11 Best Bars in Galicia, Asturias, and Cantabria, Spain

Venture forth through the narrow cheese shop and you’ll discover a cozy bar in the back, where an inviting log fire burns on chilly evenings and pilgrims gather and swap stories and pin handwritten notes to the walls (there are literally thousands). The pinchos (snacks) that come with drinks are more than generous: hunks of freshly baked bread with assorted charcuterie and cheeses.

This wine bar is easy to spot day or night, because it's always filled with a youngish crowd. Its stone walls and close quarters feel very inviting, and one of its corners is used for a wineshop.

Upholstered armchairs, mirrors, and wood paneling make this Moderniste café in a former casino especially atmospheric.

Dunk hot churros into melted chocolate at this cheery, snug café with stone walls and white tile floors.

Tranquil by day and lively at night, Cafe Literarios has colorful paintings, large windows, and plenty of outdoor tables. It overlooks the plaza. Stick to booze and coffee here as the food is distinctly underwhelming.

Oviedo gets a little rowdy after dark on weekends, and there's plenty in the way of loud live music. Most of the bars are concentrated on Calle de Mon and its continuation, Calle Oscura. Calle Canóniga, off Calle de Mon, is another street with a number of bars. Calle Gascona is the place to try local Asturian cider in one of the popular sidrerías that line the street. Poured from a great height into the glass by the bartender, they impressively hit the mark each time—which also aerates the naturally still cider.

An after-work favorite, Cañadío draws a lively evening crowd for tempting tapas and sumptuous entrées. Think high-level takes on classic flavors like tempura-fried hake with aioli, pork tenderloin topped with foie, or a near-perfect steak tartare. Don't miss the icy beer on tap and their excellent desserts, all made in house.

Drink to Galicia's Celtic roots here, with live music and Celtic wood carvings hanging from thick stone walls, while dolls of playful Galician witches ride their brooms above the bar.

Around the corner from Praza de Compostela, this trendy wine bar (with a good upscale restaurant in the back) has a wide-reaching wine list complemented by modern tapas with winks to Asian and Latin cuisines.

Galicia's oldest pub is also one of its most unusual: Modus Vivendi is in a former stable. The old stone feeding trough is now a low table, and instead of stairs you walk on ridged stone inclines designed for the former occupants—horses and cattle. On weekends, the bar hosts live music (jazz, Spanish, Celtic) and sometimes storytelling.

This trendy wine bar in the heart of the old town serves Galician raciones to a lively crowd. Feast on tigres (stuffed mussels), octopus tempura, or delightfully runny tortilla española, and accompany it all with a glass of fresh Ribeiro wine. They have a second location at Praza Fábrica de Tabacos 5.