El Güeyu Mar
Perched above Playa de Vega, a 15-minute drive west of Ribadesella, El Güeyu Mar has become one of the most talked-about restaurants in Spain — a beach shack that evolved into a destination where chef Abel Álvarez grills whole fish and obscure bivalves over wood embers with obsessive precision. Reservations are notoriously hard to get, but the effort is absolutely worth it.
What to Order
The menu pivots on whatever the Asturian fishing boats landed that morning — percebes (goose barnacles) steamed in seawater, navajas (razor clams) kissed by charcoal, and the signature whole turbot grilled over vine wood until the skin crisps to a lacquer. Portions are generous, flavours are oceanic and clean, and the wine list leans into natural and minimal-intervention bottles.
The smoked anchovies — Cantabrian anchovies cold-smoked in-house — have developed a cult following. Order them as a starter with good bread and local Asturian cider and you will understand the hype immediately.
Getting There and Booking
El Güeyu Mar sits directly on the cliffs above Playa de Vega, one of Asturias's most beautiful and least-developed beaches. After lunch, walk down to the sand for a swim — the combination of extraordinary food and a wild empty beach is close to perfection.
Book via their website two to three months ahead for summer weekends. If you cannot get a reservation, the takeaway window sells smoked anchovy tins and grilled skewers to eat on the beach wall — a legitimate Plan B.
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