This was a major pleasant surprise for us. We just had great snacks and drinks, but someone said,…read morenow is the time for real food. The local reviews were great, so we wandered in search of La Mulata (it's named after a kind of crab). It is quite far from the main waterfront and it is in an unlikely spot inside a collection of stores. When you enter, you think that you are just in a seafood market as there are chairs and the bounty of Santander is right there for you to see.
But then you are escorted to the back and there is this wonderful private spot with white table clothes. We had no idea what to expect as this is a truly local spot, there weren't any English menus as far as the eye could see. Still, we were put in the good hands of the place and she rattled off a host of things and we just nodded and said yes. Boy, are we glad that we did.
The prices are incredibly reasonable (like the rest of Santander compared with the tourist prices of say San Sebastian), but the quality is incredible. This place prides itself on great fish and plenty of it. We started with a great appetizer of shrimp and then we had some terrific stew that was so rich and wonderful.
The best thing was the whole seabass though. We each had a portion and they were delicious and flavorful. So if you are in Santander and have an appetite this is the perfect place.