The city of Murcia is known for its delicious and varied tapas. Recently we indulged ourselves, sorry, I mean conducted some research, to bring you a couple of highly recommended tapas bar.
Typically, when I think of tapas, I imagine myself sat at a chiringuito beach bar, overlooking the Mar Menor or the Med. But actually, in my opinion, for some of the very best tapas you really need to head into Murcia City.
On a recent excursion we enjoyed two different ends of the tapa spectrum!
First up was La Tapa in the lovely Plaza de La Flores. This is next level tapa with some slightly unexpected dishes like gyoza Japanese dumplings, served alongside the more typical dishes such as patatas bravas, although definitely taken up a good few notches. A must try is Marinero Murciano - a Murcian signature tapa of Russian salad with an anchovy served on top of a U-shaped breadstick. Tradition dictates you must eat it without destroying the breadstick!
La Tapa offers amazing food. Highly recommended and the perfect place to people watch. Grab a stool outside at the bar counter and lunch like a Spaniard!
Next was Bar Los Zagales. We fortunately stumbled upon this quirky, vintage, tapas bar down one of the side streets and away from the more touristy plazas. Opened in 1926 and run by 4 generations of the same family. This is about as authentic as it gets - you make your choices from the huge list and write them down on a slip that the waitress gives you. Nothing fancy here, just typical, traditional Murcian tapas at an amazing value. This is where the locals go to eat and has a real buzz about it.
Both places are great in their own way. I’d recommend either (or in fact both!), if visiting Murcia city.
For La Tapa head to the Plaza de La Flores. Bar Los Zagales is located on Calle Polo de Medina, 4. Both within easy walking distance of each other.
Although not strictly a tapa, if visiting Murcia City, you should also pop into one of the many bakeries or Pastelerias and sample a Pastel de Carne, or Murcian Pie as they’re more commonly known (at least by the English). These are little pies with a distinctive swirled, puff pastry top, filled with delicious meat, tomato and egg. No surprise that I’ve tried a few. The best I found was served at Pasteleria Zaher – a traditional Pasteleria located on Calle Riquelme 5.
If visiting Murcia by car head for the Ayuntamiento (City Hall) where there is a large public underground car park within easy walking distance of the main attractions. The car park is only about 15 minutes from the motorway, and not difficult to find.
Enjoy a Taste of Murcia!