Thursday, November 9, 2023, 00:50
The El Amarre restaurant has managed to carve out a worthy place of honor on the gastronomic map of the city of Murcia. It has been for nine years – it was on October 29 – applying exemplary guidelines: diversity of dishes, maximum quality in the menu, a highly professional team and three environments – bar, lounge and terrace – to enjoy its traditional Mediterranean cuisine. All in all, it has become one of those places that is worth visiting both on special moments and on any day of the week, since its culinary proposals adapt to every occasion.
One of the strengths of El Amarre is its succulent menu, made up of more than fifty references and in which quality and seasonal products prevail. Of all, one of the most interesting sections is its selection of Murcian tapas, which ranges from classics such as marinera and caballito to dishes as exquisite as split tomato with salted meats (bonito and anchovy) and wild mushrooms with poached egg, ham Iberian and truffle, among others. As an example, the bar’s display cases present some of these suggestions.
Likewise, fish and seafood have a great role in the restaurant, as reflected in another of the display cases at the bar and in the display located next to the entrance door to the interior of the premises, which always shows off a chromatic spectacle thanks to to delicacies such as hake cocochas, scallops, shrimp, etc. Their line of fish includes wild sea bass, gallopedro, turbot, beach sole, ijada tuna and many more.
Another strong point is its range of Galician meats, which have a strong demand among its clientele, especially the shoulder and suckling goat chops, as well as the steaks, sirloins and beef entrecôte. Two of their star montaditos also deserve a special mention, the sirloin with foie and the sirloin with brie cheese and caramelized onion, baptized ‘El Amarre’.
Added to this is their commitment to seafood stews at noon, preparing a different recipe from Monday to Thursday, such as Asturian fabada, beans with clams, bonito marmitako and noodles with prawns, squid and tuna. But the house’s specialty par excellence is the Manchego gazpachos with monkfish or cherna, which are what gives it the status of a gastronomic temple.
The temptation of dessert
To top it off, El Amarre makes it very difficult with its wide line of desserts, all homemade. It’s hard to choose between the 15 in the running, from the traditional Calatrava bread and tocino de cielo to the superhits cheesecake and cream millefeuille with hot chocolate, including lemon sorbet and peach soufflé.
Its winery is a faithful reflection of the nuances that its clientele looks for in each glass of wine. For this reason, it has a wine tour that captures not only the best of the three designations of origin of the Region of Murcia, but also other DOs in Spain, such as Rioja, Rueda and Ribera del Duero, as well as Albariño and Godello grapes. .
The restaurant consists of three well-differentiated areas, a large terrace with round tables and views of the Plaza Mayor of Murcia, a private room and the bar, everything that the establishment offers, which also shares space with a row of low tables. In total, its capacity ranges between 50 and 60 diners per shift. Apart from its central location and exquisite cuisine, it is the perfect option to celebrate family, leisure or business gatherings. To park, it is worth remembering that there are several public underground car parks nearby to park your vehicles and enjoy your visit in peace.
Book in advance
Serves lunch, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., and dinner, from 8:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. It is open on Mondays, only at lunchtime, and from Tuesday to Saturday, and closed on Sundays all day and on Monday evenings. It is recommended to book in advance, especially on weekends, holidays and the day before.
El Amarre was born in 2014 with a double vision: restaurant and fishmonger, hence its name linked to nautical. As time went by, the good reception that the restaurant received led to the closure of the fishmonger, whose space was used for the construction of the private room. At the head of the business is José María Requena, a bullfighter years ago, who humbly emphasizes that “we are growing little by little, that this is how businesses are built,” he reveals, adding that “we have consolidated ourselves and made a place for ourselves among restaurants.” bigger”.
The day Doña Sofía amazed the Plaza Mayor
Queen Sofía’s visit to El Amarre has become one of the most curious anecdotes in the history of the restaurant throughout its nine-year history. It was in 2021 and everything happened almost by surprise. José María Requena had a reservation made in advance for two people in the name of a gentleman, but an hour before, four escorts dressed in civilian clothes of the queen emeritus showed up to surprise her and give her a series of instructions, such as that he could not invite her to eat, do not give gifts or neglect other customers. All were fulfilled as established.
At all times, Doña Sofía “was very polite,” recalls Requena, and then added that “she did not demand anything extraordinary and behaved like just another diner.” “We treated him very well,” she adds. She ate baked octopus, Muchamiel tomato salad, a tapa of rice with vegetables, a fresh sole with hollandaise sauce and, for dessert, a lemon sorbet; she drank water. Since royalty is not fed every day, José María did not miss the opportunity and had his picture taken with the monarch emeritus (the image decorates the restaurant), who was willing to take photographs with the other diners.
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