Fish! In Cádiz the tradition is clear: in restaurants and tapas bars people mainly eat fish, in keeping with the salty sea air that you can smell in the streets of this charming seaside city from morning till night. Whether you’re on the seafront of the beaches of Cádiz, or taking a stroll through the streets of the old town around the Cathedral, near Plaza de Mina or the popular barrio of La Viña, you’ll soon realise that the places to eat in Cádiz are one more inviting than the next, leaving you spoiled for choice.
With this article, arranged according to neighbourhoods, we have selected those places where, in our modest opinion – and not only! – it is worth dining in the city of Cádiz, jewel of the southern Costa de la Luz: classy little restaurants, down-to-earth marisqueriás, tapas bars frequented by Gaditanos, authentic, unpretentious bodegas where you can savour the traditional local cuisine and “live” the convivial dining nights of this luminous Andalusian city.
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Where to eat in Cádiz? The Barrio de la Viña
In our guide to Cádiz we have already described the areas of the city: the Barrio de la Viña is the old fishermen’s quarter and, consequently, between Plaza Tío de la Tiza and calle Virgen de la Palma, there are restaurants and marisquerías where fish reigns supreme.
El Faro, an upmarket restaurant
Let’s start with a must-mention: El Faro (calle San Félix 15). This restaurant, especially if mentioned first, can be misleading for those trying to grasp the typical “style” of Cádiz restaurants in this neighbourhood: it is an upmarket place and very expensive, but the dishes you taste are exceptional.
Essentially, you have two options: either sit at the restaurant’s tables – which is considered one of the best in the city – or enjoy an aperitif while sampling the tapas offered in the bar opposite: the cuisine is the same, but the prices are much more affordable. Try the tortillas with prawns and the cod tapas (bacalao).
La Isleta de La Viña, for anyone hungry after a dip in the sea
The atmosphere is decidedly different at La Isleta de La Viña (calle Pericón de Cádiz 12), a cheerful and informal spot frequented by a young clientele made up of Erasmus students or youngsters just out of a dip in the sea at Playa de la Caleta. Mostly seafood is served, but there are also meat and vegetarian tapas to enjoy while reading the messages left on the little chalkboards and on the notes stuck to the wall.
A tip? Try to avoid Andalusian “peak hours”: only that way will you avoid the crush that inevitably forms in this cult spot in Cadiz!
Casa Manteca, a bullfighting‑themed bar
Although it is located in a fishermen’s quarter, the ever-popular Casa Manteca (calle del Corralón de los Carros 66) is actually a venue devoted to another Spanish “art”, that of the corrida.
If, upon entering the bar, you look around, you will see nothing but bullfighting memorabilia and posters, trophies and photographs of matadors, and a large number of locals from Cádiz enjoying tapas and good Andalusian wines.
What do they serve here? Jamón serrano, sausages, cheeses… in short, a paradise of cold cuts and dairy produce, which shows that life in the Barrio de la Viña isn’t all about fish!
The Cathedral and the Barrio del Populo
Although the area around the Cathedral is a little more touristy, most of the bars and restaurants are tucked away in the old streets of the Barrio del Populo, extending as far as Plaza del Topete (near which you’ll find the market — do visit and sample it!) and Plaza San Juan de Dios, one of the city’s nerve centres.
Atxuri, a mix of Andalusian and… Basque cuisine!
Atxuri (calle Plocia 7) is without doubt a quirky spot: if you want to be sure of enjoying the very best of Basque/Gaditan cuisine, there are few better places to eat in Cádiz, and perhaps in all of Spain.
Yes, you read that right: Basque! Atxuri is the name of a barrio in Bilbao, and this restaurant has chosen to pay homage to Basque culinary tradition, bringing it together – effectively! – with Andalusian cuisine.
The venue – sober but by no means impersonal – is the perfect setting in which to savour tasty, inventively prepared dishes: try the bacalao a la vízcaina or la andaluza, depending on your tastes!
El Aljibe, a mecca for Cádiz’s tapas-goers
Still on Calle Plocia, at number 25, in the shadow of the Congress Palace, lies El Aljibe, a pleasant bar-restaurant offering traditional Cádiz cuisine made with fresh market produce: the fresh fish caught in the Bay of Cádiz, the delicious meats from the Sierra and the originality of some tapas convince us that at El Aljibe there is no risk of running into unpleasant tourist surprises.
You can decide to eat from the à la carte menu, or settle for the tapas: the bar has gained a certain notoriety among tapa-hunters on a mission in Cádiz.
Plaza de Mina and surroundings
The final area we recommend is the stretch between Plaza de Mina and Plaza San Antonio, north of the cathedral and heading towards the harbour.
La Bodeguilla de Cádiz, the quality of home-style cooking
A tiny family-run establishment, La Bodeguilla de Cádiz is on calle San Pedro 22, just a stone’s throw from Plaza San Antonio. Amid the myriad of places in the area, this small bodega instils confidence and rewards patrons with excellent tapas, prepared in a traditional and very appetising way.
This seafood restaurant, located at calle Enrique de las Marinas 2, enjoys an excellent reputation among places to eat in Cádiz, and the reason for its success lies in the modern design with which the venue has been conceived, the hospitality extended to its customers and the care taken with the dishes, both in preparation and presentation. Although the venue and service are on a par with a high-class restaurant, the final price is pleasantly surprising.
Meson Cumbres Mayores, dedicated to jamón serrano
Not far from the seafront and the gardens of Alameda Apodaca – which can be reached in a few minutes for a gentle post-meal stroll with sea views – is this restaurant-tapas bar, housed in an old brewery. You can enjoy delicious meat tapas, or choose from four hearty set menus (around €30–45), featuring grilled meat. The pride of Cumbres Mayores (calle Zorilla 4) is its cured hams and wine, so you already know what mustn’t be missing from your order.
These are just some of the many places where to eat in Cádiz: all that’s left is for you to start tapas-hopping!
