Galicia, Spain

Galicia – deliciously diverse

We all have prejudices. We don’t think that we do but that is in itself the nature of a prejudice. I was anxious that this region might be another version of a Costa-something, and I was not quite sure what a visit to northern Spain might hold in store.

I have spent some time in Barcelona and I was impressed by its history, style, charm and I still dream about its food; but what was Galicia going to be like? Well, where was Galicia? Will there be anything to eat when I get there? I can now report that Galicia is a culinary paradise for any lover of food from the sea. What we consider as celebration foods or ‘special treats’ are commonplace here. But it’s always interesting to put those clams and cockles into context.



Galicia is found in the north-west of Spain and has the official status of a nationality within Spain. It comprises several provinces which include A Coruña, Lugo, Ourense and Pontevedra. It is bordered by Portugal to the south which can be reached by bridges at various points. The romantic-sounding regions of Castile & León and Asturias are to the east, the Atlantic forms the western border (next landfall: America), and the choppy Bay of Biscay is to the north.

Galicia has nearly 3 million inhabitants, with most of the population living along the north and west coasts. The capital and the most populous city is Santiago de Compostela, but our main port of call, Vigo, is the second largest with over 200,000 inhabitants.

Galicia has two official languages: Galician (or galego, a Roman language similar to Portuguese) and Spanish (castellano or Castilian). Galician is recognized as the lingua propia ("own language") of Galicia. Tourists will find that even those locals who can only speak Spanish or Galician are always helpful; but a phrasebook and your willingness to make an effort will likely be appreciated.

The name Galicia comes from the Latin name for the region, Gallaecia, associated with the name of the ancient Celtic tribe that lived north of the Douro River. Ptolemy recorded that these people were the first tribe in the area to resist the invading Romans.

There are some well-preserved remains of this ancient castro (fortress) culture not far from the port of Vigo. One can see the foundations of their round huts and a couple have been completely reconstructed to show their thatched roofs. This group lived during the second half of the Iron Age and survived into the Roman era. Later, Galicia fell to the Suevi, and then the Visigoths; during the Moorish invasion of Spain (711-718), the Moors garrisoned Galicia, but never managed to have any real control, and were eventually driven out in 739.

In the 9th century, the followers of Saint James in Santiago de Compostela gave Galicia a particular symbolic importance for Christians who still, in the 21st century, take pilgrimages to the Cathedral there.

In 1833 the Kingdom of Galicia was merged into Spain with its single centralised monarchy. Galicia was spared the worst excesses of the Spanish Civil War as it remained in Nationalist hands for the duration (under General Franco – himself a Galician), although it is said that at least 4,200 people were killed after either a summary trial or no trial at all.

The Galician economy finally began to modernise when Citroën arrived in Vigo, and the factory now makes more than 400,000 vehicles annually. The modernisation of the canning industry and the fishing fleet have also been vital: the major economic engine of western Galicia is its fishing industry. Vigo is the most important Galician port; it is one of the world leaders, second only to Tokyo.

Galicia lands more fish and shellfish than any other region in Europe and these are considered as local staples. The long coast offers both fishermen and shellfish collectors an abundant larder. Galicia's dishes use every kind of fish and seafood and they are prepared in many traditional and contemporary ways.

Our gastronomic tour of Vigo and the area around proved to be a rich and delicious education. We feasted on the bounty of the sea and visited spas to pamper the travel-weary.  So keep visiting Mostly Food Journal over the next few weeks to follow our restaurant route and be tempted by the best seafood in Europe. This is as far from “Full English breakfast all day” and “Happy Hour from 12 noon till 1am” as one can get. A gem of an undiscovered haven for those who want a glimpse of the real Spain and to learn more about its culinary riches.


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Vigo – crab, clams and continuity

For those of you living in the south of England, you will already know about Vigo. You will swear that it is a parish formed in 2000, and a modern rural village built in the mid-20th century. The village lies on top of the North Downs and its name comes from the pub on the main road. The name commemorates the Battle of Vigo Bay, a sea battle during the War of the Spanish Succession. Which leads me seamlessly onto the gastronomic delights of the eponymous Galician town which one hopes will now have a warmer relationship with its English visitors. These 21st-century guests come with friendly intentions.

Vigo in Galicia has a long history and the name comes from the Latin word Vicus meaning a small civilian settlement outside a Roman fort. During the 1st century AD the Romans completed their predictable romanisation, that occupation lasting almost six hundred years.

