Twenty menus of the day to explore Galicia

We talk little about the menu of the day because of the importance it has, even more so in places like Galicia, with a very dispersed population that requires frequent road trips that make the need to eat away from home even more common, somewhere that perhaps is not you know and in which you have to choose a little blindly.

Beyond industrial estate restaurants or urban eateries, in Galicia, with nearly 28,000 population centers - almost 60% of those in Spain - these places at the foot of the road are very common;

thousands distributed throughout the territory, which make it almost mandatory to have a list of favorites or, at least, know who can guide you to be on the safe side.

That is what we have done on this occasion, asking people from the gastronomic sector, but also others who for work move more than the Piquer trunk to give us some clues, reveal their secrets and make our choices Lunchtime, when we move around Galicia and look for something economical and pleasant, are a little simpler, even if it catches us in the most unexpected place.

A meat option at Hostal La Viuda (A Pobra de Trives) Jorge Guitián

Santiago de Compostela

With a life marked by the roads and improbable schedules, the people who work on stages are always trustworthy when it comes to eating houses.

That is why the recommendations of Alfonso Espiño, one of the most recognized musicians from Compostela today, are ground gold for moving around the city at the touch of a menu.

“I like Rodeiro (c/ San Pedro, 5. Tel. 981 575 743. Mapa), which has a homemade menu of the day, I think for 12 euros, with traditional dishes: tripe, fabada or stewed meat” .

He also recommends, “although it is completely different, Mamá Peixe (c/ Algalia de Arriba, 45. Tel. 657 668 842. Map), with more modern and high-quality cuisine.

"He takes great care of the menu, which he offers for 14 euros, and its presentation."

Ana Vázquez, cheesemaker at Airas Moniz, one of the most recognized Galician cheese factories in recent years, adds another Compostela clue: “A place that I like is Entrerrúas (c/ Entrerrúas, 2. Tel. 981 586 108. Map).

In winter, if you are lucky and it is sunny, eat on the terrace in the little square… how homesick.”

For my part, since I live in the city, I also add some clues: in the San Lázaro neighborhood, the Doña Ana restaurant (c/ San Lázaro, 85. Tel. 981 935 344. Map) offers a menu with a great quality/price ratio.

Currently it should cost about 12 euros and is always full of homemade options that change daily: the spoon dishes, such as broth or fabada, do not fail.

And in the main ones, classics such as stingray caldeirada or grilled picantones.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by María Del Rocío Paz Abalde (@rocio.pazabalde)

I also really like the offerings at San Lázaro (c/ O Valiño, 1. Tel. 981 584 344. Map), the bar of a simple hotel that I recently found and that for 12 euros offers a menu of the life in an environment also like before, lively and with regular clientele: things like baked ribs, meatballs or broth, which are sometimes complemented with toast or some more current proposal.

Vigo and A Coruña

Carmen Albo is the female orchestra of Vigo gastronomy: she writes, cooks, disseminates and is in charge of guisandomelavida.com so, therefore, she is the perfect person to ask where to stop to eat a menu in Vigo: “For For me, the best daily menu in Vigo, without a doubt, is Picadillo (c/ Fermín Penzol, 10. Tel. 986 223 729. Map).

It is a different menu, with six or seven starters and as many main dishes that you can change, if you want, for dishes with a supplement, to make a menu to your liking."

He also recommends El Temporal (c/ Reconquista, 4. Tel. 604 064 793. Map): “It is in the center and for about 13 euros it has a very rich and very well presented menu.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by GastroyPolitica (@gastroypolitica)

For Coruña tracks, I first ask María Yañez, a cultural journalist who also does a few kilometers through Galicia every month, and who recommends “El Club Deportivo Ciudad (c/ Tinajas, 12-14. Tel. 981 212 302. Map), better known as 'O de Ramiro' by the regulars.

It is curious that in a historic center that is being touristified, like everyone else, it continues to be a neighborhood bar and maintains a menu for 11 euros in which you can choose between eight starters and eight seconds of homemade cuisine: soup, broth, salad, things that first.

For the main course there are always meats such as roast beef, knuckle, Milanese, usually two or three fish and for dessert often rice pudding or homemade custard.”

Another good connoisseur of the city's menus is the chef Álvaro Victoriano, from the Charlatán restaurant.

“One of the classics that is always full is Casa Martín (c / Alameda, 42. Tel. 661 603 112. Mapa), which has menus with rich cuisine and high quality for the price,” he suggests.

“Another place that I really like is Simbo (c/ Cigarreras, 19. 981 131 192. Mapa), because I think they make the best non-traditional Chinese cuisine in A Coruña, with a super delicious daily menu with things like Simbo-style fried chicken or the mapo tofu, which are a delight.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by SIMBOCORU Ñ A (@simbocoruna)

On the highway

“For me it is difficult to find a good place with a daily menu,” says Mar Orosa, head of the kitchen at the El Oviedo restaurant.

