Where to eat tapas in Cadiz
Enjoy Cadiz like a local.
This is my list of the best things to do in Cadiz.
The autonomous community of Andalucía on Spain’s and the European continent's southernmost tip is a region steeped in history and culture. With Morocco and Africa visible on the horizon across a short strip of the ocean, Moorish influences from 700 years of occupation are woven into the fabric of the region's cities and towns. But there is an undoubtedly Spanish feel to the area too, and nowhere is this more evident than in their love of good food, especially good tapas. A trip to Andalucía means tapas, and Cadiz delivers on every level. I came to Cadiz famished, with a plan to eat everything I could see, and I gave it a damn good shot.
A hungry visitor to Cadiz is spoiled for choice when deciding where to eat, but here is my list of the best places to eat tapas in Cadiz.
El Faro de Cadiz. The name translates to ‘the Lighthouse’, and it has been a beacon for authentic Cadiz cuisine for years. Awarded a Michelin star, you can expect to pay a little more for the experience, but it is home to some of the best seafood in the city. This restaurant has two parts: the front bar and the more formal dining rooms in the back. We visited the bar area for a quick vino and to try their tortilla de Camarones; a crispy egg fritter with tiny shrimp, a regional take on the Spanish icon, and a racion (portion) of the Cazon; a local delicacy of dogfish marinated in vinegar, giving the meaty flesh a tangy bite to it. The main dining room is a more formal affair, and the walls are filled with framed photos of friends, family and celebrities. Given the popularity of El Faro, bookings are essential for the dining room.
Taberna Casa Manteca, or Bar Manteca as its locally known, is one of the most popular bars in town and fills with patrons almost as soon as doors open at midday, so get here early or be prepared to wait around for a prized spot to become available. The wait is worth it, however. Run by two brothers, sons of a famous bullfighter, the walls are adorned with photos, posters and newspaper cuttings: tributes to the brave ‘toreros’ who dance in their fancy pants with angry bulls. The tapas here is delicious. Manteca translates to ‘lard’, and here they do lard eally well. Here they serve an extensive menu of traditional Spanish cured meats, served quickly and simply on waxed paper. We try the morcilla de higado; blood sausage with liver and studded with, you guessed it, lard. I find it incredibly hard not to order Jamon, so we go with the premium Pata Negra Iberico Jamon just because it’s Jamon and one of life's great pleasures.
Next is a plate of piquillo peppers stuffed with locally caught tuna, swimming in rich pimento and virgin olive oil emulsion. We also order a portion of salchichón and smoky chorizo for good measure and a couple of rounds of ice-cold local Cruzcampo beers. We try the local ‘chicharrones’ for round two on the tapas. Traditionally these are similar to crispy pork crackling. However, Andalusian style sees wafer-thin slices of gently cooked pork belly, eaten with a Picos; little baked bread crostini that is more common on a table in Cadiz than salt and pepper. Finally, for the sake of ‘research’, we order their house version of tortilla de Camarones, which, I have to say, is far superior to the one at El Faro, crisp and crunchy but light and fluffy in the centre and packed full of sweet shrimps. There is an excellent selection of wines and sherry too, and super-crisp and ice-cold beer on tap.
Around the corner from Manteca is La Tabernita, a simple traditional tapas bar that hits the mark. A small menu of the usual suspects; montaditos, hot and cold tapas, and Jamon with nearly all ridiculously affordable under €2.50. This is a local favourite, so you can expect to wait for a spot here too, but the tables turn quickly, so hang around, and you won't be disappointed.
Another place that is always busy is Taparìa de Columela. This place has a reputation with the locals for serving some of the best tapas in the city. Be sure to try their speciality, tuna lasagne and the albondigas; meatballs with onions and sherry. They also offer a selection of montaditos, small sandwiches with tasty fillings such as tuna cooked in lard and foie gras with apple chutney.
For el fresco dining, there are some fantastic outdoor, terraced seafood restaurants along the cobblestoned, palm tree-lined Virgin de las Palmas. At the end of the street, you’ll find Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de la Palma, another spectacular church well worth a look if that’s your thing. Our priorities lay elsewhere, so we stopped for lunch at La Dorada and ordered precisely that; grilled Dorada (sea bream) and a plate of choco a la plancha (grilled cuttlefish) with garlic and parsley. Both incredibly fresh and straight from the fishing boats arriving into port early that morning, cooked to perfection. We were in heaven with a cool salty breeze in the air, fresh seafood, and a bottle of Albariño. Pure bliss.
If you’ve had enough of tapas (if that’s even possible?), then head to Arrebol, a slick, modern Spanish restaurant with a more contemporary flair with influence from Asia and the Mediterranean on the menu. Be sure to try the buttery brioche bun with tuna rojo. The seemingly obligatory croquettes are served here with wafer-thin slices of translucent lard for a honey-like salty foil for the creamy croquette. Tuna is a staple of the Cadiz locals, or ‘Gaditanos’ as they call themselves, and here the chefs low-cook a fatty, rich tuna cheek ‘sous vide’ style that melts in the mouth. We also try the presa Iberico chicharrones – the super-succulent cut from deep under the shoulder of the pig, cooked low and slow with a butter emulsion. Rich, fatty and incredibly moreish. There are gyozas and a hot dog with kimchi mayo for something different if you’re feeling adventurous. They have a well-curated wine list featuring some lesser-known producers, served by very knowledgeable staff, so put your trust in them and let them guide your beverage selection to match your food.
Another bar worthy of note is Bar Periquito just a stone’s throw from the main beach. Here the tapas is cheap, excellent and the beer cold, and also cheap. A bucket of beers and a plate of prawns is €6 and the perfect way to cleanse the pallet after a salty day at the beach.
With a sweet tooth developed through years of working in the pastry section at various restaurants, I am a sucker for gelato and hot balmy nights in Cadiz are the perfect setting for a wander through the streets with ice cream dripping down your arm. Two of the best gelaterias in Cadiz are Narigoni next to the cathedral are true ice cream artisans, and their crème Catalan flavour is perfection. El Limonero on Plaça Candelaria also serves up some magical ice cream with some unfamiliar flavours. Their peach with rose water is insanely good, and their chocolate with spicy guindilla peppers is guaranteed to awaken the tastebuds.
Where to see flamenco in Cadiz.
Flamenco runs deep in Cadiz, and a visit to Andalucia wouldn’t be complete without taking in a show or two. Duende is a term in flamenco and one that is difficult to define but easily understood by anyone who watches a performance. It describes the ‘soul’ of flamenco and the heightened sense of emotion that overtakes you. Watching a flamenco dancer is both mesmerising and emotional, and we found it hard to hold back tears as we got swept up in the raw emotion on show.
La Cava is a small tavern that lives and breathes flamenco and puts on a show for the public three nights a week. They serve tapas and have a bar where a bottle of rioja will set you back around €9. Like everything, get early and grab a table at the front. You’ll be so close to the stage and action you’ll feel the cloth of the Traje de Flamenca, the guitar-shaped dress worn by the bailaora (dancer), brush your face. While the dancer is the star of the show, respect has to go to the guitarists too. Classical Flamenco guitar is a lifetime commitment to technique and theory and their fingerpicking skills are something to be seen to be believed.
