It is true that Murcia is the garden of Europe: at this point we are not going to surprise you with this information. Ok that its Mediterranean climate, with mild temperatures both in summer and winter, makes its lands and coasts obtain absolute delights.
But the thing about this region and its gastronomy is something that goes further: your commitment to high-end cuisine , where things well done and the quality of the product prevail above all else, they set the bar very high a long time ago. That's why, say that one travels to Murcia "to eat" is more than justified: what better excuse to dive headfirst into its domain…and its restaurants.
Taking advantage of the fact that there is very little left for the region to stop boasting second consecutive year the title of Gastronomic Capital of Spain —the position was extended until 2021 due to the pandemic—, Let's go on a gastronomic getaway with a stop at three essentials. We get going. And you, are you coming?
PEPE'S CORNER: CLASSIC AMONG CLASSICS
It was 1925 when José González opened a small winery in the heart of the Murcian capital in which he served flat wine surrounded by barrels. To the flat ones, little by little, he added some flaps to compensate. And to them, over the years, he added a new location and a kitchen that became, at the hands of his nephew Raimundo González, in one of the referents of Murcia: Pepe's Corner , as famous —or more so!— as the city's cathedral, was the first restaurant in the region to win a Michelin star, back in the 90s.
Though The story has evolved quite a bit since then. , and the restaurant, about to celebrate its centenary, has been in the hands of the Murcian group for years Pray , the philosophy behind the kitchen remains the same: quality, a product of closeness and enthusiasm. You just have to see how it works, behind the immense glass that separates the dining room from the even more immense kitchen, Gines Nicolas "Nico" , to realize it: the chef, who has been running the show at El Rincón de Pepe for 15 years , does not skimp on passion when it comes to getting down to work. And that shows. Wow if you notice.
Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that all this of walking between pans and recipes comes to the Murcian of origin: when he was a child his mother sent him to spend the holidays in Torrejón de Ardoz, where her grandmother had two restaurants , and he was happy lending a hand peeling potatoes or making meatballs. Roots that, together with the historic cuisine of El Rincón de Pepe, result in a menu full of traditional flavors, although embracing new concepts, techniques and fusions, some of them influenced by his trips to Asia or Mexico.
Murcia at its maximum gastronomic expression.
You breathe peace when you walk through the doors of the restaurant, much more when you contemplate the vertical garden that adorns one of its walls or, above all, when you are served by any of its waiters. Among them is Juan, a veteran in the business. To the question of how many years he has been part of the team, he answers with a flirty "taytantos" to mislead.
At the table, it is already sensed, the best of the best of Murcia: Jumilla wines to boast of Designation of Origin and dishes that have marked history like the aubergines in cream or the vegetable festival: when you take a bite of them, you understand why they have been surprising customers since time immemorial. At the same time, Nico has known how to make the kitchen his own, betting on proposals, always taking into account the seasonal product, such as artichokes with squid noodles and young garlic sprouts, tempura prawns and siracha sauce, or tender broad beans with Iberian ham and free-range eggs.
Rice with vegetables from the garden.
After—because there must be an after— the feast must continue with rice —from Calasparra, obviously— in any of the versions that the chef handles perfectly, a good sea bass in salt or some kid ribs —also with its D.O. Corresponding, what did we think? To die of pleasure, fried and flambéed milk in the room that only by the aroma, conquers. After this, there will be no more to talk about: Come to eat in Murcia? Definitely.
POSTAL MARKET: THE HOT PLACE
The one who has become new place to see and be seen Murcia could have been just another gastronomic market, but no. Because, to begin with, it is located in a historic building from the beginning of the 20th century designed by Pedro Muguruza, a modernist architect of great renown at the time. In spaces where until not so long ago —approximately the end of the 1970s— people queued to send packages, pick up certified letters or consult post office boxes, today the most daring and ingenious gastronomic offer in the city is served.
And the best thing is that all of this takes place in an environment that preserves that special essence of the past: as a historic building, in the reform works, singular elements of its structure were respected and recovered, such as the façade, the floors, the wood, the central stairs or the patio, and others were added that gave it that unique character that it boasts today. Details such as the abundant vegetation, a central bar that is the dream of any lover of beautiful spaces, mirrors, designer lamps and a universe with an —almost?— modernist aspect, conquer without remedy.
When it comes to enjoying yourself, the difficult thing will be choosing which of the 16 stalls that are distributed in the space to opt for, each one with a more tempting offer. Traditional cuisine is offered by El Disparate with proposals such as the typical seafood —those donuts with Russian salad and anchovy so Murcian and so exquisite—; some chicken curry baos wink at the world cuisine at Boss & Co ; on the Javier Muñoz delicatessen you can taste the best Iberian or, if you prefer to go for the sea, it is already there The Bichitos to delight with some oysters , a skewer of salmon or some seafood. Everything served by the waiters themselves at the high tables scattered around the building: gone is that of going to order.
The GreenHouse.
And more: the Correos Market has hamburger restaurant, rice restaurant, Japanese or Mexican, without forgetting its cellar and vermouth bar, the cocktail bar —where the bartenders they prepare authentic works of art in a glass— or confectionery. To make the evenings more lively, it's time to go to the backyard: glazed —it's called El Invernadero for a reason—, It is the ideal place to let the hours pass without looking at the clock. Total, we have already said it: here we have come to enjoy. And beware, if they hold out, we can do it —on the weekend— until 4 in the morning.
ODISEO: SURRENDERED TO THE TALENT OF NAZARIO
No one — we repeat, no one — remains impassive when they come across the Odysseus building, that 15,000-square-meter colossus that stands imposingly on the outskirts of the heart of Murcia, and the reason is very simple: probably no one has ever seen anything like it. At least in Spain. Crazy.
This is the strongest commitment of the Orenes Group , with which he put all the meat on the grill three years ago, and since then everything has been successful. A temple to fun open 22 hours a day in which there is room for four gastronomic spaces, a game room, a sports club, dizzying terraces, rooms for private events, a dinner show or —attention— the largest flown swimming pool in Europe. Although visiting it is the perfect excuse to enjoy any of these temptations... let's focus on what we have come to do: eat.
Awesome Odysseus.
And it turns out that everything that has to do with food in Odysseus is in the hands of one of the most outstanding chefs: a Nazario Cano -El Rodat, Jávea- his pulse did not tremble when he received the offer to direct the culinary offer of this iconic place. So much so, that he displayed all his ingenuity in the kitchen, and in just eight months he had already achieved a Michelin star: the second to his credit.
Seeing him work together with his team in the open kitchen of the restaurant is an unparalleled spectacle: in total More than 40 chefs work at your command to prepare the delicacies presented in each of the spaces. Bet on the main restaurant, either in the Gastronomic Bar, in its cage-tables or on its terrace, It means enjoying a unique and balanced cuisine influenced by the different cultures bathed by the Mediterranean.
And if you have to put a name and surname on the dishes, it's done. For example, to your spectacular semi-salted tuna neck, squid salad, grilled scallop with coral sobrassada or grilled gallopedro with cevicha. To finish -and leave Murcia embracing full happiness- there is nothing like opting for his tasting menu: the one that earned him the star. And all, of course, paired with the best wines.
Wild duck and rice blood sausage.
An experience of pure gastronomic fantasy that confirms once again that Murcia, when it comes to eating, knows how to manage very, very well. What if, The gastronomic capital is over, but we will have to think of a new excuse to return and enjoy its good food. We are already late in booking.