The western coast of Asturias has a fishing harbour every few kilometres, and you eat well in almost all of them. Even so, the difference between a good shellfish meal and an expensive one is bigger than it looks, and it is almost never on the menu.

First: where it came from

Shellfish is everywhere. Local shellfish, landed nearby and bought at the auction, is not. It is the first question worth asking, and a serious place will answer it straight.

In our case the answer is short: we have our own boat, La Felisina, landing at Cudillero harbour. That does not make us better than anyone, but it does mean we know exactly where everything comes from.

Second: it should be sold by weight

A properly run shellfish meal is charged by weight, not as a fixed portion. That is how it works at the auction, and it is what lets you match the meal to how many you are and to what came in that day. If a place gives you a flat price for a «seafood platter» without asking how many you are or showing you the goods, be wary.

On our menu the platters and large pieces are priced that way on purpose.

Third: the season decides

Shellfish is at its best in the cold months. You can eat it in August, but it is not the same, and anyone telling you otherwise is selling you something. If you are making the trip for this alone, come between autumn and spring. We go into it in what fish to eat season by season.

Fourth: book

The villages along this coast are small and so are the dining rooms. In high season, at weekends or in a group, no booking means no table. For groups of eight or more, tell us in advance — among other reasons because the shellfish has to be bought.

And one piece of advice nobody gives

Do not order everything as shellfish. A platter with a rice dish or a stew alongside eats far better than two kilos of shell one after another. In rice with lobster, seafood platter and stew we explain how we approach it here.

If you are coming from far away

It is worth staying the night: you eat without watching the clock and without a designated driver. We are a gastro-hotel in Cudillero, with rooms and restaurant under one roof and our own car park.