The best restaurants Santander

Bodega founded in 1938, with a beautiful decoration of exposed beams and barrels, whose lids painted by visiting artists make up the curious "Museo Redondo". A la carte, traditional recipes such as caracoles a la riojana (snails) are served alongside more contemporary dishes such as ravioli with liver béchamel sauce, Iberian pork with chimichurri sauce, or tuna tataki. Also good tapas to share, such as tortilla, Santoña anchovies and typical rabas. A good address!

A charming little bodega, loved by the locals for its family atmosphere and its famous cocidos. The place, which has remained very authentic with its hanging hams, is also popular for its cheese and charcuterie plates, which can be shared at the bar, around one of the small wooden tables or on the terrace. Try the queso Picón, a blue (and strong!) cheese from the Liébana valley, or the morcón iberico, a style of chorizo from the province of Salamanca. Lots of people on weekends: remember to book your table!

Just a stone's throw from Plaza Pombo, a place where you can enjoy traditional cuisine based on fresh local produce and vegetables from the region since 1964. In the lively room on the ground floor or the quieter upstairs, you can enjoy a good menu of the day or portions to share: rabas (breaded squid strips), mollejas (breaded gizzard)... accompanied by a fine selection of wines. You will also find a wide choice of fish and meat dishes such as monkfish a la plancha and venison with chestnuts.

The whole city finds itself in the evening in this old cellar with unchanged décor for ages. Under high ceilings, among the rows of dusty bottles and large posters of spirits, we are quickly won by the room. On the bar, around a glass of Rioja, or in the large hall of the bottom, to share tapas, the place is unavoidable! Test fringes (frills of all kinds), the specialty of the house, but do not hesitate to order half-servings because the quantities are really generous! Nice atmosphere!

Located in the square of the same name, the Cañadío is one of the city's best restaurants, known throughout the region for the succulent fish and other regional specialties concocted with talent by its chef Paco Quiros. If you can't afford the luxury of a meal at this price, take advantage of the bar where the variety of tapas and raciones , each as delicious as the next, will quickly make you forget about the tablecloths in the next room. Attention, success obliges, if you come one weekend in May or in summer, the barra is taken by storm!

On the corner of a pretty plaza where the church of Santa Lucía stands, this classic mesón offers a pleasant stop to share a plate of rabas (fried calamari), grilled anchovies, cold cuts and cheese or nibble on pinchos at the bar, of which there is a wide variety of choices. A la carte, many regional specialities are served in the form of raciones. You can enjoy them in the restaurant's noisy dining room at peak times or on the shaded terrace. Tasty, warm and unpretentious!