At Casa Ponte Bar & Kitchen in A Coruña, you’ll find traditional Galician dishes and a great selection of Spanish wines in a cosy atmosphere.

Casa Ponte Bar & Kitchen

Despite being just a short walk from the Opera House and House of Sciences in A Coruña, Casa Ponte Bar & Kitchen feels like the sort of place you stumble on and can’t believe your luck. In a former life, Casa Ponte was an old wine bar and much of what was there before remains including the facade that still reads ‘Vinos Casa Ponte Vinos’. My host in A Coruña tells me that a lot of the features of the bar have been kept from its previous incarnation. This includes the bar itself. It all adds to the atmosphere and the feeling that you’re somewhere a bit special.

When you first walk in, it’s easy to think it could still just be a wine bar. As well as bar seating, there are several high tables and bar stools along the window front. Outside, people stand around upright wine barrels. But towards the back, there is a small dining room with around six tables for dinner. The place has a rustic charm. The wooden bar, tables and chairs match the wooden front doors. The walls are decorated with art for sale. And there are several blackboards on the walls listing the wines on offer.

Tapas and wine at the bar

It’s fairly busy when we get there at around 9.30pm. But we manage to find a spot at one of the few high tables along the front. After taking a seat, I spot a picture above the bar that depicts the facade of the bar with someone walking past. It really does capture the place well!

Even if you’re here just for a drink, it’s likely you’ll still get the chance to try one of the snacks on offer. When we visited, a member of the bar staff went around the room with a platter of tapas (or pintxo).

The bar at Casa Ponte

Zorza – a Galician specialty of pork loin marinated in a paprika spice mix

Food

At the bar, you can order from a choice of tapas which includes dishes from the region like zorza, raxo, pulpo (octopus), zamburiñas (baby scallops) and empanadas. I ordered the zorza, which was served with some crusty bread. Zorza is bite-sized chunks of pork that’s been marinated in a paprika spice mix before being sauteed. It shares a history with chorizo and like the Spanish sausage, it’s rich and tasty.

In case you’re wondering… Raxo is also a pork loin dish served in chunks but it’s cooked more simply with garlic and parsley. It’s often served with fries and padron peppers  (which also hails from Galicia). And Galician empanadas are savoury pastries that are usually filled with fish or seafood.

Wine & Beer

The wine selection may not be as big as it was in its wine bar days but there is a good selection of Spanish red and white wines including a couple of locals ones. I went for the wine of choice in Galicia, the Albariño. As you’d expect, they had a full bar as well as the local beer, Estrella Galicia on tap.

I really liked the vibe of this place. I doubt many tourists make it here as it’s a little off the beaten track (it’s about 15 minutes walk from the old town). If you’re looking for a bit of authenticity as well as a good atmosphere, it’s worth a trip!

Finding Casa Ponte

Casa Ponte Tel: +34 981 24 99 98

www.facebook.com/CasaPonte

Casa Ponte is located in the lower section of Calle de Juan Flórez. It’s near the intersection with Calle de Emilia Pardo Bazán. There is on-street parking outside and nearby.