Playa Club

Under the efficient direction of Jano Blanco and the young team which includes the two-time champion of the Galician young chefs competition Diego Bello, this restaurant, with its privileged location on Riazor beach, is now known not only as the best option for modern cuisine in the city but also one of the finest establishments of its kind in all of Galicia. Its reputation is the result of a cuisine comprised of very clear concepts that respond to the demands of the time and, what’s more, the consistent offer to its clientele of some of the finest raw ingredients and products available. The fish here is one of the strongest points: supreme quality is the standard, and not just for a few of the more typical species. Along with sea bass, grouper and hake they offer sheepshead, John Dory and other unusual oceanic inhabitants on their daily menu, though the list depends entirely on the quality found in the market from day to day.
If the quality of fish served is impeccable, the doneness achieved in their preparation is equally stunning; in this sense the cuisine here is truly a model of what should be. Supreme quality, exact doneness and creative accompaniments, as is the case for the hake with fennel (perfectly subtle) and roasted pepper juices, or the grouper with pumpkin-seaweed tagliatelle, among others. This sort of culinary originality is also found in their soup dishes, both cold and hot: cold tomato soup with razor-shell clam tagliatelle, enriched with barnacles and decorated with John Dory roe is an authentic delicacy, although Jano continues to experiment with other combinations as well such as celeriac cream with barnacles. More charming aspects of the establishment include the chef’s insistence on having something as unheard of here (a few years ago) as the finest mushrooms in the marketplace (it’s typical to see such fungi as Caesar’s mushrooms accompanying some of the meat dishes, like the illustrious lacquered veal shank – a spectacular dish). Now that we’re on the subject of meats, we must mention the magnificent glazed pork knuckle served with sautéed cabbage and peach puree – a fully balanced sensation of flavors and textures expressing a unique combination of contrasts. The desserts are also praiseworthy, such as the tocino de cielo (a type of flan) with green apple ice cream and yoghurt mousse – another playful combination of flavors. The modern wine list rounds out the panorama of this restaurant that, without unnecessary boastfulness, is already one of the finest in Galicia.