El Machí is one of the most respected seafood restaurants in the city centre, a few steps from the Mercado de la Esperanza and the kind of place where local fishermen eat on Sundays. The menu is short and changes with what arrived at the market that morning: expect grilled fish, shellfish cooked in sea water, and the occasional surprise depending on the catch. The percebes (barnacles) and the rabas (fried squid rings) are benchmarks — if you want to understand what makes Cantabrian seafood distinctive, this is one of the better places to do it.
The dining room is simple and unpretentious, the wine list is focused on the whites that suit the food, and the prices are reasonable for the quality. Arrive early for the midday service — tables fill quickly with regulars who plan their lunch around what was at the market in the morning.