What to eat in Gijón: Asturian food you have to try

Eating in Gijón (Xixón in Asturian) means eating Asturias by the sea: hearty spoon stews for rainy days, fish landed at the port of El Musel and natural cider poured like nowhere else in the world. This guide tells you what to order, how to order it and when in the day each dish fits, so you don’t end up facing three enormous platters at eleven at night.

The essentials: five dishes not to miss

• Fabada asturiana. Large, buttery white beans (fabes) slow-cooked with the compangu: chorizo, Asturian black pudding, cured pork shoulder and pork belly. It is the region’s signature dish – a lunchtime meal, and a filling one.
• Pote asturiano. Fabada’s winter cousin: beans with cabbage, potato and the same cured meats. Less famous abroad, just as loved locally.
• Cachopo. Two veal fillets sandwiching ham and cheese, breaded and fried. Variations include blue cheese, cured beef or wild mushrooms. Portions are very generous, so share one.
• Chorizo a la sidra. Chorizo simmered in natural cider and served in a clay dish. It is the classic cider-house nibble and the best way to start an informal meal.
• Asturian cheeses. Asturias is one of Europe’s great cheese regions. Try Cabrales (a powerful blue), Gamonéu (lightly smoked), Afuega’l pitu (cone-shaped, sometimes with paprika) and Casín (strong and distinctive). A mixed cheese board is the easiest introduction.

Fish and seafood: food from the port

Gijón is a seafaring city and the menus show it. Look out for:

• Hake (merluza) cooked in cider, battered or simply grilled. “Merluza del pincho” means line-caught hake, the most prized.
• Pixín – the Asturian name for monkfish – fried or stewed.
• Bonito del norte (albacore tuna) in summer, often with tomato or grilled.
• Squid and baby squid, fried or in their own ink.
• Local shellfish: spider crab (centollo), velvet crab (andaricas), winkles, limpets (llámpares) and goose barnacles (percebes), which are pricey but a real delicacy.
• Oricios (sea urchins), a cold-season speciality with its own food festivals along the Asturian coast.

Tip: seafood and seasonal fish are often priced “S/M” (según mercado, market price) or per kilo. Ask before ordering to avoid surprises on the bill.

Meat, sausages and home cooking

• Asturian veal (ternera asturiana) in steaks, cachopos and stews.
• Tortos (fried maize pancakes) topped with picadillo (spiced chorizo mince) or a fried egg – great for sharing.
• Croquetas, which every bar seems to make in its own way.
• Callos (tripe stew) and verdinas (small green beans, often cooked with seafood) in traditional casas de comidas.

Desserts

Asturian puddings deserve their own page. Rice pudding with a caramelised sugar crust is almost compulsory; also try frixuelos (Asturian crêpes), walnut-filled casadielles and apple tart. See our guide to Asturian desserts.

To drink: cider (and a little more)

In Gijón the table drink is natural cider (sidra natural), poured from a height to aerate it. Asturian cider culture was inscribed by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2024. If it’s your first time, read our guide to cider in Gijón first: it explains how to drink it, what a culín is and how a cider house works.

If you prefer wine, many menus include Cangas wine, from a small wine area in south-western Asturias.

How meals work in Gijón (and Spain)

• Meal times. Lunch is the main meal, roughly 1.30pm–4pm; dinner runs from about 8.30pm to 11pm, later in summer and at weekends. Many kitchens close between services.
• Menú del día. On weekdays many restaurants offer a set lunch with a starter, main, dessert, bread and a drink at a fixed price. It’s the best-value way to eat well.
• Raciones. In cider houses and bars, food is ordered as sharing plates placed in the middle of the table. A media ración is a half portion. For two people, two or three raciones are usually plenty.
• Paying. The bill (la cuenta) is brought when you ask for it – staff won’t rush you out.
• Tipping. Not expected; rounding up or leaving some change is a nice gesture for good service.
• Booking. Reserve at weekends, in August and during the big festivals, especially for dinner.

Tip: Asturian portions are famously large. Order a little to start with – you can always add another dish.

Where to try it

You won’t have to look far: Cimavilla, the city centre and the La Arena district are packed with cider houses and restaurants, while the marina and the seafront promenade have terraces with views. Our guide to where to eat in Gijón explains what kind of places you’ll find in each neighbourhood. And if you’re here in summer, look out for the Natural Cider Festival.

Food to take home

Vacuum-packed Asturian cheeses, dried fabes, cured sausages, tinned Cantabrian fish and bottles of cider (the filtered nueva expresión style travels better) make the best souvenirs. You’ll find them in the city’s food markets, Asturian produce shops and supermarkets.

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