Alan we had a truly wonderful dinner in Pontevedra at O EIRADO DE LENA; a few details in link below. It was among my favorites of our Galicia visit last May;
<<<<Our bill (two diners) with water and one glass of (sweet, white, local) wine, Sitta Pereira, was 107 euro.
Among our top eating experiences in Galicia, and the final meal, before we decamped to a very different food arena, the island of Lanzarote in the Canarias>>>>.
I’d call the restaurant “upscale” but certainly not fancy or formal.
erica,
I thought the two loud ladies on the balcony were at las 5 Puertas.
Yes, Alan, Eirado de Leña is considered the best in Pontevedra and it´s worth it to dine on that beautiful square.
Thank you both so much, I will certainly report back if I find anything of interest!
Just a small note: I see that Eirado de Leña, with its Michelin star, now serves (as far as I can tell on its web site), 2 tasting menus, the smaller priced at 83 and the longer at 125, but if you make your reservation on the web page, it still offers the a la carte option, which is the “reserva clásica”. A credit card is required for this reservation. Because they have both one Michelin star and one Repsol sun prices have gone up a bit.
Just so that you’ll know…
When a restaurant is honored with both a Michelin star and a Repsol sun, the prices tend to rise, given my experience.
The chef of Eirado de Leña, Iñaki Bretal, has a casual offshoot also on the Plaza de Leña, called Loraira.
Maribel, yes, those ladies were at 5 Puertas; I think that the clip I posted gives the impression that they were at EIRADO but reading the entire thread makes ti clear, or at least I hope it does!! I have not one remotely negative thing to say about O EIRADO; it was a gem and I’d give it a very high recommendation, not to mention those little porcelain bovine table companions!!
Yes I remember recommending Eirado to you before your trip, and I remember those little porcelain bovine table companions.
Eirado, for Alan, closed Sunday nights and all day Monday.
A recipient of a new Repsol sun at this year’s awards in Tenerife, Meloxeira Praia in O Grove, to keep in mind.
We always watch the Repsol sun awards to see if possibly our favorite restaurants might garner an award. We were very surprised and pleased with our friends´ Alboroque in Haro and Arsa in Logroño and Iñaki Peña’s second Sun at Narru in San Sebastián. Lots of interesting first time Sol award winners this year.
erica1,
A little sneak preview of this always highly subjective, often controversial ranked list of Steve Plotnicki and his reviewers of OAD (Opinionated About Dining):
The “Top New Restaurants Europe 2025”.
https://www.oadguides.com/lists/europe/top-new-restaurants/2025
10 of these are in Spain.
The list hasn’t been officially announced yet but will be announced in Madrid, May 19.
You’ll note that O Pazo in Padrón takes the number 2 spot, so you’ll be able to congratulate Óscar Vidal when you dine there.
Maribel, I certainly will congratulate Oscar! As you know, but maybe some others do not, Spain took a whopping FOURTEEN spots on the OAD “top” 25 “casual European restaurants on last year’s list!!” Look forward to the 2025 results.
I imagine that there are many who might quibble with these lists…
Back to Galicia, my delay in booking caused a small glitch in plans. When I peeked last week, the PARADOR COSTA DA MORTE was wide open in all categories for my dates. Fast forward to 2am this morning when I decided that it was time to book and—ooops…the booking engine showed that the hotel was “complete” for the first night of my planned stay, a Monday, and this was confirmed in response to my follow-up e-mail. Needless to say, your faithful correspondent did not shut her eyes until several hours and a number of rapid back-and-forth e-mails later to set things right with the various lodgings on the agenda…
But I’ve managed to extend my stay at EUROSTARS LA TOJA for another night, so I should have a relaxed drive to Padron, arriving in time for Sunday lunch.
Today I will revert to my “somewhat difficult guest” status when I ask CASA MARCELO to move me forward by a night, so I’ll be spending Sunday night and the dreaded Monday night in Padron, before moving on to Muxia, where the Parador has confirmed the only option, a standard room. All the rooms have sea views at the Parador, but from what I see on the photos, there is no shower, only one of those magazine-cover-worthy tubs that will require an assistant to be on call to hoist me in and out!! (I did inquire but my query went unanswered about a walk-in shower…not to worry, I’ll be on the sea in Galicia in June; I’d be ok in a glamper!!!