“It is very difficult to feed well in that range.

There is often a lot of fried food or fat, and I look for cleaner cuisine, more vegetables, more produce, even if it is humble.”

“I would suggest, for example, the Cantábrico restaurant (c/ Avenida de Galicia, 9. Tel. 982 340 135. Map), in A Fonsagrada.

Simple cuisine, but it treats the product well and cooks the fish well, when they have it on the menu.

Another option is Casa Varela (Carretera Lu-541, Km.4. Tel. 680 345 839. Map), halfway between Vilalba and Begonte: traditional, simple dishes that are not heavy.”

Ana Vazquez, the cheesemaker from Airas Moniz, suggests another name, also in the province of Lugo: “Os Pendellos (c/ Benigno Ledo, s/n. Tel. 637 829 633. Map) in Chantada, our town.

Because of its location, in the middle of the park and because of its service, in addition to its food: they offer a menu of first, second, dessert, drink and coffee that you can adapt to your needs by choosing between the proposals in different columns, with a price that ranges between 13 and 17.50 euros.”

From a Galician beef burger to an octopus á feira, from an Airas Moniz cheese pizza to a zorza with eggs and fries, but also stews of the day, salads or vegan toasts.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by RestaurantePulperíaOsPendellos (@ospendellos)

Adrián Baúlde divides his time between sports photography, gastronomy and projects that keep him constantly moving around Galicia.

His suggestion is “El Volta da Pedra (Carretera N-640, 51. Tel. 654 108 252. Map): it is at the link to get to the highway for all of us who are from the Arousa area and it is always full .

Many truck drivers stop by for their dish of the day offer: squid stew, baked ribs, stuffed eggplants…”

Bego Vázquez is a cook at O ​​Regueiro da Cova, in Verín, but she also participates in a program on Galician Television, which means she frequently eats on the road.

“Today I stopped at the A Casiña restaurant (Pasaxe Alameda, 2. Tel. 988 288 337. Mapa), in Maside (Ourense), with a daily menu for 12 euros with everything included.

It is a small place, very clean and they are very friendly: I had hors d'oeuvres and secret, but for the same price today they offered cooked as a single dish, which I'll sign up for next time;

The truth is that they surprised me a lot.”

Another who has many kilometers behind him, due to the distribution of his bakery, Garcos, is Adrián Agrelo, who recommends some options in his area, in the Bergantiños region: “The usual menu places are closing here;

This year, two closed in my village, one of them serving daily menus for 70 years.”

Still, some remain.

“I would tell you O Mesón de Carmiña (c/ Fábrica, 8. Tel. 981 757 660. Map), in Carballo, with a traditional cuisine menu.

Another could be Pedra Furada (c/ Mirtos, 84. Tel. 981 702 964. Mapa), also in Carballo, with a current aesthetic, but which is still one of those with broth or stew soup for starters and seconds in that same line·".

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by O Mesón de Carmiña (@omesondecarmina)

I end the tour with some suggestions of my own, as I also drive a few hours through Galicia each week and frequently stop en route.

In the center of Vimianzo, the entrance to Costa da Morte, I like the proposal of Casa Sabina (Avenida de Fisterra, 25. Tel. 981 716 158. Map), on the main street.

A simple place, but where it is cooked well and delicious: squid with onions, peppers stuffed with turnip greens and shrimp, beef stew or rice with cockles, just like at home.

In the Muros e Noia estuary, in Outes, a classic is Casa Peto (c/ Cruceiro de Roo, 24. Tel. 981 765 024. Map), one of those traditional eateries, with an iron kitchen that follows full steam ahead and two generations of cooks working hand in hand.

The last time I was there I had fried whiting, stewed quail and homemade flan, all for 13 euros.

I would return tomorrow.

In the province of Ourense, in A Pobra de Trives, there is another place that I really like: Hostal La Viuda (c/ Rosalía de Castro, 17. 988 330 101. Map).

This establishment with seven decades of history offers from Monday to Friday a menu of first, second, dessert and coffee for 14 euros.

Local cuisine with local products to which are added very fresh fish and, occasionally, measured doses of updating: Galician broth, beans with fish, squid with rice or gratin cauliflower are some of the dishes I have tried in this restaurant;

a perfect excuse, furthermore, to enter one of the least known and most spectacular areas of Galicia.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Hostal La Viuda (@hostallaviuda)

Follow El Comidista on

TikTok

,

Instagram

,

X

,

Facebook

or

YouTube

.