La Uva Jumillana

What I like most about my region, and Spain in general, are the tapas. In Cartagena, you can find lots of tapas bars, which have really delicious food and at very cheap prices.

Where is it?

One of my favourite bars is the Uva Jumillana, which is located really centrally in Calle Jara. It is a bit hidden away, but if you walk through the doors of Murcia towards Calle Mayor, you will find it down one of the alleyways on the left-hand side. In this street, there are also other similar bars, but the one which is always the most full is the Uva, and there must be a reason for it, I say.

Also, there is another one in the capital, in the centre of Murcia, on Calle Balsas.

How do you get there?

Going by car is quite hard, or almost impossible since most of the streets in the centre are pedestrianised. The best thing to do is park nearby to the centre and then go there by foot. There are also bus lines which stop along Alfonso XIII, quite nearby to the centre, and from there you can get to the Uva Jumillana.

The prices

As I said, the price is maybe the most attractive thing about the bar, even though recently they have increased the prices it is still quite cheap. If I am not wrong, a caña (small drink) and tapa costs around 1.90 euros.

Food

There is a big range of tapas, although I would most definitely say that the most famous tapa from there is the Kentucky chicken with patatas bravas. Also, there are chicken wings, cod dumplings, empanadillas, montaditos (little sandwiches), etc.

Decoration

As you will know, tapas bars don't usually have big tables with chairs, but barrels to stand up by, sit on stools, or to order directly at the bar. You could say that tapas are something like the Spanish version of American fast-food.

Uva has barrels instead of tables and the most convenient thing is to stay standing next to them. There are as many barrels by the bar as there are outside in the street. And when you see a free one: be quick! or you'll lose it. Also, inside there is a normal bar where you can go and order something, and the other surrounding bars you can eat at.

The inside, well the one in Cartagena at least, is decorated with a Spanish theme and with cultural elements from Cartagena. I really like the decor and I think that it makes the place very welcoming and eye-catching for tourists.

My experience

As you may have deduced from what I have said, my experiences visiting the Uva Jumillana have always beenpositive and I have a lot of different memories there. It is true that I have heard some negative comments about the place, but I have never experienced anything that they have spoken about myself. Although one thing that is true is that one of the waiters isn't too nice, so it is better to order your food from the more cheerful one.