Carballeira

Flip

Carballeira opened in 1944, and has been famous ever since for its exquisite seafood fresh from Galicia. They became well known among their customers and throughout the city, and nothing has changed to this day – their seafood is what they’re best known for, along with the attention, excellent service and education of their servers. Their customers continue to come, attracted by the “savoir faire” treatment, high quality ingredients and the classic cuisine.

Upon entering you’ll be enthralled by the abundant display of their seafood, full of Galician oysters, barnacles, lobsters, huge crayfish, magnificent pieces of sea bass, wild turbot, prawns, monkfish and more. Next you’ll find yourself in what feels like a boat, with wooden walls and portholes surrounding you. Finally, you see the friendly smile of their old school servers, and you know you’re in for a good meal.

The tortilla de betazos, chorizo pie, scallop empanadas, Galician octopus soup or the pork knuckles with turnips will make you homesick if you’re Galician, or make you want to buy a condo in Coruña if you’re not. Their incredible seafood: prawns, clams, crab, sea snails, Galician oysters, razor clams, sea cucumbers … the only problem is after tasting one you won’t want to leave it to try any others. “With a product like this, you only have to respect it and cook it lightly to enjoy all of its flavour, aroma and texture,” they tell us. Along with the seafood, don’t miss out on their rice dishes – there are a variety of kinds, such as black rice or lobster, all worth trying. Another great option is a hearty sailor stew, Carbailleira style, with lobster, squid, mussels, shrimp, monkfish, hake and Norwegian lobster.

“In our kitchen the ingredients are the stars and the most important thing is quality. Magnificent examples of fresh, wild fish and the most exquisite seafood are treated with simplicity and without pretensions to maintain the true essence of the product.”

For the finale, go for one of their most popular hits: the oreja de frail bañada (similar to an elephant’s ear) topped with dry anise and broken into bite-size pieces by the diners themselves. It guarantees a happy ending to a wonderful meal.

Although Señor Millán and his wife are no longer here, their spirit and essence can be found in every corner of Carballeira.