Cádiz, a charming city located in southern Spain by the Atlantic coast, has many things to offer. From its many beaches, to the beautiful architecture and rich history, to its buzzing culture. But one of my favorite things about Cádiz is the many food places, where you can eat good for a comparatively cheap price. During the five months that I lived in Cádiz, I tried a considerable amount of them, so let me introduce to you now the best places to eat in Cádiz:
Breakfast & Brunch
Café de Ana
Café de Ana is my absolute favorite brunch place in Cádiz. They have a menu of at least 30 different Brunches, all named after different cities. They have everything from basic brunches to creative combinations, like avocado bread with lemon-whipped cream and caramelized peanuts. My personal favorite is the Brooklyn Brunch, which is an omelet with cheddar and avocado with pancakes and cream cheese. All the brunches include a coffee or tea and an orange juice and are 8.70€.
Pan de Limón
Another amazing place to have breakfast or lunch in Cádiz is Pan de Limón. It’s a small and cute café and the staff is super friendly. Prices here are fairly cheap, and the quality is good. You can get a toast or an omelet for around 4€. My personal favorite is their spinach mushroom omelet.
Capricho Café
If you have a sweet tooth then Capricho Café is the place to be for you. They sell amazing pancakes, filled donuts, croissants and cakes. They also have a few savory options for breakfast though, like bread and sandwiches.
La Tertulia Cafetería
Not far away from Capricho Café is La Tertulía, which is another great spot for breakfast, lunch or coffee. They sell for example filled croissants with cheese, eggs, tomato, etc., sandwiches, waffles, crepes, cakes, cookies… Their hot chocolate is also really great. They offer both dark and/or white chocolate, and the chocolate is so rich and thick that you can almost not finish it.
Also check out: The Best Things to do in Cádiz, Spain
Snacks
Empanadas Malvón
Empanadas Malvón is a Spanish chain, so it is not necessarily Cádiz specific, but I just had to add it to the list because their Empanadas are just so good. They sell loads of different types of empanadas, with a lot of them being vegetarian, and some also vegan. Generally, this place can be a little bit pricier than the average in Cádiz. I would recommend trying one of their menus, with empanadas, a drink and a dessert, which makes it more affordable.
Lady-Papa’s
Lady-Papa’s is located at the Mercado Central in Cádiz, and offers some amazing fries and other small snacks. Come here to soak in the buzzling atmosphere of the Mercado, especially during the evening. I would recommend their sweet potato fries with aioli.
Origen Gastronomía Valenciana
Also located at the Mercado Central, just a few stalls away from Lady-Papa’s, at Origen Gastronomía Valenciana, you can find great paella. They usually have around four or five big paella pans with different ingredients, like sea fruit or vegetables. You can choose your paella and for 3€ you get a small plate. This is not a full meal, but this way you can also try the other delicious food stalls at the Mercado.
Notto Pastelería
When I am saying that here they sell the best cake in Cádiz, I am not exaggerating. With 4€ per piece it is a bit more on the expensive side, but it’s definitely worth it. They for example have dulce de leche cake, cheesecake, lemon cake, or my personal favorite, carrot cake. They are located at the Mercado as well.
Churrería La Guapa
What would be a trip to Spain without churros? And here at the kiosk next to the central market you will find the best ones of Cádiz. The line can get pretty long, but don’t let yourself be disheartened by that, it is definitely worth it!
Ice Cream
Verde pistachio
Cádiz has tons of amazing ice cream places. One of my favorites is Verde Pistachio. They do not have the craziest ice cream flavors, but are sticking more to the basics, like vanilla, chocolate, yogurt, or pistachio (of course). But the taste is really good, and the highlight is also the design of the shop; The ice cream is sold out of a converted pistachio green VW Bus.
Narigoni
If you are not that much into the basic ice cream flavors, but fancy something more extra, Narigoni is your place. They have a lot of different flavors to choose from, like Galleta Maria (a Spanish cookie) or Kinder Bueno. It is right by the square of the Cathedral.
