Bocana De Palos Restaurant — Restaurant in Cartagena

We’ve visited this restaurant several times, and our experiences ranged from delightful to downright disappointing. On our first visit, we stopped by for a light evening of tapas and were genuinely impressed. The flavors were well-executed, the service was swift and friendly, and the price-to-quality ratio left us pleasantly surprised. It was the kind of casual yet elevated dining experience that keeps you coming back for more.

Two days later, we returned for lunch, and unfortunately, it was a completely different story. The tuna tataki, priced at €21, was borderline insulting. The slices were so thin you could almost read through them, and the dish lacked any sense of balance. The teriyaki sauce overwhelmed everything with cloying sweetness, and the guacamole felt out of place, tipping the plate into confusion. Together, the sauces outweighed the fish—literally and figuratively. It felt like the chef had completely missed the mark, with no harmony between flavors, let alone a hint of umami. The octopus dish also failed to deliver, with an odd flavor combination that just didn’t work.

We raised our concerns, and while we appreciated the gesture of complimentary desserts, it didn’t quite make up for the €40 spent on two deeply disappointing dishes. For me, it’s not about the cost—I’m happy to pay for quality—but this was far from it.

The desserts were decent, likely homemade, and tasted good, but they weren’t enough to salvage the overall experience. The service was also a mixed bag. One waitress was attentive, efficient, and brought a lovely energy to the table, while some of her colleagues seemed less enthusiastic about their roles.

The setting, however, is undeniably charming. The view is beautiful, the seating is comfortable, and the ambiance has a relaxed, picturesque vibe. That said, on windy days, the outdoor area can feel a bit too brisk, and the presence of sparrows—while adding to the idyllic atmosphere—can become a nuisance when bird droppings make an unwelcome appearance.

If I were to score it separately, the evening tapas experience would easily earn 4 to 4.5 out of 5. But the lunch service was a major letdown, barely scraping a 2 out of 5. With some improvements in consistency, there’s potential for this spot to shine, but as of now, it’s...

We went to La Bocana for dinner and although the food was good, our server was a bit distracted and brought the wrong fish (gallineta instead of gallopedro) luckily before it was cooked, but one would think they know their fish given it’s a restaurant in a harbour. We had cheesecake for dessert and it was good but it took a while to arrive and we were billed with drinks we never had. Nonetheless, food was great, I think the “chopitos” (fried small squid) were my favourite, the batter was light and the oil was clean, they were very tasty and fresh. In spite of having mixed feelings about our first visit, we decided to give it a second try the next day ( it was out last day in Spain) . We went for lunch and got a table in the terrace , overlooking the sea. The views in this place are unbeatable , but also, I booked online and made a note to get a front sea table and we did, so that was nice of them. We wanted to have “caldero” and since it’s very filling, we didn’t have appetizers , just a regular salad and some almonds to snack on while we waited. The salad was very fresh, they don’t use regular tuna, but the one called “bonito” which is much better. Something I noticed is that they peeled and removed the seeds of the cucumber. I do this too at home to avoid upset stomach and it was nice to see they took the extra mile to make a very good salad. The caldero arrived in a …’caldero’ (cauldron) which is how it is traditionally served but many restaurants have lost this tradition and they bring you a portion from a bigger pot. They made one just for the 2 of us and it just the best caldero we’ve ever had. We also order the 3 garlics and the fish , which was wild “dorada”, simply spectacular. For dessert we ordered the lemon sorbet which was the icing on the cake. If you feel like, you can add cava to make it frizzy . We had it non alcoholic and it was perfection. Our server Wanda was wonderful and attentive. The price was very reasonable, no wonder the place was packed. We for sure will visit “La Bocana” when we come back to Spain.

This review is dedicated to Juan Miguel Molina, my dad, who should have joined us to have a caldero in Cabo de Palos as he wanted, watching his beloved Mediterranean but sadly he wasn’t able. This one’s for you....

First of all, I would highly recommend you visit this beautiful cape at the very South-East of the municipality of Cartagena. The views from the lighthouse at the very east of the cape is also worth the trip.

This restaurant, though, will bring me back time and time again, even if the short hike up to the lighthouse is not on the menu. This because: Very friendly, polite, dedicated and knowledgeable servers. Beautiful views of the waterway into Capo de Palos, and plenty of sun on a good day. The restaurant is modern with a twist; the traditional Spanish house, but the front walls are mostly covered in glass (some sliding-doors as well on the ground floor so that some of that fresh sea air can seep in). Very cool and appealing! Cool interior and decorations inside as well. FOOD! Delicious! I had the "pluma ibérica a la parrilla", a beautifully tender grilled Iberian pork with thinly sliced and fried potatoes and grilled green peppers. My fellow dinner guest had the "paella a banda" - basically a paella with seafood. They assured me (and the waiter) that it was one of the best paellas they'd ever had (they're experienced paella-eaters). Variety! You could choose from a menu that was particularly varied; fish, other seafood, meats, and vegetarian options (both paellas and a quinoa burger). Keep in mind that this is a Mediterranean restaurant and not a steakhouse, so the selections of meat are thereafter. But the cuts they have were well prepared and very good. They have paellas with only chicken also, as well as really good beer and Sangria! Integrity in the serves; we had to wait a while for our main dishes. The server was quick to come over and apologize for this, and after our meal, he brought us Limoncellos on the house. This seemed like a busy day, so the wait was really no problem where we sat comfortably in the sun. He was also correct when he said the food was 5 minutes away, which is always nice. A lot for your money: we had a starter, three main courses, beer, Sangria, some non-alcoholic beverages, and coffee to finish it all of, and it came in at around 60 euros. For this quality food, the experience of the service and scenery, and sheer quantity, a very good deal....