently on the Costa da Morte are Tira de Cordel and Terra in Fisterra, O Fragón and As Garzas in Malpica.
Fisterra, if you take the inland route, rather than slow going it along the inlets, would be a 30 minute drive from the Muxía Parador.

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@erica1
For what it’s worth, I’ve stayed over the many years (or dined) at all the Galician Paradors…Baiona (the best!), Tui, Ferrol, Ribadeo, Cambados, Pontevedra, Santiago, Verín, the two in the Ribeira Sacra (Monforte & Santo Estevo), EXCEPT for Vilalba and for the new-ish, very contemporary one with spa in Muxía. It’s the one on my list for our next visit. So if you choose it, I’ll be very eager to read your report!

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Right now I am leading into the discussion here about adding the Muxia Parador. After all, I now have an assignment to check it out and report back to you. The small glitch is that the route from La Toja to Padron, and then on the Muxia, ending at the Santiago airport, is a little roundabout. The routing: La Toja-Muxia-Padron-airport is more direct.

BUT, I don’t think it’s all that much of a detour, as long as I can easily get from Muxia to the airport in time for the Santiago-MAD flight, connecting to JFK. A very quick look tells me that there is a 13:35 flight from Santiago to Madrid with the connection, so that would work well.

I know I could change the order but I had so much communication with the Padron hotel and with O"Pazo that I fear they will class me as a difficult guest if I re-work the plan again…

I know you cannot resolve my dilemma but any thoughts would be welcome!!!

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I would work on the route La Toja-Muxía-Padrón, the most direct route for you, if possible… I don’t think they’ll classify you as a “difficult guest” if you explain the problem. It all seems to be what works for you to arrive comfortably for that Santiago flight. SCQ-MAD to connect to the MAD to JFK flight.

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Maribel thank you for boosting my confidence about making changes.
However, after investigating, I see that the more direct route will not work, because O’PAZO is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays!!! I depart La Toja on Saturday, so now will look into keeping Saturday and, probably, Sunday nights in Padron. Sunday lunch at O"Pazo. Leave for Muxia Parador either Sunday night or Monday morning; stay there two nights, then drive to airport, probably on Wednesday. The next hurdle is to see if there are appealing restaurants in Muxia that are open Monday and Tuesdays!!! (Prefer to dine outside the Parador).

A quick peek tells me that LONXA D’ALVARO in Muxia is open for lunch on Mondays and Tuesdays. (Would have preferred dinner, but…)

TIRA DE CORDEL, Fisterra, open for Tuesday dinner (!!)
TERRA, Fisterra, closed Mondays and Tuesdays
O FRAGON, Fisterra, open Monday lunch

VILLA DE ORO, Camarinas, open Monday and Tuesday dinner. (the drive from Muxia north to Camarinas—scenic, or is the other direction preferable for any reason??)

I’m now about two hours past my breakfast time! I’m sure there are other options and honestly, all these menus look tempting!!! Let me know if you have any other thoughts about the ones I listed…which include your picks…a pretty drive would be a plus…
I have my reading cut out for me this afternoon!!
But first, I’d best check to see if the Parador even has rooms for my dates!

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Does anyone have any recommendations for not super fancy spots in either Pontevedra or a Coruña by chance? I will be in both later in the week and without a car. While I’ve done a fair amount of research I would welcome any favorites from board members. Anything with a better than normal wine selection and a focus on vegetables would be wonderful, it seems like seafood and traditional Gallego food are easier to find. Thanks!

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@alan_henderson
Not super fancy in Pontevedra,
Vinoteca Bagos
Trasmallo
Varela Churrasquería, a casual place opened by Michelin starred Pepe Viera

Not super fancy in A Coruna
Taberna 5 Mares, a Bib Gourmand
El Manjar for tortillas Betanzos style (runny eggs)

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Thanks so much Maribel, I think only one of these had been on my radar already, super helpful!

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erica1,
From the Parador to the cute little bobbin lace and port town of Camariñas, you need to drive inland on the CP 1603, not along the inlets. It´s about a 30 minute drive.

When on the Costa da Morte, we prioritize dining in port towns that sit on the rías, inlets, and have scenic views.