Champagnería Gala

Santa Ana Cuisines: European, Spanish

About

This restaurant makes its reputation on its Catalan paellas but also on fideuàs, which is similar to the more famous rice dish except noodles are used instead. The waiters will offer you a choice of more than a dozen fideuàs or paellas ranging from negra (cooked in squid's ink) to vasca (with traditional bacalao, or cod, with clams and leeks). Run by a group of women, the restaurant has an airy, inviting setting that is partially grass covered and includes a plant-filled patio. It's found on a little back street near the Reina Sofía and Calle Atocha. Regional bean stews and other items round out the menu. But most visitors come here just to sample the paellas or fideuàs, which can be meat, half-meat, half-fish, or else with just beef, seafood, or chicken -- your choice. In-the-know diners consume their meals with cava, the sparkling wine of Catalonia. At the end of the meal, you'll be expected to drink dessert wine from a porrón, a traditional "drinking bottle" rather than a glass.

If you have been to Champagnería Gala, share your experience

Review this place