Before a big Friday or Saturday night out in Vigo, my friends and I always go to a few bars or…read morerestaurants for a drink and the complementary tapas that are always served with each drink. As my friend Maruxinha would say, it's like getting a free dinner!
Cafeteria Maracaibo was one of our first stops on our bar/ tapas hop for the evening. It is conveniently located along the Praza de Compostela, which is very close to all of Vigo's most happening discos and clubs, and therefore makes the cafeteria an attractive place for a low-key drink or bite to eat before dancing the night away. It's also a fantastic place for people-watching; Vigueses (the proper term for people from Vigo) young and old stroll along the plaza for a relaxing evening walk on a beautiful summer day. If the weather is nice, definitely make it a point to be seated outside on the plaza!
All we ordered were a few glasses of Albarino; the food that was brought with our drinks was so substantial that it was absolutely unnecessary to order from the regular menu. We were presented with a large basket of fresh bread (and Galician bread is the best there is in the world...I get so hungry just thinking about the crackly crust and the airy and fluffy interior) and each of us received a substantially sized plate of ternera gallega (some of the highest quality beef/ veal from the region) prepared in a red wine and onion sauce. It was a little overcooked and maybe not the best pairing with a glass of white wine, but it was just the fuel we needed to get us through an evening of fun and dancing.
Our waiter was your typical man-of-few words Galician guy; he wasn't overly friendly, but he was always to-the-point and there when you needed him.
