Barcena Mayor is located in the valley of the Argoza river, and is is considered a historic, artistic and rural group of constructions. In order to eat in Barcena Mayor we will tell you what food to order and which are the best restaurants and bars where you can enjoy the Cantabrian gastronomy. Let’s go eat in Barcena Mayor, a place where more is better!
If you want to know what to eat in Barcena Mayor – the only inhabited place in the Natural Park Saja Besaya and one of the oldest of the Cantabrian community, we recommend you to start with tapas and portions of the incredible embutidos (sausages) and hunt patês – deer, roe deer and wild boar – as the park is integrated in the Natural Reserve of Caza de Saja, the biggest hunting reserve of Spain.
Try the cocido montañés, which if made of white beans instead of chickpeas and served with cabbage and pork byproducts: chorizo, blood sausage, bacon… another option is the red beans stew with deer. Something very typical from the Cantabrian villages is leaving the pot on your table, so you can serve yourself. As a second dish, the tudanca cow or trout from the surrounding rivers. For the dessert, the Nata de Cantabria cheese with D.O.P., which is delicious when eaten with quince. Another product you can buy here is the honey del brezo.
The front of the building of the restaurant La Franca will make you fall in love with just one look: it is a charming rural house made of stone. apart from offering a menu and dishes a la carte, their portions are the perfect excuse to share a culinary experience with your couple, friends and family. The croquetas and wild boar crepes are a must. Homemade quality food. Don’t forget to try their pan de hogaza.
In Ruente (13 km away) we suggest the restaurant Casa Nacho, perfecto to eat a delicious cod tortilla in Barcena Mayor.
Many restaurants have appeared in Barcena Mayor, a lot of them with great prices. Rio Argoza is more than 30 years old, and it is located close to the bridge of the Argoza river, at the end of the village. It currently has a Winter and a Summer dining room, both in the exterior of the building. On Winter we recommend their cocido montañés and for the Summer their hunt pâtes and a great deer steak.
El Puente, more than 20 yeas old, has a crystal terrace with views to the river, a dining room with a fire place and an exterior terrace for the Summer. Cocido montañés and red beans with chorizo are a good option as a main dish. You will also enjoy their tarta de sobaos.
