How to Eat Mar Menor Seafood Like a Local in Santiago de la Ribera

You've heard the stories. Every restaurant on the Mar Menor serves fish caught that morning in the lagoon, you can't go wrong on a seafront terrace, and a paella is a paella is a paella. I believed most of it when I first moved here. Several years and a lot of lunches later, I know better.

Santiago de la Ribera is the best place on the Mar Menor to sit down to a proper seafood lunch, and October is the best month to do it. The crowds have gone, the sea breeze is soft, and you can get a table on the promenade without a fight. Let's clear up a few myths first, though.

Myth 1: It's all caught in the Mar Menor that morning

Lovely idea. Mostly not true.

The Mar Menor is a shallow saltwater lagoon, and it's had a rough few years environmentally. Some local fishermen still work it, and you'll see their small boats near the piers. But a lot of what ends up on your plate comes from the open Mediterranean, landed at ports like Cartagena and San Pedro del Pinatar, or farmed (the dorada and lubina especially).

Does that matter? Not really. Fresh is fresh. The trick is to ask "¿Qué ha llegado hoy?" (what's come in today) rather than assuming. A good waiter will tell you straight, and the answer is usually better than whatever's printed on the menu. If the place can't tell you, that's your clue to go somewhere else.

Myth 2: The seafront terrace is a tourist trap

This one drives me mad, because I used to say it myself. The promenade in Santiago de la Ribera runs along the water, past the little piers and the sailing club, and yes, some places along it are pricey and mediocre. That's true of any seafront in Spain.

But plenty of the best spots are right there too, and half the tables on a Sunday are Spanish families who drove in from Murcia city. That's the tell. If the terrace is full of locals at 3pm, with grandparents, kids and a dog under the table, you're in the right place.

How to spot a good one

Look at what's on the neighbouring tables. If you see big shared plates, a fish being boned at the table and a bottle of local white going down fast, sit. If every table has the same laminated photo menu and a plate of chips, keep walking. Also, the menu in six languages with pictures is rarely a good sign. I've never regretted a handwritten board.

Myth 3: Paella is the dish to order

Here's the opinionated bit. Paella is Valencian, and it's fine, but around here the proper rice dish is the caldero. It's a Murcian rice cooked in fish stock with ñora peppers and garlic, and it comes with a bowl of alioli on the side. The rice is drier and more savoury than a paella, and it's the sort of thing that makes you go quiet at the table.

Two things the locals know that visitors often don't:

• Caldero is usually made for a minimum of two people, and good places often want notice. Ring ahead or ask when you arrive.
• It takes a while. That's fine. Order some starters and settle in, because rushing it defeats the whole point.

The fish is often served separately or alongside, so don't be surprised. Add a dollop of alioli to the rice, squeeze some lemon on the fish, and don't ask for a fork if there's a spoon on offer. Nobody here will judge you for mopping the pan with bread.

What else to order while you wait

Start with a plate of salazones, the cured, salted fish that Murcia does so well (the mojama, which is salt-cured tuna, is brilliant with almonds). Add a ensalada murciana, which is tomato, tuna, onion and olives, and is far better than it sounds. Grilled king prawns, gambas, are an easy win, and a plate of fried calamar or small whitebait never hurts. For a drink, a cold caña does the job, though a glass of Jumilla white or a local rosé suits the fish nicely.

Myth 4: You can eat whenever suits you

Technically yes. Practically, no. Spanish lunch starts around 2pm and rolls on until 4pm or later. Turn up at 12.30 and half the kitchens won't be fully fired up, and the ones that are will be serving you the leftovers of breakfast service energy. Dinner doesn't really get going until 9pm.

My advice for October is to go for the long lunch. The sun is still warm on the terrace, the light over the water is lovely, and you can walk it all off along the front afterwards, maybe as far as the piers or over towards Lo Pagán. Then take a proper siesta. You've earned it.

A quick word on a golfer's lunch

If you're staying near Roda, Santiago de la Ribera is about a 20 minute drive, which makes it a perfect post-round plan. Play your morning round at one of the golf courses near the Mar Menor, shower, and be sat down by 2.30. It's the best possible way to finish a golf day, and nobody cares what your handicap is once the caldero arrives.

Staying for a few days? It's worth looking at holiday rentals near Roda Golf, since having a kitchen and a terrace of your own means you can buy fresh fish at the local market and cook it yourself. If you're still working out where to base yourself, our guide to the Mar Menor area explains how Santiago de la Ribera, Los Alcázares and La Manga compare. And if you want more food ideas, the Food & Drink posts have plenty.

The real secret is simple. Go late, ask what's fresh, order the caldero, and don't hurry. Do that and you'll eat better than most of the people who've been coming here for years.