O Carballiño is a locality in the province of Ourense that’s famous for its gastronomic delights. With a pulpo tradition going back to the 17th century, eating in O Carballiño is an authentic pleasure. There’s a popular expression that goes: “For meat, bread and wine: O Carballiño”. So, what do you expect to eat in O Carballiño?
If you want to know what to eat in O Carballiño, we can tell you that the town is famous for its ancestral pulpera (octopus) tradition, which dates back to the 17th century. Since 2010, its inhabitants have held their unique event: the preparation of the largest octopus tapa in the world, which has the Guinness world record at 280 kilos. But if you can’t make it to that, you can also eat at O Carballiño’s Festa do Pulpo, which received the title of Festival of Touristic Interest in 1969. There you’ll discover a great variety of recipes; be sure to at least try octopus in an empanada or in the style of a feira, a Galician recipe with with paprika and cachelos (boiled potatoes).
Currently the event takes place on the second Sunday in August in the Municipal Park of Carballiño. Pair your pulpo with other typical products like Pan de Cea, a bread with I.G.P., or some of the regional wines like Rebeiro, Monterrei, and Valdeorras, all of which have D.O.P. On the Sunday of Entroido (carnival), the locals celebrate the Festa da Cachucha, where the local establishments participate and serve the famous Galician stew as well as pork-derived. For dessert there are the famous cañas de Carballiño, a type of tube-shaped pastry filled with custard.
Eating tapas in O Carballiño will definitely be a success. We recommend the following places:
La Tapería Comonacasa is perfect for going as a family since they have a space designated for children to play in. The food is high-quality at a good price.
Since octopus is a star dish in the cuisine of O Carballiño, you could try the Pulpería Fuchela, with highly recommendable grilled octopus and pulpo a feira. They also have Iberian pork and salmon a la piedra. Another place is the restaurant Aurora.
Finally, Pulpería Novo Flamingois a place to enjoy some good octopus and nice tapas.
The restaurant O Muino da Lousas is located in an old mill, with part of its original structure preserved, next the the Arenteiro river, in a privileged location. It is one of the most beautiful sites in Carballino. They also have a great quality-price ratio.
La Cubana is a restaurant with a very good reputation amongst the locals in O Carballiño. We recommend their octopus.
If you want to enjoy good barbecued pork or veal, the restaurant Cornin is known for their version.
The restaurant O Lecer is worth it to go with family and be on the terrace while the children play in the garden. In addition to typical Galician cuisine, they are also known for their pizzas.
