Cadiz is a seafood city. The Atlantic is right there, and the fish arrives fresh every morning. Most of it is prepared simply — fried, grilled, or boiled — and the results are excellent. The local speciality is pescaíto frito: small fish and squid dusted in flour and deep-fried until crisp.
Tapas bars are the best way to eat here. Order a few small plates, a glass of Fino sherry or a cold Cruzcampo, and move on to the next place. The streets around the Mercado Central and Plaza de las Flores are dense with good options. Meal times run late: lunch from 2 to 4 pm, dinner from 9 pm onward. For breakfast, try churros con chocolate — thin, crisp churros dipped in thick hot chocolate.
The local drinks are worth seeking out. Fino and Manzanilla sherries come from nearby Jerez and Sanlúcar de Barrameda. Barbadillo white wine is light and goes perfectly with fried fish.