It’s looking more and more likely that this will not be a solo trip, after all, so that’s great news on the dining front, with even more dishes to sample between two of us!!
Among the names slightly lower down on the OAD 2024 “casual” list, I noted EL FARALLO in Denia at #28; CANABOTA in Sevilla, #33, and JAYLU, which will be on my list for next time in Sevilla, at #43, while our beloved LA CASTILLERIA, below the “White Town” of Vejer, checks in at #48. Happy to see “CASA MORALES” included among quite a few in Sevilla, including PURATASCA.
LA CASA DE ABUELO (“various” locations, in Madrid at #240 (??)
The 2025 Casual list should be released shortly. I do wonder who the reviewers are—they did try to enlist me to give comments on a few places in Madrid but I’d never even heard of the new ones that lacked enough commentary… I remember that one of them was PABU and the others appeared to be more on the “fancier” side than is my usual… You’ll remember all the names in question, I’m sure. As I’ve told you so many times before, I barely need to do any planning on these trips to Spain; you do all the difficult work for me!!!
In yet another digression from the main topic here, I’ve all but decided that my pre-Vejer stay next winter will not be Mallorca but, instead, Barcelona. I’ll have an immense amount of reading to do before that time draws near!!
erica1,
About the dreaded Monday in Padrón, for lunch, not dinner, you could drive down to the lovely O Loxe Mareiro in Carril, at the edge of the Arousa inlet, that just won a Repsol sun this year. It was even honored with a visit from the Royal Family not long ago. This is the spot for clams, razor clams, etc.
It´s open from 1:30-3:30.
Abastos 2.0 has reopened it and brought it back to its former glory.
But you would need to reserve ASAP.
I found my very used and very useful Michelin green zoom map 141 “Cote Galicia”, held together with tape and note that there is a back way along the inlet from Muxia up north to the bobbin lace town of Camariñas. (There are YouTube videos to watch about this lace making process, a dying art, as many of the daughters of these palilleiras don’t want to take up this hobby.)
We drove it through Leis de Nemancos up to A Ponte do Porto, then over to Camariñas, then went back on the faster inland route. The scenic route would take about 40 minutes in good weather. It can get very windy, and the Atlantic waves can be brutal, really fierce, on the Costa da Morte.
We also did the inland drive through Cée south to Fisterra, so that was 2 full days of exploring from Muxía.
About the OAD list and who the reviewers are…I know some of them…and yes, I can review. I think I mentioned that I met Steve at Antonio Bar in SS. when my friend was in charge of organizing his first ever OAD gala there. Whatever one may think about his lists and rankings, he is passionate about the Spain dining scene.
Pabu just received a solid, especially reliable review from two friends, and I have it on my list to try, now that I know there is an a la carte option. I don´t do omakase Japanese here, so can’t review the Sen Omakase. Playing Solo is also a tasting menu only and as is the name, a “one man show”. El Pedrusco is THE place to go if one wants to enjoy cochinillo, cordero lechal or other Castilian roasts if one isn’t Segovia, Avila, Valladolid, Zamora or Burgos province bound.
@erica1
I too dislike (intensely) the “made-for-a-shelter-magazine-photo- shoot” free standing tubs, but the standard rooms at Costa da Morte seem not to have a walk in shower option. Maybe they’ll have a cancellation and you can upgrade. It sometimes happens.
The good news is that the Parador network is finally, this year, in anticipation of its hundred year anniversary (first one opened in Gredos in 1926), is working on, little by little, switching out those highly antiquated tub/shower combos plus bidets to walk in showers to make the baths more contemporary. We were just at the Parador de Benavente, where they had redone all the baths to ultra modern, with double sinks and double showers!
Erica, a quick note on Pabu. I’d call them to make sure the a la carte menu is offered as the communication around this wasn’t the best (some of this could be my poor Spanish, something you won’t have an issue with). They never presented a menu or indicated this was an option. In the end we went with the tasting menu and it wasn’t as issue for us.
We appreciated the vegetable focus and thought the overall meal was good value. The cocktails made table side on a small cart were among the best we’ve had a restaurants in Spain.
I may be completely misinterpreting this, but I see this on their web page, way below the daily tasting menu (“the 8 dishes we made today”), I see Items available a la carte. “Or if you prefer…”
But I’ll email them to clarify.