By the 16th century the town had more than 800 inhabitants, but plague and pirates decimated the population. In 1585 and 1589 Sir Francis Drake (known as just Francis Drake in this neck of the woods) launched raids.

In 1702 the celebrated Battle of Vigo took place, and a couple of decades later the city was temporarily seized by an English fleet as the Spanish fleet, which had departed from Vigo, had attempted to invade Scotland in support of the Jacobites. In 1778 Spain’s Charles III ended the monopoly of the ports authorized to trade with America, allowing Vigo to become an important anchorage, with the city growing rapidly in the 19th century. Many factories of salted seafood products opened, which brought wealth to the town.

Vigo is a real town, and it also has all the amenities and infrastructure that any self-respecting tourist would want. Its Blue Flag beaches are pristine and it even has some islands that are reached by a daily boat service – visitors are limited in number to maintain the natural environment of this National Park. But there are those days, even in Spain, when there might be a spot or two of rain. This isn’t the Costa Brava and you wouldn’t be visiting Vigo if that was what you wanted. You are a discerning and cultured traveller, after all, looking for the unadulterated Spain. Perhaps a little retail therapy will be in order.

This is a working town with very few tourist shops selling plastic souvenirs. However, if you are on the lookout for some designer clothes then you will be spoilt for choice. If shoes or luggage are more your bag then there will be shops beckoning to you – lots of high-end boutiques offering both Spanish and international brands. You will be glad you came even if your bank manager isn’t. You will find prices here to be generally lower than in France, so bring an extra suitcase.

So you have shopped till you have nearly dropped. You will find a café for a coffee and consider some cultural activities. The kids will love El Castro which is Vigo's main city park. It is an oasis from the traffic, and has magnificent views across town to the estuary. One can watch the huge cruise ships arriving and the small ferries crossing to the islands. The remains of the Celtic settlement on top of the hill will fire the imagination of the younger members of your party.

The Castrelos Manor House Museum is elegant and charming. This was a home till it was handed to the city by the last surviving members of the family. Located in the 17th-century Castrelos pazo, the museum has a magnificent façade and is considered one of Vigo's most beautiful buildings. It was restored at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries and is surrounded by beautiful gardens with 18th-century fountains and ponds. One can visit an exhibition of archaeological remains found in the region, as well as a stunning collection of portraits and other paintings from Galicia, including a Goya. The Manor has striking terraced gardens that will be a magnet for any lover of plants and trees. They are landscaped in different classic styles including a formal French garden.

An outdoor activity for all the family could be a visit to the sea and the famous Cambados shellfish beds, where you can watch the mariscadoras (shellfish gatherers) at work. You will be given wellingtons so that you can walk out onto the sand with the ladies and you will learn about the different types of cockles. At the end of the visit, you will be offered a small net containing shells so in future you will be able to recognise the difference in crustacea when they arrive on your plate. If you are lucky you might be invited to sit on the nets with the net menders (rederas) and find out more about their working lives.

Yes, the food may well be the reason you choose this coast for a holiday, so my next article will give you some suggestions for a diverse collection of restaurants which delight both tourist and local alike.

Vigo – Michelin Stars and Seafood

You will appreciate from these articles that I consider Vigo in Galicia something of an undiscovered culinary gem. The fresh produce and seafood are outstanding but you will likely be staying in a hotel where cooking facilities are strictly for the professionals, so you will want to find the best and the most interesting of restaurants to try all those aforementioned delicacies.

Vigo and the surrounding towns offer both locals and visitors an array of gastronomic opportunities. One can eat well here for a fraction of the price of similar in the UK. The cost is lower but the quality isn’t.

The El Mosquito Restaurant

The El Mosquito Restaurant in Vigo is iconic and considered by many to be the best traditional restaurant in the town. With those considerations in mind one might expect a huge flashy chandelier-hung carbon copy of every other “iconic” restaurant in Europe. No, thank goodness, dear reader, El Mosquito is the “real thing” and it truly is celebrated for good reason.

El Mosquito first opened in the 1930s. The founder of the restaurant was Ms. Carmen Roel Rilo, who passed away in 1986. It wasn’t trying to attract swep-up diners in those days, but was said initially to be a ‘Tavern for sailors’, serving Spanish Ribeiro wine and small plates of fried fish (Ribeiro is a surname common in Galicia, Portugal and Brazil; it is also a wine-making region of Southeast central Galicia). There would have been plenty of sailors in those days and I guess they would have been satisfied with that rather short menu. I am sure those few items offered were fresh and tasty, but the discerning diners of the 21st century have higher expectations and the 21st century El Mosquito gives them just what they expect, and probably more. Ms. Rilo transformed, with the help of her family, this humble establishment into a worthy recipient of accolades.

