Taberna O Gato Negro

Gato Negro came highly recommended—we’d heard about it even before getting to Santiago de Compostela. When we tried going for lunch, the line was way too long, so we came back for dinner and made sure to be at the door before 7:30pm. As expected, it filled up within minutes. So, is it worth all the buzz? For me, not really. It’s good, honest Spanish food—fresh ingredients, no fuss, and clearly not trying to cater to tourists. That part I liked. But the food itself is super basic. Nothing surprising, no bold flavors or special touches. I’m glad we got to try it since it feels like a place with history, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to return. Worth it once, especially if you’re curious, but manage your expectations.

Great sea food and good service. The Razor clams we extremely fresh and were moving and quite literally got picked from the fridge before our eyes to get cooked! 🐚 I would not recommend sitting outside however if you don't like the hustle and bustle of tourists constantly walking past. But over all food was amazing. I recommend the steamed mussels, the Pulpo, the Pedrons, and the Razor clams. The home made wine from the bowls was also a super unique experience! 🌟🐚

This is a vibe, I came here to try percebes- which were delightful but the real show stopper…..the “postre del día”/dessert of the day, which was La tarta de piña! Ugh it was so amazing I went back the next day to have another slice. The waiter my first night was high energy and very welcoming, even offering to show me how to eat percebes! Wine selection was great as well! Don’t miss out & try it out, much better service & food than another higher ranked restaurant we had tried.

A local seafood joint where locals and visitors queue for tables even during a rainy day. The atmosphere was great with the hustling and buzzing. Order the goose barnacles (percebes), cockles and the empanadas if you can!

Great sea food! I came here 6 years ago and the place is as good as I remember. Not a tourist trap at all !!! Very nice vibes, and the workers are very very friendly. The only down side is the waiting times, this place is always full ;( Other than that, I recommend it 10000% if you want to have an authentic Spanish experience.

We went in mid-August. It was uncomfortably hot inside ... and only one electric fan, clearly not enough for an overcrowded space. We arrived before 12:30, our name and number of persons was written down and we were told to go back at 13:40. We walked around town to kill one hour, went back at the assigned time and still waited, standing outside in the narrow alley, for at least another 1/2h. The food is genuine but not extraordinary. The service is attentive.

The evening I visited, dinner service was frenetic and staff were definitely rushed off their feet but despite this they were patient, attentive and could speak a moderate amount of English. Food wise, I had a half portion of pulpo a feira and some bread, which was delicious, as well as a small velvet crab, which was fresh, but difficult to eat due to its size. I had wine from both the bottle and the house wine from the barrel in a cup. The only other point I’d note is that there was little ventilation and no air conditioning inside, which made it quite hot to eat inside after a while (which is the sole reason why this is 4 rather than 5 stars).

Excellent typical Galizian cuisine, mainly focused on seafood. Super price quality ratio. Highly recommended to try the real Galizian seafood.