World Tortilla Day
The Tortilla de Patata, Tortilla Española, or Spanish Omelette is one of Spain’s most iconic and exported dishes. Such is its international fame that it’s earned its very own celebration: Today, the 9th of March 2024, is World Tortilla day.
Though its origins are largely contested, there is no doubt that the tortilla has made its home in restaurants, bars and cafés all over Spain. This simple yet versatile dish is traditionally made of just four ingredients: egg, potato, olive oil, and salt. Diverging preferences abound, ranging from an infinite list of additions like chorizo or blue cheese, to debates over whether tortillas should be cooked thoroughly, served juicy or even runny. However, 70% of Spaniards agree that they prefer their tortilla with onions.
Although the tortilla has been around for centuries, no one has had a greater influence on the world-famous dish over the last two decades than one Cantabrian woman, whose legacy has shaped Spanish food culture and catapulted Santander to fame as the nation’s tortilla capital. Learn about her story and discover five of the best places to enjoy tortillas in Santander.
Begoña Paredes, the creator of the “Santander style” tortilla
In 2008 Begoña Paredes, who had been a homemaker, started working at the restaurant Pizza Jardín, in the Mataleñas neighbourhood of Santander. Little did she know her time at Pizza Jardín would go on to influence four local restaurants and leave an indelible mark on the history of tortilla in Spain.
Shortly after starting the restaurant, she became recognised for her tortilla-making skills, and was tasked with preparing three a day and serving them in the traditional pinchos style. She prepared three flavours, all made with onions, which she says is essential: the classic plain tortilla; ham and cheese; and tuna with mayo.
These pinchos gained immediate recognition amongst the local community for their deep colour, creamy consistency and thin outer crust. Quickly, Begoña’s daily production grew from 3 to 30 tortillas a day. Despite the jump, she continued to prepare them entirely by hand, with support from another chef who helped with peeling and chopping.
Cañadío
When news of this delicacy reached local hospitality pioneer Paco Quirós, he became intrigued. Quirós visited Pizza Jardín on multiple occasions, sometimes with the senior kitchen team at Cañadío, his iconic restaurant in the centre of Santander, and began to think of ways to tweak the recipe to put it on his own menu. In 2011 a new tortilla following Paredes’ recipe was finally added to the menu at Cañadío. Creamy yet structured, with a perfect balance of egg, potato and onion, it became an instant hit.
That same year, Quirós opened his first Madrid outpost, Cañadío Madrid, followed by Cantabrian concepts La Maruca, La Bien Aparecida and La Primera in later years. Every restaurant in the group serves the “Santander style” tortilla by the hundreds, with consistently high quality, so it’s no surprise that their presence in Madrid has transformed the capital’s tortilla standards.
In 2021, the Cañadío tortilla won the award for the best tortilla in Spain at the 14th edition of the national tortilla championship. Quirós famously called Begoña to tell her that her tortillas were revolutionising the Spanish food landscape, though she says Cañadío should take credit for the changes they’ve made to her original recipe.
The Cañadío tortilla keeps making a name for itself year on year: it came 3rd in the 2022 championship, and won first place again in October 2023, deservedly becoming a culinary ambassador for the city.
Cañadío Santander: C. Gómez Oreña, 15, 39003 Santander, Cantabria
La Tertulia
Although Begoña retired from Pizza Jardín in 2018 due to illness, her legacy continued through La Tertulia, a new restaurant opened in a residential neighbourhood of Santander in 2019 by a former waitress at Pizza Jardín who had learnt how to make Begoña’s famous tortilla.
La Tertulia has since developed a cult following for their tortillas in a range of flavours. They also serve latin-inspired dishes like nachos, ceviche, and lomo saltado. Based on online reviews, it looks like it’s worth getting there early, because once they’re gone, they’re gone.
La Tertulia: C. La Pereda, 8, 39012 Santander, Cantabria
Bodi
When Pizza Jardín- the restaurant where Begoña’s tortillas gained their fame- closed in 2020, the venue was taken over by Bodi Mataleñas. This new cafeteria took on many of the old staff from Pizza Jardín, who were soon slinging succulent tortillas as they had always done. Despite the pandemic, Bodi was able to expand in subsequent years, becoming Grupo Bodi with four locations around Santander.
These days, most locals will mention Bodi as one of their favourite places to enjoy a pincho de tortilla, where the tuna and mayo tortilla is particularly successful. Their venues are styled with a modern flare that make them a much-loved meeting place for young people across the city.
Bodi Mataleñas: C. Autonomía, 2, 39012 Santander, Cantabria
Bodi Rualasal: C. Rualasal, 15, 39001 Santander, Cantabria
Bodi Mercado: C. Ataulfo Argenta Músico, 14, 39004 Santander, Cantabria
Bodi Estaciones: C. Cádiz, 3, 39008 Santander, Cantabri
Two other establishments stand out as tortilla legends in the Cantabrian capital, which predate Begoña’s influence and maintain their own style:
Quebec
Quebec has been a mainstay of the tortilla scene in Santander for more than three decades, opening their first bar in 1986 and expanding in the 2000’s to include new sites and other concepts. They focus on tortillas and offer more than 20 different flavour combinations like wild mushroom and foie gras.
Unlike the Cañadío, La Tertulia or Bodi tortillas, Quebec’s signature tortilla does’t contain onions, but they do serve a version with onions, for those who prefer it. Their tortillas are dryer, more dense and potato forward, which is a traditional style that some people prefer over the modern juicy style. Their tortillas are also available for delivery on Glovo.
Quebec Cervantes: C. Cervantes, 18, 39001 Santander, Cantabria
Quebec Pl. de las Cervezas: C. San Fernando, 16, 39010 Santander, Cantabria
Quebec Ayuntamiento: C. Amos de Escalante, 6, 39002 Santander, Cantabria
Quebec Estaciones: C. Castilla, 17, 39009 Santander, Cantabria
Cafetería Manila
Cafetería Manila opened in the mid nineties and has since evolved their business model to focus heavily on the takeaway market. You can now pre-order tortillas and other dishes for collection at their cafeteria, or order for delivery from one of their commercial kitchens. They offer small, medium and large tortillas, and the large can be “half and half” of two different flavours, like bolognese or blue cheese and caramelised onions.
Cafetería Manila: Colonia de Los Pinares A, 5, 39005 Santander, Cantabria