Martonela
Martonala is another good ice cream place located at Calle Ancha. They also have a lot of creative ice cream flavors, and also sell waffles, crepes, and ice cream sandwiches (ice cream between two cookies).
Coffee
La Clandestina Librería Café
La Clandestina is one of my favorite places in Cádiz to drink coffee and eat something small. It is a café and a bookstore in one. It does not only look super aesthetic, but they also have really good and creative drinks. I for example like their cappuccino with cinnamon or chocolate, or their tea americano, which is black tea with milk and spices. They also have cakes and small snacks. If you speak Spanish, I would recommend to also take a look at the books they sell.
La Lectora
La Lectora is the ideal place to study or get some work done, but you can of course also just go there for the coffee. They also sell great cakes, cookies, and sandwiches, and the interior is decorated super lovely.
Dinner
La Isleta de la Viña
La Isleta de la Viña is a nice dinner place in La Viña, a buzzling neighborhood in Cádiz’ old town, famous for its restaurants and tapas places. At La Isleta de la Viña, they offer something for everybody, from tapas to fish, to vegan dishes. They also sometimes host events.
Puerta del Eden
If you fancy something non-Spanish one day, you might want to try out this very nice Arabic restaurant, located in El Populo, the oldest neighborhood of Cádiz. They have great Couscous, Mezze, Tajine, Lentil soup, Falafel, stuffed wine leaves, etc.
Más que la Cresta
Más que la Cresta mostly sells burgers and hotdogs and some different Latin American starters. What I found especially convincing was that they have their own vegan menu, with around 10 different vegan burgers and hotdogs. So no matter your preference, you will most likely find something good here.
Tapas
La Tapería de Columela
One of the best Cadiz restaurants is La Tapería de Columela. You will already see that by how difficult it can be to get a table there. But since most people in Spain eat pretty late you might have a chance if you go there earlier, so around 7. Their patatas bravas are simply amazing and I also really like their grilled vegetables.
Taberna Casa Manteca
Taberna Casa Manteca is another tapas bar where it can get hard to get a table. Luckily, they do not only have one, but three restaurants close to each other. If it gets too full in the main restaurant, I would recommend to go to Arte Puro (de Taberna Casa Manteca). They have more space here, and offer the same food.
100 Montaditos
100 Montaditos is a Spanish tapas chain, and while I have to admit that it might not be one of the fanciest places to eat in Cádiz, if you are on a budget, it’s definitely worth swinging by here. They offer 100 little sandwiches with different toppings, including a mentionable number of vegetarian ones. On Wednesdays and Sundays, you can get every sandwich for just 1€.
Bar la Tabernita
Bar la Tabernita is one of the best places to eat in Cadiz, in my opinion. Located in the beautiful street Calle Virgen de la Palma, they exclusively sell tapas, all of which have a good quality for a fair price. I personally love the zucchini strips in white wine and garlic sauce, and the eggplant stuffed with cheese. Their wines are also worth trying.
Drinks
Mercado Central
For drinks, the Mercado Central is also a good place to go. They for example have the Cervecería Del Mercado, where you can get beers for a good price, or the Sherry Wines Shop, where you can try the Sherry Wine that the region is famous for. (The Sherry Wine comes from Jerez de la Frontera, which is only 45 minutes away by train.)
Aleph Cocktail Club
Aleph Cocktail Club is a rooftop bar with a view on the cathedral of Cádiz. This obviously makes it a little bit pricier, but if you have the budget for it, it’s definitely worth it to come by for a cocktail. The cocktails look super cool and aesthetic and the view obviously cannot be beaten.
Café de Levante
At Café de Levante you can get pretty much everything, from breakfast to coffee to drinks. The place looks pretty cool and artsy, and it’s always worth it to swing by for some Tinto de Verano, beer or Mojito. On some days they even have concerts, theater shows or lectures.