Tapas Petiscos Do Cardeal — Restaurant in Santiago de Compostela

Tapas bars in Santiago de Compostela are an essential part of the city’s culture and culinary identity. Nestled among the granite alleys of the old town, these lively spots offer more than just food—they provide a social ritual where locals, students, pilgrims, and tourists mingle over small, flavorful dishes and regional wines.

🥘 What to Expect

Tapas in Santiago often come free with a drink, especially in traditional bars. Order a glass of Albariño or Estrella Galicia, and you might receive a portion of tortilla española, empanada gallega, or pulpo a feira (octopus with paprika and olive oil). The portions are usually generous, and the atmosphere relaxed and authentic.

🏛️ Where to Go • Rúa do Franco and Rúa da Raíña are the main streets for tapas-hopping. These lanes are lined with bars offering specialties from Galicia and beyond. • O Gato Negro is a local favorite—small, no-frills, but known for razor clams, octopus, and local wines. • Abastos 2.0, near the food market, mixes traditional flavors with a modern twist—ideal for foodies looking to explore updated Galician cuisine.

🦐 What to Try • Pulpo a feira – octopus served warm with paprika, olive oil, and sea salt • Zamburiñas – small scallops grilled with garlic • Pimientos de Padrón – green peppers, some spicy, some not • Tarta de Santiago – almond cake often served with a local herbal liqueur

💡 Tips • Go bar to bar (“tapeo”) instead of sitting for a full meal in one place. • Try local wines like Albariño, Ribeiro, or the red Mencía. • Many bars open from late afternoon to midnight; weekends are busiest.

Santiago’s tapas scene is humble but rich, reflecting Galicia’s maritime heritage, simplicity, and strong local flavors. It’s a perfect way to relax after...

This restaurant was the best we tried in Santiago de Compostela.

Atmosphere was lively and polite from an international crowd. Staff is welcoming and friendly, very quick and reactive service, you get food very quickly, the kitchen staff is above average for both speed and quality of food.

Most dishes are very straight forward, quickly cooked and served. Boquerones were a standout dish, but we also really liked the shrimps (good size), scallops and razor clams. The black pudding should also be ordered, expertly served with caramelized onions, everything was delicious.

Prices are reasonable for this type of food quality, good selection of wines also.

Highly recommended, one of our favorite meals of 2024.

P.S.: please leave a ❤️ if this review was helpful in making decisions,...

Best Spanish restaurant I've ever been to. I usually hate tapas, but these were high quality, plus the flavour...was just next level, great synergy with meats, seafood, and sauces. I can't stress enough how good and well prepared it was. Plus the restaurant is very well presented, can be crowded and is not very big doe. Do make sure u get there somewhat early. Finally I have to give it to the planner of the restaurant and staff, everything was done in a very thoughtful manner, the kitchen is open to see the good organisation and cleaness. The staff worked as a team to keep every client satisfied in an organized and warm way. Extremely pleased!! Ah also pretty cheap for this quality,...