Spain is the perfect destination for people passionate about food. That’s because of its dedication to using quality products and showcasing their flavours. Our choices for the Best Cities in Spain for Food take into account the passion people have for the food culture in various areas of the country: be that the pintxo culture, creativity in preparation, the best seafood, the birthplace of tapas, or the culture of still ofering free a tapa with every drink.
While you should visit as many towns in Spain as possible and get to know the local food, our list recommends the best cities for people planning their vacation with food on their mind, while attractions are more of a second thought.
Bilbao
This Basque city is perfect for trying Pintxos. Its many bars offer a wide variety of dishes, with infinite ingredient combinations, sometimes different from morning to evening – which you pick from the bar or order from the kitchen. Some pintxo bars have the kitchen open all day, making it easy to stop in at any hour, while restaurants are closed.
But Bilbao isn’t all about the pintxos. It also has great restaurants where you can sit down and enjoy a grilled Chuleton (beef bone-in ribeye steak).
San Sebastián / Donostia
You can’t talk about food in Spain and not think of San Sebastián / Donostia. This city has the highest concentration of Michelin stars per capita in the world. While it also has pintxo bars, what sets the Basque city apart is the fine dining experience.
With or without Michelin stars, the restaurants in San Sebastián / Donostia are obsessed with creative cooking. Be that in the mix of the ingredients or the presentation. So far in our experience, this creativity is matched by keeping their standards high over the years. That means being able to enjoy the same dish at the same level, even if you come back after some time.
Santiago de Compostela
The area of Galicia is famous for seafood and its beef, and Santiago de Compostela is the perfect place to explore it. While wandering the cobblestone streets of this Northern city, stop at a “pulperia” and order the famous Pulpo á feira – also known as Pulpo a la Gallega.
Walk some more and take another break to continue with the local seafood tapas like Vieira, Navajas, or Zamburiñas. And you can’t leave Santiago de Compostela without trying the Chuletón de Vaca Gallega with Pimientos de Padron!
The best time to come to Galicia, according to Taste Atlas, is August. That way, you get to enjoy the yearly event dedicated to octopus in the town of O Carballiño. Located one hour’s drive from Santiago de Compostela, this town celebrates the Festa do Pulpo (Fiesta de Pulpo) on 8-9 August by serving almost 30 tons of octopus to its visitors.
Sevilla
According to some, Seville is the birthplace of Tapas. That’s reason enough to plan your visit to this Southern city in Spain. But when you discover the wide range of dishes you can order in Seville, you will fall in love!
We especially love their stews like Cola de toro (oxtail) and Carrillada (pork cheek), slowly cooked until they get a melt-in-your-mouth texture. Or a great plan is to snack on Pescaíto frito (fried fish) while cooling down with the local beer. Not to mention their Solomillo al Whisky (pork loin with Whisky sauce)!
Granada
In Granada, you get a free Tapa for every drink you order. Some places let you choose the tapa you want to get: either by giving you a menu or simply telling you what they have. Other places just choose the tapa for you. Locals like to “Tapear” (do a Tapas Crawl) and go to several tapas bars in one outing.
