The Cabanyal restaurant stands as a guardian of local produce, highlighting trades such as that of Amparín, the house’s supplier and the last great *clotxinera* of the Poblados Marítimos. The campaign culminated with a live competition, which brought together more than a hundred attendees to witness the traditional cooking of *clòtxinas* by four women from Cabanyal.

Since its inauguration on November 8, 2025, Casa Pescadores has become one of the most talked-about restaurant projects in the city of Valencia, with a clear premise: to pay homage to maritime tradition, home cooking, and the culture of the *sobremesa*, located right on the front line of Cabanyal beach. Diner attendance data reinforces its consolidation, as since its opening, around 18,000 people have already visited the various spaces that make up the restaurant, driven by Grupo Mercabanyal and Jugando con Fuego. This fact was evidenced once again by the special campaign focused on enhancing the value of the Valencian *clòtxina* and the entire human and cultural ecosystem surrounding it. The figure of ‘Amparín,’ considered the last great *clotxinera* of the Poblados Marítimos and the restaurant’s main supplier, has allowed for the highlighting of product traceability, the artisanal trade, and the culinary identity linked to the sea.

In this way, during the month of May, Casa Pescadores worked with more than 100 kilos of Valencian *clòtxina*, consolidating the bivalve as one of the main protagonists of its gastronomic proposal. On the day of May 30th alone, when a traditional cookery competition took place at the restaurant’s bar, 35 kilos of product were served, making it the day with the highest volume of *clòtxinas* sold since the project’s inauguration. This event thus marked the zenith of a campaign conceived to advocate for local gastronomy. One of the differentiating features of the project lies in its direct relationship with local producers. At Casa Pescadores, it is the cooks themselves who personally visit the source of the raw materials to understand their process, quality, and context. This was also the case with the Valencian *clòtxina*: before adding it to the menu, Marcos Moreno traveled to Amparo’s rafts (*bateas*) to understand its seasonality and personally select the ingredient. “The product is in charge. That is why we like to know where it comes from and to meet the people behind it,” he explained.

The women of Cabanyal and a life linked to the sea

In this context, Casa Pescadores held a large gathering by the sea on May 30th to honor the Valencian *clòtxina* season. The day brought together more than 100 attendees in a proposal conceived with a festive approach. During the gathering, diners were able to learn more closely about the history of the product, participate in various activities (such as a maritime bingo, with a dinner for two as a prize), and enjoy a product whose season lasts only a few months a year and which continues to be cultivated artisanally in the rafts of the Port of Valencia. The central axis of the event was a gastronomic competition featuring four women from Cabanyal, who competed by preparing their own recipes with *clòtxina* as the main ingredient. María Antonia Masiá, Juani Picó, Mari Carmen Pérez, and Marí Carmen Carrasco were the protagonists. The jury was composed of José Luis Peiró, president of the Agrupación de Clotxineros de Valencia y Sagunto; Edu Espejo, chef of Flama and advisor to Casa Pescadores; and José Esteban, director of the Jugando con Fuego group. The three determined that Juani was the winner of this edition, which was characterized by humour and the celebration of traditional cooking. As recognition for her participation, each contestant received a five-kilo sack of *clòtxinas* from Amparín.

Beyond the competition, the gathering included, as mentioned, a maritime bingo, live music by the flamenco group Como el Agua, and various participatory dynamics, creating an atmosphere of an extended *sobremesa*, faithful to the spirit of the house. The event also brought together journalists, industry professionals, and a large representation of gastronomic content creators, as well as the general public, who were able to purchase tickets through the restaurant’s social media. With this initiative, Casa Pescadores reinforces its positioning as more than just a restaurant: a space where gastronomy functions as a meeting point to share and transmit a way of understanding life linked to the sea and the collective memory of Cabanyal. The positive reception of the campaign, both in the dining room and in terms of media impact and social mobilization, consolidates the project’s commitment to telling the stories of those who make it possible, such as Amparín’s.

Report by Will McCarthy

Article copyright ’24/7 Valencia’

MORE ABOUT CASA PESCADORES
Web: www.casapescadorescabanyal.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/casapescadorescabanyal