Loxe Mareiro, this is the Atlantic must-try restaurant that seduced the royal family in Carril

Two decades ago, chef, painter, and lawyer Nacho Salorio arrived in Carril (Vilagarcía de Arousa) with his partner, political scientist Emilia Graña. They were searching for a place to give new life to Loxe Mareiro, a project of cuisine and life whose first seed had sprouted in Sada. Years later, after Nacho’s passing, Iago Pazos and Marcos Cerqueiro—authors of the gastronomic revival of the Compostela market with their cuisine from Abastos 2.0—took over the restaurant to give it a different dimension. That inimitable house, filled in every corner with the personality and talent of its two inhabitants, evolved into a clean and suggestive reinterpretation of what a maritime tavern should be in 21st-century Galicia. The same tavern that some weeks ago, now under the sole direction of Iago, seduced the palates of Princess Leonor and King Felipe and Queen Letizia during their latest visit to the Rías Baixas.

Many images could be conjured to illustrate what Loxe is. Probably, a stone boat that seems to float on the Arousa sea would be the most effective and closest one. The restaurant opens its doors in one of the most beautiful corners of the estuary, where the light spans from dawn to the moment when the signals along the shore begin to flicker and turn on, with Cortegada Island and the clam and cockle farming parks in view.

Its gastronomic offering seems simple: it’s about bringing the flavors of the estuary to the table in a direct and honest way. This approach, however, results in a proposal where nothing is as simple as it may seem. A modest menu of seafood and fish, dominated by what the market offers daily, is paired with a transparent signature menu, Arousa, which pivots between a dining room that gazes directly at the sea and a magnificent terrace, where the Loxe team replicates the interior tables for enjoying appetizers and after-meal moments. Everything within its stone walls revolves around the same concept, the same saline commitment. It’s no surprise that their wine cellar speaks of "beach wines," with an essentially Atlantic orientation. Here, you only need to extend your hand to touch the sand and the water.

With one Repsol sun and the sea as its emblem, Loxe Mareiro is a summer tavern. It is during the months of July and August when its hours are most extensive, whereas in spring and autumn, it’s limited to just a few days. For now, until October 13, Loxe airs its sails on weekends. After that, it will only open as a full-house reservation until March, when its kitchen will be reignited. Therefore, it is advisable to check their schedule on their website, loxemareiro.com, before embarking on this journey.

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