El Faro de Cádiz
Since 1964 El Faro has been the benchmark for Cádiz cooking — a white-tiled, sherry-scented restaurant on Calle San Félix that has fed everyone from local fishermen to Antonio Banderas without ever losing its neighbourhood soul. Chef Gonzalo Córdoba helped codify what modern Andalusian cuisine actually means.
What to Order
Start with a glass of ice-cold fino sherry and a plate of tortillitas de camarones — lacy, crispy fritters of tiny transparent shrimp and chickpea flour that are essentially impossible to replicate outside Cádiz. They arrive piping hot and are gone in seconds.
For a main, the urta a la roteña is unmissable: a firm, white-fleshed sea bream baked with tomatoes, peppers and olive oil in the style of nearby Rota. It is one of the canonical dishes of the Cádiz coast and El Faro's version is definitive.
The Bar vs. the Restaurant
The front tapas bar is cheaper, louder and more fun than the sit-down dining room — you can eat extremely well for €20–25 per person standing at the zinc counter with a copa of manzanilla. The dining room is worth booking for a longer, more considered meal, but the bar is the true heartbeat of the place.
Reservations for the restaurant are strongly advised, especially on weekends and throughout summer. The bar operates on a first-come, first-served basis and opens at noon.
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