ANACO. — Restaurant in Santiago de Compostela

Thanks to reviews I had read, I booked a table at ANACO before even packing for our trip to Santiago de Compostela, and I'm so glad that I did. We decided to have the taster menu (a mesa posta) and to ask for wine recommendations to accompany this. We were fortunate to be seated at the bar, which might not be to everyone's taste, but we enjoyed being able to watch as the dishes were skillfully prepped and constructed by Victor and Alberto. We also caught the occasional glimpse of magic going on behind the scenes, as Alex passed some of the dishes through from the kitchen for Alberto to add the final touches. As for the wine, we were in the capable hands of Matty (apologies if misspelt), the sommelier. He introduced us to a flight of wines that perfectly complemented the dishes and explained them clearly and enthusiastically; however, we felt under no pressure to change with every course as he seemed very much there to guide, and to allow us to change when we wanted to. We tried about six wines in total - white, red and dessert wines, all of which were delicious. Matty kindly allowed me to take photos of the labels for future reference, and even reminded me to do so when I forgot to ask. Returning to the amazing menu, my husband and I agreed that this was possibly the finest taster menu we have ever eaten, and we found it impossible to select a favourite dish as they were all so different. The quality of the food was superb, the range of flavours exciting and the presentation very appealing. Watching the chefs at work only added to our anticipation of what was to come, and we did not feel the chefs needed to engage in conversation while they were busy working, because each dish was explained when it was presented to us. I have never before asked the names of so many restaurant staff, but felt that I could not single anyone out, as this was a truly magnificent team. I should, however, also mention one other server who served us with our final course, and the poor guy doing all the washing up (which was a lot as each of the many dishes was served on a fresh plate) but I'm afraid I did not get their names. In short, I cannot agree if any reviews mention poor service - as this was definitely not our experience - nor complaints of small portions, as there were so many courses that there was the perfect amount of each to share on this finely balanced menu. This will be a meal we will remember for years to come, and we will certainly be recommending this wonderful restaurant to any friends lucky enough to visit Santiago...

We travel to Santiago de Compostela yearly, and ANACO has been on our radar for quite some time now. We had been looking forward to this experience for quite a while and were very excited to share it with our group of 6 friends. The food was absolutely spectacular. Aside from a few small critiques, each meal was honestly more delicious than the last. Some highlights for me were definitely the amuse-bouches, fried artichokes, steak tartare, and the San Simón ice cream. Everything was prepared with very high quality, local ingredients. The dishes were creative and the entire meal was well-balanced. I hesitate to leave 3 stars for service because the chef was incredibly kind and accommodating in supporting our variety of dietary needs and preferences. The team made several exceptions and alterations for us, which was so greatly appreciated. Additionally, our main server was very knowledgeable and helpful, particularly about the regional wines that ANACO offers. However, our water and wine glasses were constantly empty and we were all constantly out of bread. One member of the wait staff also spilled beverages on us several times. Lastly, the combination of the pace of the meal and the portion sizes definitely took away from the experience. We sat down for our meal promptly at 8:30pm and did not leave until at least 11:30pm. We all had the tasting menu, and the portions were shared. They were way too small to be split by multiple people, and we were hungry between courses because of how slow the pacing was (probably why we were eating so much bread!). I am very aware that meals last much longer in Spain, especially at fine dining restaurants, but leaving us hungry between dishes was somewhat disappointing. Either the portions need to be increased, or the pace needs to be quicker. Overall, the value of the tasting menu is good, and it allowed our group to be able to try a variety of foods at an accessible price point. We all left happy to have tried such a great variety of incredible and...

What an amazing meal.

This was my first proper meal in Santiago on the day I arrived. You can do a la carte since they don’t have that many items on the menu, but I opted for the tasting.

The amesaposta option ends up getting you a total of 11 plates. The first portion was an appetizer sample of 3 different pieces followed by 8 different plates of some of the best things I’ve ever eaten and ended with 2 different types of desserts. That’s a total of 11 different plates.

I mean it when I say every single plate was original and f’n delicious. Not a single thing was disappointing. If anything, I kept getting more and more impressed as the tasting kept going. The highlights for me was the fish sitting in a bed of oil. My gosh, every bite left me wanting more and more. That octopus was a banger. The crunchy kale really complimented it. The fried clams surprised me in the best way. Whatever that was cooked in needs to be bottled and sold. And lastly, the way the fried egg was prepared is exactly how I want to eat my eggs forever. Crispy on the outside and runny in the middle. The presentation got me weak in the knees. For real

The service was outstanding. Even the way the person came over to explain every dish was so personalized. Almost whispering as to not bother the other diners. I loved the approach.

I wish they had a wine pairing available, but it’s currently not an option. I did enjoy the vermouth I got.

Considering the amount of food you get and how truly amazing it all is, I don’t understand why they’re only charging 50€ Literally all hits. Not one dish was disappointing. Take all my monies

Thank you chef and the whole team for one of the best...