Clúster

• Alejandro Ferreiro, from O Sendeiro (Santiago), was recognized by the professional jury.
• Álex Martínez and Mar Lago, from BaceLo Restaurant (Ferrol), received awards from the public jury.

Galician urban gastronomy celebrated its grand finale with the final of the ‘Sete Cidades, Sete Sabores’ competition, held last Tuesday at the Museo Centro Gaiás in Santiago de Compostela. Compostela-born chef Alejandro Ferreiro, from the restaurant O Sendeiro, was chosen Best Tapas Chef of Galicia 2025 for his creation ‘Bonito, Millo e Langostino’ (Tuna, Millo e Langostino), while the public jury prize went to Álex Martínez and Mar Lago, from the restaurant O BaceLo in Ferrol, for their original proposal ‘Os Polos Opostos’ (Os Polos Opostos).

Both awards crowned a gala in which seven chefs representing the main Galician cities competed. Each presented a tapa inspired by the identity of their locality, before a professional jury and a dedicated audience who were able to vote live. The event was hosted by Lucía Rodríguez and attended by Jesús Picallo Santos, Vice President of the Galician Tourism Cluster.

In addition to Santiago and Ferrol, entries from A Coruña (‘Ravioli recheo de chourizo ceboleiro’ by Vicenzo Amaddeo), Pontevedra (‘Tomatún’ by Rubén González), Vigo (‘Ondas do mar’ by Daniel Bastos), Ourense (‘Gamba na corte’ by Paco Gómez), and Lugo (‘Petisco larpeiro’ by José Luis Pardo) competed. The professional jury evaluated criteria such as flavor, presentation, technique, and creativity, while the public used a televoting system.

The gala marked the final touch to a campaign promoted by Turismo de Galicia to promote urban tourism through gastronomy, positioning cities as attractive destinations year-round and highlighting the connection between cuisine, tradition, and territory.