Marisqueria Casa Jose — Restaurant in Santander

Tourist, beware We visited this restaurant and though we speak fluent, French and English we do not speak Spanish. We were able to translate certain priced dishes on the menu, but the waiter brought a fish to our table and suggested this as our main course. There was no discussion around price and on the basis of the two dishes, which we had ordered being priced reasonably we agreed to proceed.

The food was very good, but when we received the bill we were shocked to discover that the fish dish on its own was €110 of a €178 bill which consisted of two other courses, a bottle of wine and earlier drinks.

Both before and during the course of our meal we were inundated with service from the various waiting staff. Once the bill was presented, there was a huge reluctance for anyone to come to our table. Eventually, our waiter, very sheepishly arrived with a credit card machine asking if we wish to pay by credit card. he was clearly uneasy and proposed to digestives on the house. When we queried the bill, and in particular the figure proposed for the fish, he deflected, and said this was nothing to do with him.

While the food in this restaurant is good, either order items which are specifically priced or before you purchase something which is not on the fixed price menu be clear as to what the cost of this is going to be. As my title says tourist beware this is a trap and I have little doubt that we fell into it. It is disappointing that a restaurant which should rely on its food and service would stoop to these standards....

I came here alone just before the lunchtime rush and made the rookie mistake of ordering too much food. It’s a problem if you’re eating alone and want to try more than one dish. I asked the waiter if what I was ordering was too much for one but I think I must have said “esta bastante para uno?” Instead of “esta demasiado?” as I often mix these words up. So I got a huge plate of rabas which the table of three next to me also ordered and didn’t finish. I was dreading when the sardines arrived and sure enough it was plenty of food. 9 sardines. I focused on those and managed to eat 8. I left most of the rabas and they asked if I wanted to take them away but I didn’t fancy eating cold old rabas. Some dishes have just gotta be eaten hot and fresh. Great lively locals place with good prices if you’re sharing. But I have nothing to compare it to yet. Very nice employees. I spent €23 on two enormous dishes, a beer, bread and...

In terms of culinary experiences, Marisquería Casa José was the highlight of our holiday. As a seafood lover, I was in heaven, and being located in Santander’s fishing district, the freshness of the catch was exactly as you’d hope.

We started with a selection of small dishes: zamburiñas (absolutely outstanding), langostinos, Iberian ham croquettes (also incredible), rabas served in a huge portion, tender octopus, and a few other treats I’ve already lost track of. Every bite spoke of top-quality ingredients, but the star of the show was the stuffed hake, quite honestly, the best fish dish I’ve ever had.

The restaurant itself is lively, with waiters constantly in motion, yet service never felt rushed. Even midweek, the place was packed, which says everything about its popularity. I’m glad we booked ahead, as I doubt we’d have got a walk-in table. Next time I’m in Santander, I’ll be heading...