Restaurante A Porta Verde — Restaurant in Santiago de Compostela

As someone from Santiago de Compostela, I always try to escape the most touristy spots and give other local places the chance to show their full potential. Yesterday, I visited A Porta Verde—and as expected in the “Cuna del Buen Comer,” the food was delicious.

I really appreciated the service and the staff’s willingness to adapt to some of my dietary limitations. The falafel was excellent—crispy on the outside and compact on the inside, with a well-balanced mix of flavors. The same goes for the quesadillas: it’s not easy to get such rich flavor in thin corn tortillas, but they nailed it.

The falafel burger was hearty and satisfying, avoiding the usual predictable tomato-based sauce and instead offering a homemade alternative on the side. The bread was up to the standards of Galicia’s outstanding bread tradition—crusty, fresh, and a perfect match for the texture of the burger.

While I love the overall homemade vibe of the place, I would suggest reworking the wok dish. The sweet chili sauce was overpowering and masked the rest of the ingredients. Also, I would like to see more of the rest of the ingredients and no so much noodle… That said, the noodles were cooked perfectly, and I paired the dish with a glass of Mencía wine, which went surprisingly well with the sweet and savory notes.

Overall, I’d definitely recommend giving A Porta Verde a try. It’s a great example of how non-touristy spots in Santiago can...

🇬🇧 English Version

50/50 – Some Good, Some Awful, but Definitely Not Worth the Price or the Hassle! The beetroot hummus and quesadilla were decent – but let’s be honest, those are hard to mess up. Service-wise, the waitress was lovely – friendly, polite, and doing her best. Unfortunately, that’s where the positives end. The Sorrentinos were shockingly bland. A few tiny bits of sundried tomato gave the slightest hint of flavour, but not nearly enough to save the dish. I’d seen other reviews praising it, so either the recipe’s changed, the chef was having an off day, or I just have a different palate – but to me, it was completely devoid of flavour. The “cheesecake” was another letdown – barely sweet and with a strange, rough texture. It tasted exactly like one of those “healthy” versions of a dessert that forgets the point: none of the indulgence, all of the disappointment. What really sealed it for me, though, was the attitude from management. After trying one Sorrentino and explaining that it had no flavour, I sent it back. The waitress returned, clearly embarrassed, to inform me that “the boss said he doesn’t care if you liked it – you have to pay anyway.” I hadn’t even refused to pay! But that dismissive and rude response guaranteed I won’t be back. Frankly, you’re much better off at A Vexeta Corre or A Medusa – both offer tastier food, friendlier service, easier access, and all at a fraction of the price. I paid in full, took the disappointing dishes to go, and gave them to the first homeless person I saw – someone who, sadly, was desperate enough to eat them.

🇪🇸 Versión en Español 50/50 – Algunas cosas buenas, otras horribles, ¡pero definitivamente no vale la pena por el precio ni el esfuerzo! El hummus de remolacha y la quesadilla estaban bien – pero seamos sinceros, son difíciles de arruinar. En cuanto al servicio, la camarera fue encantadora – amable, educada y haciendo lo mejor que podía. Desafortunadamente, ahí terminan los puntos positivos. Los sorrentinos eran increíblemente insípidos. Unos pocos trocitos de tomate seco aportaban un leve toque de sabor, pero ni de cerca suficiente para salvar el plato. Había visto otras reseñas positivas, así que o la receta ha cambiado, el chef tuvo un mal día, o simplemente tengo un paladar distinto – pero para mí, no tenían absolutamente ningún sabor. El "cheesecake" fue otra decepción – apenas dulce y con una textura áspera y rara. Sabía exactamente como esas versiones "saludables" de postres que olvidan lo esencial: nada de placer, solo decepción. Pero lo peor de todo fue la actitud de la gerencia. Después de probar solo uno de los sorrentinos y explicar que no tenían sabor, lo devolví. La camarera volvió, claramente avergonzada, para decirme que “al jefe no le importa si te gustó o no – lo tienes que pagar igual.” ¡Ni siquiera había dicho que no quería pagar! Pero esa respuesta grosera y despectiva fue suficiente para decidir que no volveré jamás. Sinceramente, es mucho mejor ir a A Vexeta Corre o A Medusa – ambos tienen comida más sabrosa, personal más amable, mejor ubicación y todo a una fracción del precio. Pagué todo, me llevé los platos decepcionantes y se los di a la primera persona sin hogar que vi – alguien que, tristemente, estaba lo bastante desesperado como...

Maybe Spanish people understand the kitchen and opening times, I don't. Came within opening times to be told - - after just being fully ignored AGAIN - - I couldn't order food bec kitchen closed. Then don't put those times in Google maps, I extra walked here. I had deleted my 1st bad review of my 1st experience where I had been ignored by the male waiter, because the next times, there was a friendliercwiman serving and the food was okay albeit expensive. Today was the same male waiter who didn't even bother to look at me when I walked almost to the back of the restaurant closer to where he was busy chatting away, in case he didn't see me in the front... Yea, well, you don't seem to need customers, I don't need a restaurant where I have to go to the supermarket to cook myself after walking there within the states opening time, and being ignored. At least I am being greeted in the supermarket, where they take...