Okay, we have to admit, we gave it an extra star simply because we spent the night listening to…read moreleprechaun music in Spain. Not that we like leprechaun music but, in Spain? An ersatz Irish pub well out of the tourist lanes Cerveceria Triskel evidently sits well with the locals....music be damned. This neighborhood hangout does a robust business in take-out food. Not something you see everyday. The clientele looks like a cross representation of the local population with the well dressed mixing well with the not so much. There is a generous supply of complimentary tapas to go along with your drink but the light that shines the brightest here are the burgers. We started out with the idea of a simple hamburger but like most simple things our simple burger got out of hand pretty fast. We don't know how we did it but our burger ended up with: A hamburger patty Two layers of goat cheese Tomato Lettuce Onion Lomo Egg And a sesame seed bun All for 7 euros. And the best part was it was delicious. Cervecería Triskel is a blue collar eats place and we will be sure to wear our best blue collar when we return...which we will.

Fantastic bar! The owner was extremely friendly and fun to talk to! Drinks are super reasonably…read morepriced, so it makes it an even more ideal place to kick back and hang out for a while

Recently renewed and under the direction of Sergi Arola, this restaurant is a great new option in…read moreSantander. They suggest small plates to share for the table but they also have proper dishes. Good salads with different dressings than just oils and vinegar. Small bites like Bocata de Calamares absolutely delicious. Lubina was awesome, well cooked, crusty skin, gorgeous. Desserts good but maybe not to the same level as the rest of the menu. The views to the beach and ocean are unique.

Compared with other local places, the food is good, served with some class and into a nice…read moreatmosphere, if you go inside. Outside the tables are too close one to another and is hard to stay into a good mood for lunch when the terrace is full. Of course, if you're a noisy type of person, you will not be disturbed by those poor other people who like to eat in a more quite manner. We took the menu offered for lunch (two dishes and desert) and we paid 16 euros each.

Lucky for anyone who loves a good glass of wine and pintxos (and who doesn't?!), Santander has a…read morevery lively pintxos bar scene. Around 8pm, people start to trickle into the bars to have a glass of wine before dinner. Bodega Cigaleña is one of the most memorable of the pintxos bar - first and foremost, the sign at the door declares it is a "museo del vino". As soon as you enter, you very much feel that you are walking through someone's wine collection. Vintages of Rioja that go back as far as the 1920s decorate the shelves and the slate gives the feeling that you are in a cellar. The decor and the way that the bar zig-zags (it is not one long bar) gives the impression of coziness, privacy as you snag your own little nook, and a non-pretentious atmosphere to enjoy wine. Old people and young people alike choose to hang out here. As for the selection of wine, there is tons of it! Each denominación de origen (Spain's terminology for wine appellations) that surrounds Cantabria was well-represented and whether you wanted a red, white, or rose, there were plenty of choices priced under 3 euro. Silly me, I set a goal of wanting to taste every wine on the list; in reality, I tasted three on my two visits here. The bartender seems to have the power to read minds and always knew when me or one of the other clients was ready to try something new. And then there are the pintxos, which are of just of good a quality as the wine served. The tortilla was perfect and made the "Galician way" - just a little bit raw and softer in the middle. After a glass of wine on an empty stomach, the tortilla was all the more satisfying (and prevented me from becoming very drunk). The anchovy pintxo is just three anchovies served over a slice of bread; not overly impressive, but I think that the lack of flavor and texture of the bread was probably to blame. Bodega Cigaleña was definitely one of the most memorable "food and wine" portions of the trip to Santander. The wine, the food, the service - everything is of very high quality.

They have a selection of inexpensive, high quality wine and a selection of expensive high quality…read morewine. The place is small, bit as it is not as popular anymore, there was no issue finding room. It is not a place I would suggest for finding sates, but it is a nice place for wine and snacks.