Occasionally I'm just up for Tapas and Murcia City can certainly provide plenty of opportunites to sample lovely local varieties of this tasty Spanish traditional fare. Like most towns near the Mediterranean Sea the freshness of the fish is fantastic but there are lots of other choices. A few of the restaurants in Murcia below are a bit pricey but honestly the quality of food is worth it. The quality and variety of food available in restaurants in Murcia is outstanding (partly due to the fresh local vegetables) and you should definitely find a restaurant to your taste.



La Cocinas del Cardenal (Plaza del Cardenal Belluga 7). This place boasts a great variety of dishes to sample as Tapas at the bar or included in the fixed price menu.Asador la casa del Reloj (San Pedro Del Pinator). Casa Del Reloj is actually an old manor house. Here the Casa boasts a varied menu with a specially atmospheric ambience.

Some of the best restaurants in Murcia need not be the most expensive:

Jota Ele (6 Plaza Santa Isabel. Tel. 968 220 730) A vast array of tapas is on offer. Do try sizzling cod with garlic and chilli which is a speciality of the house, or a vegetarian option could be the perpetually present Spanish omelette. They also have a a very reasonable men? del d'a for ?9.Hermanos Rubio (3 Plaza Santa Isabel. Tel. 96 821 2040) This is a nice eating place which boasts excellent, no-frills fare (including an inexpensive three-course menu at lunchtime). Specialities include lamb chops with garlic and fillet of sea bream. Of course there's the usual selection of tapas for those not quite so hungry.La Goleta (2 Calle Victorio. Tel. 968 944 076) Here we have a fascinating menu with everybody catered for. Pisto murciano, a cold plate of tomato, onion and peppers, is a lighter snack for the peckish.Rinc'n del Molinero (4 Carril de los Palomas. Tel. 96 829 7148) Rinc'n's is a roomy restaurant with a great three-course men? del d'a at lunchtime for only ?9! The superb variety of traditional regional food available Rinc'n del Molinero also boasts Murcian salad and great rice dishes. For the adventurous a roast lamb's head can be ordered in advance. (not by me I might add ;-)Casa Gallato (33 Calle Avenida de los Pinos. Tel. 96 829 2517) Casa Gallato is a carnivore's paradise. Fresh cured hams hang suspended from the roof in the bar and the restaurant specialises in mixed grills (and big portions!). For those of you not on the Atkins diet they do have a great variety of vegetables and rice dishes as well as the traditional "patatas a lo pobre" (poor man's potatoes).Paco Pepe (14 Madre de Dios. Tel. 968 216 691) Get your Tapas from the bar and they have a set menu for about ?12 at lunchtime. If you fancy treating yourself then you've got to try the sea bass in garlic.Carrefour Zaraiche (1 Avenida de Juan Carlos . Tel. 968 297 322) A typical self-service restaurant in the Carrefour shopping centre complex. You can get fast-food fesh from the hot plate. They also boast set menus/meals. This is convenient for replenishing the batteries when shopping.M'son del Corral de Jos? Lu's (23 Plaza de Santa Domingo.) You get a brilliantly cheap set menu of the day (three-course meal with a drink). M'son del Corral de Jos? Lu's also serves some nice tapas.

That's a fair selection of restaurants in Murcia to get you started. Why not let me know if you find a place you want to recommend? Maybe we can become the leading authority to restaurants in Murcia City ;-)