The restaurante Castillo del Pinar is one of those special places which are only discovered by word of mouth, as it´s hidden away in the rolling countryside of the Cartagena municipality, far from the beaten track.
It´s also somewhere which many of its patrons prefer to keep to themselves, rather than risk it being over-run, preferring to whip it out of the hat when visitors arrive, enjoying the exclamations of surprise when arriving at the location.
The actual building itself, the Castillo del Pinar, was built in 1890, and was the summer residence of the British consul, who was the owner of a British water company which supplied the water to Cartagena before water from the Taibilla arrived by transfer from the north of the country.
Later it became the property of the Swiss consul to Cartagena, in whose ownership it remained until 1975 when it became the property of the family who currently own it.
At the time it was built, Cartagena was a booming, wealthy City, rich from the industrial boom which took place at the end of the 19th century, funded by the mineral wealth of the mines filling the Cartagena and La Union hillsides.
The restaurant has now been run by the same family for the last 25 years.
The castle itself is located within a 180,000 square metre finca, surrounded by pines and mature vegetation, with views from the terrace looking out into the gardens.
The main dining area is in a former salon of the house, and there are several different function rooms and other areas available to accommodate groups and parties, with catering available for a large number of guests according to the occasion.
The food is lovingly prepared using local ingredients and influences, with a good selection of local fish dishes , and there are one or two surprises on the menu as well, including hazelnut ice cream on the dessert menu.
There is an A la carte menu on offer permanently, and at lunchtime the Castillo offers a Menu del dia.
The menu is available from Tuesday to Saturday, priced at 13 euros and offers a selection of main courses , and also a selection of wines, with dessert and coffee included.
On Sundays, the price for a lunchtime menu is 15 euros.
The restaurant also serves a taster menu priced at 20 euros, which enables diners to sample a number of different local dishes and flavours. This particular menu excludes wine.
Wine is very important in the restaurant as the proprietor, José Luis, is also the owner of a wine shop in Cartagena, and has extensive knowledge of murcian and spanish wines, so is happy to not only advise on, but also supply, wine.
This restaurant is completely different from the in-town restaurants you´ll find in many murcian towns and cities, offering a well priced , quality meal in comfortable, relaxed and peaceful surroundings.
It´s one of those places which becomes like a well worn friend, and attracts a loyal clientele who come back to eat again and again.
Opening Hours: Tuesday - Sunday Lunchtime 1.30 - 4.00pm Dinner 8.00pm - 11.00pm
Address: Ctra. Azohía s/n, Perín Cartagena
Telephone: 968 16 31 38
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