The restaurant is found near the harbour in the old quarter of Vigo, a picturesque neighbourhood which reminds the visitor that Vigo was around a long time before holiday cruise ships or international airports were even thought of. El Mosquito looks small from the outside but walk down a short corridor past a seafood counter and you are into a charming restaurant of 60 or so covers – low ceilings and walls hung with photos of international celebrities who evidently discovered this culinary treasure before you did.

It’s no surprise that fish and seafood in all their guises are the staple at El Mosquito, although the menu offers something for every taste. Start with a slice or two of Empanada (a flat pie with a variety of fillings) along with a glass of white Albariño. Octopus is cooked to delicate perfection and a crusty bread roll warm from the oven might complete the epicurean prelude to your main event.

The restaurant has a considerable menu of fishy delights but don’t dismiss some of the lesser known dishes like “cod throats”. OK, let’s be honest, the description isn’t a winner but the reality is – tender and sweet nuggets with a choice of preparation styles. Sole and hake and other substantial fish are here, and those cooked in Galician fashion are simple and flavourful: a steak of white and moist fish with simply boiled potatoes and a garnish of peas, and the paprika oil adds vivid colour.

It’s unlikely you will make it through to dessert here ...but try. Lots of traditional local favourites to linger over. Sample the cakes with a cup of coffee or a liqueur to finish your evening. You won’t be in a hurry to leave this restaurant and you will promise yourself a return ...as have done many others before you.

El Mosquito Restaurant
Plaza da Pedra, 4 - 36202 Vigo, Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain
Phone/Fax: (+34) 986 433 570
email: info@elmosquitovigo.com
Visit El Mosquito here

Marisqueria Bahia

The hotel which houses Marisqueria Bahia was founded in1968, and in 1999 this striking restaurant was opened. It prides itself on quality foods from that great larder just across the road – the sea. There is plenty of competition in Vigo but Marisqueria Bahia remains the restaurant of choice for the many who come for special occasions and family gatherings.

This restaurant wants to make your visit a fun and memorable experience. Good food should be enjoyed. One should be able to lick fingers and wipe juices from chins, and the repast that will encourage both those practices will be the vast and pedestalled Platter overflowing with crabs, prawns, shrimps, clams and mussels. There are not only cold crustaceans but hot shellfish in saffron sauce, and lightly grilled langoustines with a faint and agreeable hint of charring on the tender meat.

Marisqueria Bahia has a convenient location down by the harbour and it’s bound to be popular with all those lucky souls who are staying in the Hotel Bahia. A seafood platter here is a delightful experience but it’s also an event, an item on your ‘Must Do’ list for Vigo.

Marisqueria Bahia
La Piedra (Calle de las ostras)
Vigo, Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain
Phone: (+34) 986 449 655
Fax: (+34) 986 449 658
Visit Marisqueria Bahia here

Maruja Limón

Rafael Centeno Moyer is a young chef with a stunning contemporary restaurant up a side street in Vigo. One could pass it without even noticing, and that would be a shame.

Maruja Limón was opened in 2001 and is now a magnet for those in the culinary ‘know’ worldwide, as well as the Galician gastronomic grandees, after being awarded a prestigious Michelin star in the 2011 guide.

Chef Rafael Centeno says his food is very simple, with its roots in Galicia and reliant on seasonal ingredients which he sources every day. His dishes are as contemporary and unfussy as his dining room.  Yes, unfussy, but still sophisticated and thoughtful.

It’s a small space with a frosted window onto the kitchen, wood floors and chairs. The menu is changed frequently and takes advantage of what’s good at the market on that day. Many dishes are rustic but presented with flair. One enjoys one’s own plateful but will feast one’s eyes upon the plates of others around the table. A restaurant where one wishes for greater capacity, to have just an extra starter or main course.

Maruja Limón is prestigious and a restaurant to be kept for intimate dinners. It’s special but not glitzy. It’s subtle and confident and truly deserving of its star, and I would suppose that there will be a galaxy of those in chef Rafael Centeno’s firmament before he moves on.

Maruja Limón
Victoria, 4 (Plaza Compostela)
36201, Vigo, Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain
Phone (+34) 986 473 406
reservas@marujalimon.es
Visit Maruja Limón here