Camino de Santiago de Compostela

[ivar]

For those of you into "high dining", Casa Marcelo comes recommended by many (I have still not tried it). They do not have a Michelin star yet, but it is that type of place. This is what Marcelo himself says:

It’s been 20 years since I started as a chef and I am still amazed at the harshness and beauty of this profession. I’ve been able to find a language which is natural to me and I feel comfortable with. I always listen to the “message” of the product. Pure poetry. I like to think that the seasoning of my dishes is the common sense, a virtue not too valued nowadays I inherited from my mother. I’m also influenced by the audacity and forward-looking character of my father, the atlantic breath and the greenness and melancholy of this land. I would like Casa Marcelo to be a small temple for the succulent. I propose for that my tasting menu, brand image of the restaurant.

http://www.nove.biz/en/casa-marcelo
Location,just down the hill from the Plaza de Obradoiro.

Bon apetit!
Ivar

[Rebekah Scott]

This place is amazing. One of the best meals I ever had in Spain! Highly recommended.
(you have to reserve, and I believe the set price for a five course set meal is about 60 Euro... or was last year.)
Just do it. It´s a wonderful way to celebrate!
Rebekah

[Caminando]

Ouch!

Wonderful as it must be, it's WAY out of my league!

[falcon269]

Doesn't it make sense to spend more on food than lodging? After all, you are asleep most of the time in lodging and are oblivious to what you are getting. When you eat, at least you are awake.

[peregrina2000]

Thanks for the recommendation. I am lucky enough to be able to enjoy the occasional splurge, and I have to agree with Falcon that for me the meal is a more satisfying way to spend the euros than on a fancy hotel. (I've done that a few times, too, but never found it to provide quite the level of enjoyment I anticipated -- my walking partner suspects that it's because after weeks in albergues, the contrast between albergue and a simple pension with sheets and bath is so huge that piling luxury on top of that is just wasted because you're already in heaven when you put your head on a clean piillowcase).

Anyway, I've put Casa Marcelo on my list, but wonder if anyone has been to El Mercadito, http://www.nove.biz/en/el-mercadito. A friend of mine who goes to Santiago frequently says he thinks it's hard to choose one of these over the other. (He also suggests Ana as a great choice for a special meal).

If you're wondering why the websites for these two places look so similar, I've discovered that they are both part of a Gallego "grupo gastronomico" and their home page lists what look like a terrific bunch of restaurants. Kind of hip and upscale: http://www.nove.biz/en -- and it looks like there are other high cuisine spots along the Camino Portugues, the Ingles, and Vdlp. If you've tried any of these places, let us know what you thought.
Thanks, Laurie
Laurie

[Rebekah Scott]

I usually only eat at the top-drawer places when someone else is picking up the tab.
Back when I was a travel writer, it was my good fortune to learn and taste and see a lot of these lovely restaurants -- the people trying to promote Santiago and Galicia somehow skipped over the Menu Peregrino places! I recall some knockout things in Santiago as well as Vigo and Pontevedra, and up near San Andres X. ... Maybe it´s time for the Camino Travel Centre to create a Gastronomy Tour, for the pilgrims who are set to really celebrate?

I hereby offer my humble services as an experienced Food Taster and Tout.
Reb.