The Best Breakfasts And Brunches In Santiago De Compostela Spain

Santiago de Compostela is best known as the terminus of the Camino de Santiago, a pilgrimage route taken by hundreds of thousands of Christians every year. But this Galician city has plenty more to offer, including great restaurants. We list the best places for breakfast and brunch in the city.

Bicoca

Restaurant, European, Spanish, Mediterranean

Located in Santiago de Compostela’s Old Town, Bicoca serves a variety of dishes for brunch. For a taste of authenticity, go for the Galician version of eggs Benedict, which replaces the traditional English muffin with toasted country bread. The restaurant’s terrace provides the perfect place to relax and watch the pilgrims on their way to the Porta do Camiño, the traditional entry point into the Old Town and the last stage of their journey to the city’s cathedral.

Café Tertulia

With its dainty porcelain crockery and framed pictures hanging on the walls, Café Tertulia is a quaint and inviting place to sit down for breakfast. Choose a coffee, tea, or hot chocolate and tuck in to pastries, tarts, bizcocho (sponge cake) or even a full English breakfast. The café is situated close to Alameda Park and Santiago de Comostela’s historic center.

Café Venecia

Bar, Cafe, European, Spanish

Café Venecia has now been run for over two decades by award-winning barista Oscar De Toro. The Italian influence is clear, with Venetian carnival masks adorning the walls and imported espresso machines utilized to make a beverage known as the Vienés, which is a mixture of coffee, cream, and chocolate syrup.

Café Casino

Café Casino has been open in its current form since 2002. Within its grand, historic interior, breakfast items like croissants, churros, pastries, eggs, sausages, and toast with tomato, olive and ham are served. Among the wide selection of teas are brews from as far afield as South Africa and India.

Café La Mecca

Bar, Cafe, Pub Grub

Whether you are in Santiago de Compostela to complete the Camino de Santiago or not, it is worth making the pilgrimage to Café La Mecca either way. Three breakfast options are available, each with a choice of café doble, tea, or Cola Cao, a high-energy chocolate drink loaded with vitamins and minerals that is great for a morning pick-me-up.

Herrma Pastelería

This establishment is owned and run by a family of bakers who have been active in Santiago de Compostela for generations. Breakfast at Herrma Pastelería is a simple affair, but few can resist supplementing their meal with one of the tempting pieces of freshly baked confectionary that are always on display. Cultural activities like craft, antique, and book fairs are also organised and held here from time to time.

About the author

Josh Wright

Josh is a graduate of the University of Leicester’s English and American Studies program, and spent the third year of his degree abroad at the University of Oregon. It was there that he indulged his long-held interests in archaeology and the American West, and developed a new one in Mexican food. He hopes to pursue all three and return to the U.S. in the future, and perhaps forge a career either out of writing or wandering around the woods all day.