A tasca you read off the wall
Bar El Laurel is at Calle Obispo Urquinaona 3, in the old town near Plaza de la Candelaria and the Mercado Central on Plaza de la Libertad. It is on the street beside the market, not inside it, so do not go looking for a stall. Guides describe it as a very family-style tasca serving traditional home cooking, and one calls it one of the best-loved tapas bars in Cádiz.
The menu is not printed. The list of tapas is written on blackboards hung on the walls, and it changes almost daily, so read the boards before you commit to anything. One guide mentions salpicón de marisco, cazón en adobo, albóndigas de choco and sardines in vinegar among the chalked-up dishes; treat those as examples of the style, not a fixed menu.
What to order
The kitchen's strength is the stews. The guide that praises the bar singles out the home-made guisos: albóndigas, carrilladas and papas con choco. If you want fried fish, go to a freiduría instead and read about pescaito frito first; this is a spoon-and-bread kind of place. The other local order is El Mesonero, a flamenquín-style dish served with barbecue sauce.
The room and the management change
The premises are very small, which suits a quiet bite or a couple rather than a group of six. One 2026 guide notes the bar changed management in early 2026 and kept its welcoming taberna feel. Because that is the only account of the post-change menu, check the boards rather than relying on any dish list you read online.
Practical notes
There is no official website listing opening hours, closing day or prices, so check on the day before planning a meal around it. Pair it with a walk through the Mercado Central stalls, then head across the old town to Casa Manteca for a second, very different traditional bar.