Casa Don Dín

We had an excellent Sunday meal at the guesthouse restaurant. The food was good, prices reasonable, and the service impeccable. The rooms are lovely, though the lighting can be awkward, and the double-room mattress dips a little in the middle. There’s an alarm clock at 8:00 a.m. and a night clock from 7:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.; I really enjoyed that sound, since those little details often disappear in the city. The stone and wood are clean despite the countryside humidity. The ceilings look beautiful, but mind the beams, they’re painted iron, and you could fall if you’re not careful. The guesthouse has a peaceful, welcoming feel and is well cared for, as long as you understand it isn’t the Palace Hotel. Its antique furniture and style feel like a Galician country house, even though it’s in a fairly large village. It sits opposite the church, one of the prettiest spots in town, right in the heart of Galicia. Portodemouros surrounds the area. The dam flooded many homes and damaged the place, but the low water level today lets you see the ruins of the Marquisate, between Pontevedra and A Coruña and almost bordering Lugo and Ourense.

The restaurant food was great, and the building itself is beautiful and very well kept. But the waitress was so curt and didn’t know what to recommend from the menu. There was no friendliness or hospitality from the service at all, and we wouldn’t come back because of her.

The portions were huge, the quality was excellent, and the service was quick and fantastic. We chose the set menu, which is especially good value. It’s not a long menu, but the options are well picked. I had fabada, salmon, and cheesecake, though the cheesecake was the least special of the three. The restrooms were clean and sanitized. Highly recommended.

There’s plenty beyond the free-range rooster here, including lacón con grelos, artisan empanadas, fine meats, and a wide choice of cheeses. But the rooster is the standout, one of Galician gastronomy’s best-kept secrets and an emblematic product. At Casa Don Dín they treat the old recipe like an art, using secret marinades and slow cooking. It’s seasonal, and the Festa do Galo de Curral takes place in December, which makes it even more sought after. The birds are raised outdoors on corn and natural pasture.