Restaurant in Pontevedra, Spain
Galician roots, daily fish, easy to book.
Trasmallo is Pontevedra's most convincing argument for Michelin-recognised dining at a budget price. With Michelin Plate awards in both 2024 and 2025, a 4.7 Google rating, and a menu anchored by daily-fresh fish and standout cuttlefish croquettes, it delivers well above its € price point. Easy to book, with a characterful bar and a quieter stone-walled dining room upstairs.
If you are deciding between Trasmallo and a smarter-looking contemporary restaurant on the other side of Pontevedra's old quarter, book Trasmallo. At the € price point, it punches well above its bracket — Michelin Plate recognition in both 2024 and 2025 confirms this is not a lucky neighbourhood find but a consistently well-executed kitchen. For visitors already familiar with the room, the real question is what to focus on next. The answer is the daily fish and the bar entrance, which deserves more time than most first-timers give it.
Trasmallo sits on Rúa Figueroa, a narrow pedestrian street threading through Pontevedra's old quarter. The mood shifts as you move through the building. The entrance bar reads like an old Galician tavern — low-key, worn in the right way, and a good place to drink before committing to a full table. The stone-walled dining room on the first floor is warmer and more deliberate, better suited to a meal that takes its time. Above that, a private space handles small events and group bookings. The noise level in the ground-floor bar is sociable rather than loud; the dining room runs quieter. If you want a proper conversation over food, head upstairs.
The name Trasmallo references a traditional multi-net fishing method , the kind of layered trap that the owner-chef Antonio Novas' family has worked across generations. This is not scenery dressing. It signals that the kitchen's sourcing instincts run deeper than trend-chasing, and it explains why the fish of the day is the most reliable thing to order.
The signature croquettes are the obvious starting point and they hold up to the hype, particularly the cuttlefish-in-ink version, which is worth ordering on every visit rather than trying something new for the sake of it. The fish of the day is where the kitchen earns its Michelin recognition , daily recommendations are genuinely daily, sourced to whatever is fresh, and consistently praised in the venue's 4.7 Google rating across 332 reviews. For dessert, the baked cheesecake with seasonal fruit jam is the move. It is creamy rather than dense, and the seasonal fruit component means it shifts across the year.
Cuisine sits in contemporary territory with international influence, but this is not a kitchen that chases abstraction. The contemporary touches serve the ingredient rather than the concept, which is why the format works at this price point. Comparable ambition at Eirado costs considerably more (€€€), and the gap in price is not matched by an equivalent gap in satisfaction for most diners.
Entrance bar at Trasmallo is worth treating as a destination in its own right, not just a waiting area. The Galician tavern aesthetic gives it character that most contemporary restaurants in this bracket sacrifice for minimalism. If you are exploring Pontevedra's bar scene before or after dinner, the ground floor is a reasonable stop for a glass and a croquette without committing to a full meal. The drinks program leans into the local and the practical rather than the elaborate , expect wine and direct spirits in keeping with the tavern register rather than a destination cocktail list. For anyone expecting a technically ambitious cocktail program, Savoy Restobar is the more relevant address. Trasmallo's bar earns its value through atmosphere and accessibility, not through bartending complexity.
Trasmallo is rated as easy to book by Pearl , a meaningful advantage in a city where the better-known options require more planning. If you are building an itinerary around Pontevedra's restaurant scene, this is the one you can leave slightly later in your planning without anxiety. The private space on the upper floor makes it a workable option for small group occasions; contact the restaurant directly to confirm availability and capacity, as specific booking details are not publicly listed. Walk-ins to the bar are plausible, particularly for a pre-dinner drink and croquettes, though the dining room will reward a reservation.
See the full comparison below.
Trasmallo is one of the more convincing arguments for Pontevedra as a serious food destination beyond its most famous exports. If you are building a broader Galician food trip, the region produces reference-point kitchens at the leading end , El Celler de Can Roca in Girona and Arzak in San Sebastián set the national ceiling , but Trasmallo demonstrates what a skilled neighbourhood kitchen can do when it stays focused. For the city itself, pair it with the right hotel base and allow time to explore the local wine scene, where Albariño from the Rías Baixas sub-zone makes a natural companion to everything the kitchen sends out. If you are planning more Spanish contemporary dining at a higher tier, Quique Dacosta in Dénia and Azurmendi in Larrabetzu are the logical next steps. At the contemporary end internationally, Cocina Hermanos Torres in Barcelona shows where the format goes at full ambition. Trasmallo is not competing in that register , and does not need to be. It is doing something more useful: delivering consistent, ingredient-led cooking at a price that makes the decision easy.
| Venue | Awards | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trasmallo | Through the name of this restaurant, located along an attractive, narrow pedestrian street in the old quarter of town, the aim is to pay homage to a traditional form of fishing that, through the generations, has been fundamental to the livelihood of owner-chef Antonio Novas’ family. It boasts a bar at the entrance that is reminiscent of an old Galician tavern, a welcoming stone-walled dining room on the first floor, plus a private space for small events above it. Here, the cuisine is centred around top-quality ingredients and touches of contemporary and international influence, including daily recommendations that never fail to impress. Standout dishes include the signature croquettes (including those prepared with cuttlefish in ink), fish of the day and, for dessert, the creamy baked cheesecake with seasonal fruit jam.; Michelin Plate (2025); Michelin Plate (2024) | € | — |
| Eirado | Michelin 1 Star | €€€ | — |
| D ’Berto | €€€€ | — | |
| Loaira Xantar | € | — | |
| La Ultramar | € | — | |
| Savoy Restobar | — |
Key differences to consider before you reserve.
Trasmallo is a stone-walled tavern-style dining room in Pontevedra's old quarter, not a formal restaurant. Clean, comfortable clothing fits the room. The Michelin Plate recognition reflects cooking quality, not a dress-code environment, so leave the jacket at the hotel.
Yes. Trasmallo has a dedicated private space above the main dining room, designed for small events and group bookings. If you are planning a group dinner, check the venue's official channels to arrange use of that space rather than trying to seat a large party at the main tables.
Yes, and it is worth doing. The entrance bar carries the aesthetic of a traditional Galician tavern and functions as a destination on its own, not just a holding area. The croquettes, including the cuttlefish-in-ink version, translate well to a bar setting.
At the € price point, Trasmallo is one of the stronger cases for value in Pontevedra's old quarter. Two consecutive Michelin Plates (2024 and 2025) signal consistent cooking quality, and daily fish specials mean the menu moves with what is fresh. For contemporary Galician food at this price, the answer is yes.
Loaira Xantar and La Ultramar are the closest comparisons for Galician-focused cooking in the city. D'Berto, outside Pontevedra in O Grove, is the reference point if seafood is your priority and you are willing to travel and spend more. Eirado and Savoy Restobar offer different formats if you want something more contemporary or bar-forward.
Yes, with the right expectations. The private room above the main dining room suits an intimate group dinner, and the Michelin Plate recognition gives the meal credibility. This is not a white-tablecloth occasion restaurant, but for a meaningful dinner in Pontevedra's old quarter at a reasonable price, it works well.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
