A Coruña is a showcase for the new Galician cuisine. These 5 best restaurants prove it. Atlantic products on the table and young talent in the kitchen. In these establishments you're going to find shellfish, the meat of Galician blonde cows and tetilla cheese, but with a whole new taste.
Bido, the restaurant at the vanguard
Restaurante BIDO
Discovering that yes you can be a chef, choosing ingredients from grandma's pantry and embracing creativity. That's exactly what Xoán Crujeiras did when he opened Bido in the centre of Vigo in 2016. He arrived with a Michelin star to his name, having earned it at A Estación in Cambre, and now he's reinventing Galician cuisine and carving out a place for it at the vanguard.
At Bido - "birch tree" in Galician - Xoán is doing wonders with seafood, especially seaweed and fish. How about some scallops with fresh spinach, toasted hazelnut, turnip, homemade citrus butter and lime zest?
Xoán will surprise you with creations that are 100% original and 100% Galician at the same time. With one foot in the sea and the other on land, he's invented highly recommended delicacies like partridge salad, emulsified marinade, seaweed and coastal herbs. And for dessert be sure to order the sweet chestnut pie.
C/ Marcial del Adalid, 2. 15005 A Coruña.
Average price: €35-40
Miga, the Galician bistro
Restaurante Miga
Chef Adrián Felípez defines his restaurant as a "modest eatery, casa de xantares or bistro specialising in Galician cuisine". All of them are apt descriptions for a restaurant where you're really going to feel at home. A cool atmosphere and delicious, finger-licking food.
The menu at Miga changes constantly. Depending on when you go, you'll find one set of dishes or another. We're not just saying it - it genuinely is the case here. The things they really like are seafood (especially crustaceans), eggs and fresh garden produce. But just put your trust in Adrián's talent. Honestly.
You'll love the setting and the bill even more. Adrián's rule of thumb is to apply everything he learned about haute cuisine to traditional cooking. Rather than fixed obligatory menus, his philosophy is this: "At Miga it's the diners who choose how much they want to eat and spend."
Praza de España, 7, 15001 A Coruña
Average price: €35-40
Eclectic, open-minded cuisine
Restaurante Eclectic
Life and an adventurous streak led Sergio Musso and Francesc Chicón to relocate, almost by accident, to A Coruña. The city gave a warm welcome to the culinary project of this Catalan-Argentine couple who opened their first restaurant in Barcelona. In Galicia they serve what they call "free-form cuisine".
But what will you find there? Their menus include dishes like Mussels - Galicia-Mexico-Galicia; Artichokes - food-play-comparison; and Galician pie-reinterpretation.
Sergio and Francesc say they "want to create a little mystery, so that you the navigator, the wayfarer, discover flavours, nuances, contrasts, textures and playful effects that inspire you to imagine, remember, dream...".
At Eclectic you'll feel like your feet are on the ground but the food will make you cast your sights beyond the horizon.
Rúa Oliva, 3, 15001 A Coruña
Menus for €35, €45, €55 and €65 (not including wine).
Nado, pure Atlantic
Restaurante Nado
This restaurant run by chef Iván Domínguez opened less than a year ago but is already setting the trend. Iván imagined an establishment completely connected to its surroundings. He's established such a close contact with the local markets and his trusted suppliers that he doesn't even have any cold stores. The chef only accepts the freshest produce and he adapts his menu every day to what his local sources supply him with. Dishes cooked just to the right point; tasty stews; shellfish and fish that deserve a round of applause; bread-dipping sauces; and must-try desserts like the homemade cream caramel.
If you take a seat at the bar overlooking the kitchen the food will taste even better. Although there's no knowing what will be on the menu that day, we can assure you that you'll find traditional dishes, simple but exquisitely prepared recipes and, depending on the season, all-time favourites from the Galician pantry: from mussels and barnacles to lobster. A 100% Atlantic festival.
Callejón de La Estacada, 9. 15001 A Coruña
Average price: €40
Koh Lanta, Asian version
Restaurante Koh Lanta
Galicians, as everyone knows, are great travellers. Sometimes with a one-way ticket. A Coruña local Gonzalo Somoza is Galician and he loves travelling, although he's one of those who came back to his native city. On his travels he fell in love with South-East Asian cuisine, filled his backpack with those flavours and brought them back to the centre of A Coruña. That's the story behind Koh Lanta, a restaurant for lovers of dumplings (his speciality), pho soup, woks and pad thai.
Sit up at his bar when you want to take a break from all that Galician food. But, fortunately, you won't be completely safe and sound. His dumpling fillings aren't as innocent as they look. At Koh Lanta they like local meat because it blends perfectly with the styles and methods from the other hemisphere.
Pl. de la Cormelana, 7. 15003 A Coruña.
Average price: €30
In short, 5 restaurants that offer 5 good reasons to look for a flight to A Coruña right now and pay a visit to this corner of the planet.
