World City Guide

Nightlife

Santiago de Compostela is a university city and the nightlife is dominated by the student population. Characterful bars and nightclubs can be found in the Old Quarter and along the Rúa do Franco, some converted from coach-houses or the stables of palaces. These mostly were a deliberate attempt to enliven the district in the evenings, because the real student life goes on in the suburbs. The rectangle defined by Rúa de Santiago de Chile and Rúa de San Pedro de Mezonzo is the focus of this, full of raucous bars swarming with students during term time, especially on Thursday and Friday night. Bars on the Rúa Nova de Abaixo are particularly popular with students. Students also make up many of the most dramatic pageants and local festivals.

Bars typically close at 2400, while nightclubs stay open until between 0300 and 0500. The official minimum drinking age in bars and clubs is 18 years, however, entry is allowed to anyone over 16 years old. The price of a drink varies drastically, depending on the venue, but a bottle of beer or glass of wine are still cheap by UK standards.

Event listings can be found in the El Compostelán and Santiago 7 Días publications, available in bars and cafés and from the tourist office. The Galician newspaper, El Correo Gallego (website: www.elcorreogallego.es or www.culturagalega.org) is another good source of nightlife information.

Bars: O Gato Negro, Rúa da Raiña, is permanently packed with locals and serves ribeiro wine and pulpo galego (Galician-style octopus) among other local tapas (bar snacks), in a traditional setting. A Taberna do Trisquel, Cantón de San Bieito 3, offers wines, beers and snacks from dusk until dawn. Fucolois, Rúa Xelmirez, 25 is a rustic pub with marble walls, an antique ambience and a young student clientele, while O Galo d’Ouro, Rúa Conga 14, is a cosy cellar bar. If anyone needs an authentic Irish pub in Santiago de Compostela, there is Moore’s, Rodrigo del Padrón, and Americans in search of a home from home should head to Café-Bar Gran Lucky, Fray Rosendo Salvado 10. The decor of Momo A Rúa, Virxe da Cerca 23, imitates a street, while the wood-decorated Pepa a Loba, Rúa do Castro, is a brewery pub. Modus Vivendi, Plaza de Feijoo, in the old town, also offers live music. Down in the newer part of town, near the university, Archy, Alfredo Brañas 20, is the place to start an evening’s drinking. Gabanna and Blaster, both located on República de Argentina, are suave and polished, while La Ofisina, Fernando III el Santo 1, is probably the most popular of the newer bars in the city.

Casinos: There are no casinos in Santiago de Compostela.

Clubs: Pub Ondas, San Miguel 3, transforms from a folksy bar into a hardcore dance venue on Thursday, Friday and Saturday night. Sala Capitol, Concepcion Arenal 5, which also offers live music, and Liberty, Rúa Alfredo Brañas 8, are two of the busiest places in town. Half pubs, half discos and all energy, Ruta 66, Rúa Perez Constanti, can be found near the Praza de Galicia.

Live Music: Galician folk music is integral to the Galician cultural festivals, and there usually are musical events on every occasion. Much live music in Santiago de Compostela is served up in bars. Under the arcades, at Rúa Nova 13, Retablo offers live music as well as a marble bar and a 19th-century ambience. Casa das Crechas, Vía Sacra 3, is popular with students and features live Galician Celtic music. Jazzclub Dado Dada, Rúa Alfredo Brañas 19, is the best place for jazz in town. For those who like to accompany their jazz with wines and occasional theatrical performances, there is La Borriquita de Belém, Rúa San Paio 22 and Café Teatro Garigolo, Praciña da Algalia.