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Santiago's nightlife peaks on Thursday night, because many students spend weekends at home with their families. For up-to-date info on concerts, films, and clubs, pick up the monthly Compostela Capital Cultural, available at the main tourist office on Rúa do Vilar, or visit the official tourism website (www.santiagoturismo.com). Bars and seafood-themed tapas joints line the old streets south of the cathedral, particularly Rúa do Franco, Rúa da Raiña, and Rúa do Vilar. A great first stop, especially if you haven't eaten dinner, is Rúa de San Clemente, off the Praza do Obradoiro, where several bars offer two or three plates of tapas free with each drink.
Venture forth through the narrow cheese shop and you’ll discover a cozy bar in the back, where an inviting log fire burns on chilly evenings and pilgrims gather and swap stories and pin handwritten notes to the walls (there are literally thousands). The pinchos (snacks) that come with drinks are more than generous: hunks of freshly baked bread with assorted charcuterie and cheeses.
Upholstered armchairs, mirrors, and wood paneling make this modernist café in a former casino especially atmospheric.
Dunk hot churros into melted chocolate at this cheery, snug café with stone walls and white tile floors.
Tranquil by day and lively at night, Cafe Literarios has colorful paintings, large windows, and plenty of outdoor tables. It overlooks the plaza. Stick to booze and coffee here as the food is distinctly underwhelming.
Drink to Galicia's Celtic roots here, with live music and Celtic wood carvings hanging from thick stone walls, while dolls of playful Galician witches ride their brooms above the bar.
Galicia's oldest pub is also one of its most unusual: Modus Vivendi is in a former stable. The old stone feeding trough is now a low table, and instead of stairs you walk on ridged stone inclines designed for the former occupants—horses and cattle. On weekends, the bar hosts live music (jazz, Spanish, Celtic) and sometimes storytelling.
