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ARCHIVED - April 9 to 16 Barraca open-air restaurant gardens in the city of Murcia

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Typical Murciano cuisine at affordable prices in traditional open-air gardens

The Semana de Primavera fiestas in the city of Murcia, which are held every year in the week following Easter, are perhaps best known for the main events of the Bando de la Huerta and the Entierro de la Sardina. The first of these features an afternoon procession celebrating the agricultural produce of the area but is nowadays an all-day open-air costume party throughout the regional capital, while the latter is a carnival-style celebration which ends in the ceremonial incineration of a giant papier mâché sardine in the Glorieta, in an act of symbolic cleansing to mark the start of spring. Click for highlights of the 2023 program.

However, for many locals and visitors one of the main attractions of the Semana de Primavera is without any doubt the “barracas” which are set up in and around the city centre. These are temporary restaurants constructed in the style of traditional Murcia dwellings in the “huerta” (or cropland) which surrounds the capital, and for one week only the 40-plus “peñas” (or federations) set up camp in the public parks and gardens offering typical local produce and dishes in open-air dining areas at affordable prices.

ARCHIVED - April 9 to 16 Barraca open-air restaurant gardens in the city of Murcia

This is not haute cuisine. These restaurant gardens offer typical food made with local ingredients such as pork and vegetables, and although all of the dishes are available throughout the year, the atmosphere of the Semana de Primavera and the barracas seems to make them taste all the better.

All of the temporary restaurants provide roughly the same tapas, and prices are fixed so that there is no competition among the different Peñas except in terms of the quality of food provided. Some will offer alternative daily “specials”, but the offering is generally the same.

In each barraca there might be around 50 volunteers working every day, raising money for the Peña so that the expenses of other activities related to the upholding of the traditions of the huerta during the year. These include dancing classes for children and a host of other cultural programs, and at the same time of course they are contributing to the promotion of some of the most fundamental dishes in the culinary traditions of the Region of Murcia.

Maps showing all of the barracas, which open on Easter Sunday at 14.00 and close a week later, are available from the tourist office in the Plaza Belluga. The most popular are those on the north bank of the River Segura in the centre of the city, (the gardens which run along the river bank are easily visible driving down into the city from the ringroad) but once inside the cane fencing which encloses the terrace the dining experience is similar in all of them: for those visiting Murcia exclusively to eat at a barraca the best advice is to choose one with easy parking nearby!

ARCHIVED - April 9 to 16 Barraca open-air restaurant gardens in the city of Murcia

BOOKING: In theory it is possible simply to turn up and sit at a table, but in practice this can be a rather hit and miss tactic, and on the day of the Bando de la Huerta and the Entierro de la Sardina it is out of the question. The barracas are extremely popular, and where possible prior reservations are recommended, although turn up and look for a barraca with an empty table.

This has to be done in person, and the best idea is either to book the previous day or to arrive early – normal eating times start at around 13.30 at lunchtime and 19.00 in the evening – and reserve a table. Indicate the number of people in your group and the time you would like to eat. The early bird really does get the worm, or the sausage in this case, as families tend to eat later here.

On the days of the Bando de la Huerta and the Entierro de la Sardina the barracas are open all day, but most are fully booked for lunch and dinner, although there is usually a lull during the actual processions, so this is a good time to try your luck if you haven´t booked.

Click here for the set prices for the 2023 barracas.

ARCHIVED - April 9 to 16 Barraca open-air restaurant gardens in the city of Murcia