By now, it may seem like all I do when I'm in Spain is go to bakeries and eat copious amounts of…read morepastries. (I'm starting to get embarrassed!) I should probably save money on hotels and just couchsurf in the back of the bakeries I visit. El Trigal has two outposts in Vigo; this is the smaller of the two and lacks the seating area that the larger location on Alexandre Bóveda has. The smaller location may not have the same breadth of baked goods, breads, bocadillos, and other prepared food, but nothing is sacrificed in terms of quality, freshness, or taste. For breakfast one morning, I was in the mood for magdalenas [1]. El Trigal had both the traditional and whole grain varieties, so I ordered one of each. To justify my perceived overeating: the magdalenas at El Trigal are slightly smaller than those sold at other bakeries in the area. The whole grain magdalena was delicious; it had a wonderful hint of cinnamon and nutmeg spices. The regular magdalena had just a touch of lemon flavor to balance the sweetness. Both were not overly dry; whole grain magdalenas, for some reason, always seem to have a dried-out consistency if they overcook for even a minute. The woman working at the counter was pleasant and friendly, happy to answer my questions and deal with my indecisiveness as I perused all of the breads and sweets on display. As much of a glutton as I may be, I did not take advantage of El Trigal's offer of free delivery (within Vigo city limits) with an order of 30 euros or more. Maybe next time! [1] These are magdalenas - so much better than cupcakes or muffins in the US: http://www.gastronomiaycia.com/2008/08/23/receta-de-magdalenas/

Cafetería Iris represents everything that I love about the life in Spain [1] and the hospitality of…read morefamily-run businesses and restaurants. In a down economy, no matter where in the world you are, I believe that it is the quality of service that will differentiate the restaurants that succeed from the restaurants that fail. Okay, I will step off of the soapbox now. My waiter was an older man, who was extremely attentive, cheerful, and ensured that my glass was never empty and I left with my stomach full. The other young lady working the bar (possibly his daughter or niece) also checked up on us periodically. With two types of Estrella Galicia on tap, I was elated. The caña is not the cheapest around (due to the restaurant's proximity to Plaza America), but it is under 2 euro. In the typical Galician style, we were presented with small (and free!) slices of tortilla española (this tortilla was incredible) and a bar snack mixture. The bocadillos, however, are excellent and a tremendous value. For 4 euro, I had a jamon, queso manchego, and tomato bocadillo that could have fed me for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for two days. The bread used is typical pan gallego, from the bakery down the street (I saw my waiter stop to purchase some extra loaves quickly.). The slices of tomato cost an additional 20 cents (a little steep), but were extremely fresh and juicy that upon my first bite, I stopped complaining. A bocadillo may seem like a fairly simple, idiot-proof alimentation, but trust me, it is possible to create a horrible bocadillo if one uses ingredients of inferior quality. Here at Cafetería Iris, everything was fresh, flavorful, and served in a warm and inviting environment. For me, Cafetería Iris is a tremendous departure from the NYC Eyeroll, the "Let Me Throw the Cheque at You Before You've Started Eating," and "Where's my 18%?" Although IVA is included, the service I received warranted another euro or two. [1] As busy as you are, no one dares to interfere between the hours of 2 and 4:30. I have been working and studying so much that I have substituted sleep with café solo, but the lunch time hours are a time to recharge and relax.

Coffees to go are increasingly easier to get in little towns like Cambados. Whereas taking a coffee…read morewas usually taken standing at the bar before running of to where you need to go, a sign with "para llevar" is found more often on the windows of little coffee places. This place is new on Avenida de Galicia. A Dispensa de Piñeiro seems to be a franchise and looks a bit standard. However, the coffees and breads are of good -bakery- quality and like lots of food in Spain of a good price. Breakfast (coffee, orange juice and croissant) is sold for about €3,50. Besides that lots of other pastries like torta de manga a, empanadas, pan de chorizo or breada to take away (also wholewheat and spelt) are sold. So, a good place to start your day. Or like I did, take a coffee latte para llevar with a croissant and a pain au chocolat for just €3,- and sitting down in the children's playground across the street (next to the bus station). Part of my perfect holiday.

In all of the years that I have been drinking cafe solo in Galicia (at least five now), I never…read moreremembered Semola being in the neighborhood. If it's a relatively new addition, it's definitely one of my new favorite bakeries and places to have coffee in all of Vigo! Although Semola is first-and-foremost a bakery, there is also the option of ordering coffee (for take-away; there is only one small table at the front of the bakery [1]) or a coffee with bizcocho or croissant combination "special" for approximately 2 euro. Not only does this happen to be an incredible deal for the quality of what you receive, but I realized how incredibly fast I was no longer fitting into my new jeans from Blanco. The coffee used is Illy brand, so the espresso is very smooth and has no sharp aftertaste. The big slice of bizcocho is moist, rich, and heavenly. Every day, there are two different flavors of this diet-sabotaging bizcocho to choose from; my all-time favorite is the chocolate (they do not skimp on the cocoa powder!), but the apple and lemon are also very good. I try to rationalize the health benefits of the chocolate bizcocho, which I could eat all day, every day, because chocolate contains antioxidants and the Galicians make the cake with olive oil, not butter, so it must be healthy, right?! And having eaten a lot of empanadillas while in Vigo, Semola makes some of the best in this "downtown" area of Vigo. The pastry crust is light and flaky and the filling is pretty much ALL tuna without being greasy. It's none of this "I'm going to fill the empanadilla up with air" (which happens more often than not) or having gross, not to mention messy, orange grease dripping everywhere while you're trying to enjoy your empanada on the go (which is why I like them, they're so easy to take along for a day at the beach). The woman who works at Semola (I imagine she must be the owner) is there every single morning and remembers all of her customers' orders, down to which kind of sugar they like in their coffee (or the fact that I love the chocolate bizcocho). She's the best, and so is Semola! [1] When I first visited Galicia, NO ONE sold coffee to take-away. The past few years, this seems to be an offering many cafeteria and bakery owners proudly tout. Do I sense Anglo-American influences or are Galicians in a hurry all of a sudden?

This One of my favourite bakeries in town. Bread is still some sort of a religion in Spain as it is…read moreenjoyed with every meal. This bakery it's part of a local chain that has recently added cafes to almost all their establishments. Their artisan bread or "pan de leña" is freshly handmade everyday, Additionally they also have an assortment of cakes, pastry a and other types of handmade bread such as the superb "pan de millo" or corn bread, with its characteristic dark colour. Prices are rather inexpensive and the staff is always willing to advise.

This place is a great place for breakfast in Vigo! Not only is the atmosphere super cute, but they…read morehave a huge menu for breakfast food, which is pretty atypical for a European country, especially Spain. They had quite a few options for people who can't eat gluten as well, like yogurt with muesli and gluten free bread with multiple spread options. I ordered the yogurt, gluten free bread with hummus and olive spread, café con leche, and a fresh squeezed juice with pineapple, strawberry, apple, lemon, and celery. Everything was delicious and the staff was very nice and understanding of my restrictions!

Delicious zumos. We ordered the "bosque rojo" & it was AMAZING! The locale is super cute with great…read moreproducts for sale. Drinks are a little on the pricy side but ingredients are fresh and freshly squeezed.

Fantastic place with a beautiful view. The absolute best croissant and cappuccino! Awesome server,…read morevery friendly. We were given delicious cookies to go with our order. Do not miss this place!