Galician restaurants in Madrid are more than a review of the hits to a gastronomy that has given so much -the country could be divided in the dichotomy that debates between the Betanzos omelette or the one that is more curdled-, but in addition to perpetuating the classics, they add innovation.
What is certain is that, in addition, there is no culinary stick that they do not control. The local meat is exquisite, the seafood is an ambassador of the region and turnip greens could replace kale as a fashionable vegetable.
1. O’pazo
The restaurant O’pazo was inaugurated in 1969 and since 1981 belongs to the group Pescaderías Coruñesas, one of the strongest hotel groups in the capital. Besides being a safe place to go to eat good seafood, O’pazo is one of the most renowned Galician restaurants in Madrid and internationally recognized. In 2022 it was included in Opinionated About Dining’s list of the best casual restaurants in Europe.
Price: €€€€€
📍 Calle Reina Mercedes, 20 (Cuatro Caminos)
2. Lúa
Lúa is the only Galician restaurant in Madrid with a Michelin star. Headed by chef Manuel Domínguez, the dishes on Lúa’s menu combine tradition and avant-garde. Proof of this are the oxtail tacos with carabinero, braised veal cheek with red curry and parmentier, lamb shoulder with honey or cod on cauliflower and spinach foam.
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📍 Paseo Eduardo Dato, 5 (Chamberí)
3. La Lorenza
La Lorenza is a Galician tavern in Lavapiés that looks to the gastronomic tradition from which it draws its menu with respect to introduce small twists of modernity. A clear example are the gyozas of octopus caldeirada and smoked potato foam or the old cow marrow with steak tartar that achieve that balance between classics of different culinary knowledge.
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📍 Calle del Dr. Piga, 3 (Lavapiés)
4. From 1911
Desde 1911, from the Pescaderías Coruñesas Group (owned by the García Azpiroz family), is a tribute to the Maragatos muleteers who gave birth to the family legacy that continues to reap success. This Galician restaurant boasted the first place in Opinionated About Dining’s list of the 30 best new European restaurants in 2022 and has been awarded a sun by the Repsol Guide in 2023. A menu that changes daily to serve only the best seafood and fish possible and an impeccable Nordic décor make Desde 1911 a place to be.
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📍 Calle del Vivero, 3 (Tetuán)
5. Alabaster
Between Retiro, Cibeles and Puerta de Alcalá is this Galician restaurant that overflows with good product at a price adjusted to the quality and technique of what they serve. In Alabaster monkfish, hake or ray coexist in its menu as in the sea, without detracting from other dishes as succulent as roast pigeon, foie brioche and pickled beets.
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📍 Calle de Montalbán, 9 (center)
6. Ocafú Group
Ocafú is a group with five Galician restaurants spread throughout the city and the more casual, tavern version of its first restaurant. La Penela, the flagship, started in La Coruña, and has one of the best Betanzos omelettes in Spain, in the 2000s they brought the product and know-how to Madrid. The tuna empanada, the octopus casserole and the taquitos de croca are other essential dishes on the menu.
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📍 Various locations.
7. La Caníbal
At La Caníbal they define themselves as nomadic brewers because, although they make their own beer, they don’t have their own brewery. And to accompany the drink they have been perfecting their tapas, so much so that they have won the award for the best in Madrid. they have won the prize for the best in Madrid in 2023, awarded by the awarded by the Salón del Gourmet de Madrid. Josemi Santamaria is in charge of the kitchen with a Galician accent. He handles octopus and beef as you would expect from a Galician tavern, as well as making the pickled cockles in beer sauce worthy of trophies.
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📍 Calle Argumosa, 28 (Lavapiés)
8. Garelos Tavern
Antonio Couceiro has brought the best of the cuisine of his homeland, Betanzos, to Madrid. He opened Taberna Garelos in 2020, after passing through Galician restaurants such as La Panela and Ocafú, so the curriculum and know-how of his gastronomy precede him. It is obvious that the tortilla without onion and so mellow you could almost eat it with a spoon was going to be a hit, although his empanada de zamburiñas and his roast veal with potatoes are close behind.
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📍 Calle Blanca de Navarra, 6 (Argumosa); Calle de Alcalá, 12 (Galería Canalejas) and Calle de El Españoleto, 11 (Chamberí).
9. Arallo
Arallo is a Galician neo-tavern with a traveling spirit: hence its touch of fusion with other cuisines such as Mexican, Japanese, Peruvian or Indian. In addition to the perennial dishes that define its cuisine, there are other market dishes that vary according to the season. One of the stars of its menu is its original croquette-nigiri, in which the rice has been replaced by a green sauce croquette crowned by a hake sashimi.
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📍 Calle de la Reina, 31 (Chueca)
10. Orzán Restaurant
The simplicity of Orzán’s proposal stands out: doing well the most recognized dishes of Galician cuisine is in itself an achievement. The essential dishes on the menu are not to be missed, the grilled octopus with potato revolcona and the stone-grilled beef steak for 2 people. The only thing that could be improved is the terrace of the restaurant a few meters away from Príncipe Pío.
Price: €€€€€
📍 Paseo de la Florida, 18 (Príncipe Pío) and Gran Vía, 33 (Majadahonda).
11. La Falda
One of the best tortillas in Madrid is in La Falda, a small tavern in Lavapiés that combines good quality with prices for all budgets. Here we can eat cod loin with turnip greens, chickpeas with cachucha and scallop or octopus salad with bread La Miguiña, and in an atmosphere of the most casual. Ideal for a snack.
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📍 Miguel Servet Street, 4