Yes, originally we booked it due to the fact that they listed a la carte on the website but it was not mentioned on either the Spanish or English menus nor by the waiter; they seemed confused when I asked about it but it could be because of my poor Spanish.
I’ve emailed them to ask. If that doesn’t work, I’ll call. I plan to go as a single diner.
Reply from Coco at Pabú,
"Good morning,
It will be our pleasure to have you at Pabú. Of course you can choose “a la carte” please don’t worry.
Looking forward to seeing you soon.
Big hug,
Coco. "
Thanks for confirming and good to hear. It’s rare these days we do tasting menus at dinner so it can remain an option.
Booked my flights today (!!) in and out of Santiago, via MAD, and also Monday lunch at O LOXE MAREIRO. I’ll be thrilled if I get at least a few sunny days, especially for the driving while in Muxia. I’ll look up the route you mention right now…
John thanks for he PABU info; I don’t have any Madrid visits planned as of now but will surely return within the next year, or at least I hope so. EL PEDRUSCO will be at the top of my list, although I also think a return to the Tierras de Lechazo y Cochinillo will also be in the cards… Now would that not be a GREAT side trip from the capital? It’s just over an hour from a “little hotel” in Sardon del Duero to Campaspero (MANNIX) to Sepulveda; make that two hours if we add Roa (NAZARENOS, who state emphatically on “that” review site that: “” NO es CHURRASQUERIA, sino ASADOR!!"
And I’m only dreaming about the places I’ve already been; there are SO MANY that barely get a mention in the English press, or online… I’ve never been to Valladolid or Zamora or Aranda del Duero, and my lone visit to Avila was a drive-by to see the walls probably around 1978??
I think we ought to spread the word to the carnivores around here about all that great eating so close to Madrid. Apart from ABADIA LA RETUERTA, are there hotels anywhere around those parts that might be a lure??? (I peeked into Sepulveda’s HOSPEDERIA DE LOS TEMPLARIOS and I’d imagine its would be a cozy base for a few days when the wether was crisp…it’s another world entirely from RETUERTA but it’s nice to mix things up…
Ok…erica, bring yourself back to the subject at hand…how did you manage to move so many miles, from Galicia to Old Castille in a few sentences and even fewer minutes’ time??
I hope you enjoy O Loxe Mareiro in Carril, the little town known as ¨ o Paraíso da Ameixa. We first discovered the town if memory serves from the rec of Penelope Casas, when her Discovering Spain was my gastronomic bible (prior to “Lo Mejor de la Gastronomía”, no longer updated, being my bible).
We were staying at a Pazo on the outskirts of Vilagarcía de Arousa (the infamous narco town) when touring the Rías Baixas.
Carril holds a big “A festa da Ameixa de Carril” during the month of August. I have to attend someday. So many fiestas, so little time…
There are two types of almejas from Carril, the “finas” and the “babosas”. The almeja de Carril has its own DOP protected status.
That little hotel in Sardón…we´re heading there in Dec. for 4 nights for our 3rd stay. My Christmas present. No, for me, there aren´t any hotels in that area that even come close.
So many lamb temples in Castilla-León and so little time… We just dined at a wonderful one in the Zamora province, El Ermitaño. Second best restaurant in Zamora, arguably, after Lera in Castroverde de Campos. And at another one in Torrecaballeros, Segovia, La Posada del Mediodía on Mother’s Day.
I need to start a thread on Asadores de Castilla-León.
Maribel, I’m thrilled for you being within easy reach of an endless array of astonishingly great eating!!! For you to compose a thread about the asadores would be so valuable and would introduce so many to the wonders of the regions that are so easy to reach from Madrid yet receive scant coverage in any English-language food site I’m aware of. So many tourists take side trips from Madrid to Toledo and to Segovia, fewer still to Avila and to El Escorial, but would not a jaunt for a few days or a week, focusing on the asadores, make a marvelous addition for the food-focused traveler?
Maybe this has all been covered before, but I’ve seen so little on this site and nothing outside a few famous names in Segovia, on other English-language travel forums…
Maybe we can get a discussion rolling!!
The Navarra bar in Pontevedra (if still there) is a ramshackle warm place for a drink. They had homemade Orujos, and great Lomo from the mountains of Leon.
