We loved the food in Valencia! It has a wonderful eclectic mixture of traditional and trendy new spots and we enjoyed tasting as many as possible! After a few trips to Valencia we have found some lovely places to eat & would like to share them with you! Hope you find them useful!
Where to eat:
Paella Valenciana
Spain is of course famous for its wonderful Paella (pronounced pie-ey-a), however most people first think of the very popular Paella Marisco which is the shellfish version. Valencia though, is famous for Paella Valenciana which is the mountain equivalent. Featuring ingredients such as chicken, rabbit and even snails, if shellfish isn’t quite your taste you must try this one instead!
We first tried it on a lovely wee square which catches the sun on Carrer dels Abaixadors. It is guaranteed to have different musical buskers to keep you entertained whilst you wait for your paella.
(TIP: Paella if made properly, from scratch, takes hours to cook. If it is an authentic place you should put your order in hours in advance, book your table & come back then to taste fresh, authentic paella).
This place gave the cutest tomato bread which you could make yourself which is always fun! The staff seemed a bit stressed when we were there but they were very busy (as the restaurant takes up the entire square) and didn’t have many staff on. Hopefully this isn’t always the case. They did however have a lovely welcome note in the menu and menus in many languages.
The sangria was also delicious & well priced for a glass! Expect to pay around 15-25euros per person for a paella at most places, but be prepared – it is a heavy dish and will do you for hours! It is typically eaten over hours on a slow Spanish Sunday afternoon.
Location: Carrer Dels Abaixadors
A friend of mine also recommended Casa Roberto which we will have to try next time!
Michelin Star Chef food
We were pleasantly surprised to hear about the Ruzafa area of Valencia which has undergone a huge change in the past 10 years and has now become a hipster/ foodie paradise. One of the gems in the area is Canalla Bistro which is owned by Michelin Star Chef Ricard Camarena. Famous for his restaurants in Madrid, Valencia and Mexico he takes a little bit of food from his favourite places in the world and mixes them in this amazing bistro.
We happened upon it at a great time & managed to get one of the last tables available without a reservation (I would recommend reserving if you are going, as it is so popular). We tried things we had never tried before and were delighted with them all! From the pork bun, thai salad, pastrami sandwich, to the amazing, inventive dessert we we blown away! We also had fun watching as things came out of the kitchen onto tables and seeing people’s faces as they saw their food come served on weird and wonderful ‘plates’. All part of the hipster game!
Love how everything on the dessert menu is described as ‘Espectacular’!
Pastrami Sandwich, Thai Salad, Pork bun, vino rosado
Spectacular banana ice cream with mango ‘banana peel’ and biscuity crumbs.
A delight for the tastebuds!
Tapas
Of course, you’re in Spain, so you have to try some Tapas! We had a few lovely tapas experiences whilst in Valencia. The first was a fantastic place by the beach.
La Otra Parte
La Otra Parte is situated by close to the beach, but is hidden away from the more touristic places right on the beachfront. It is hustling and bustling but has a wonderful atmosphere. My advice would be grab a seat around sunset, as the cute lights will start to sparkle and the live music hired by the restaurant will start to play Spanish Guitar as you sit out on the cool terrace! We ended up ordering more drinks just so we could stay longer, listen to the live music and enjoy the atmosphere more!
The mini burgers were so delish! Really enjoyed the falafel burgers & the choc brownie!
100 Montiditos
If it is the end of your holiday, or you’re looking for a cheap drink & snack head to the local Montiditos. They are an institution all over Spain and offering Cervezas & Tinto De Veranos for as little as 1 euro you can see why they are so popular! You can also get little mini sandwiches with everything from jamon to chocolate which are the perfect snack.
Cool Cafes
One of my favourite cafes in Valencia was Bastard Coffee & Kitchen. It is a beautifully done, light, bright, spacious cafe. With twinkly lights, flowers on the tables, comfy sofas & a huge bear on the wall (which you cannot miss, especially if you are on your way to the bathroom), it is like nowhere I’ve ever been before. We were lucky enough to be there during the week and got the menu del dia which was so reasonably priced & absolutely delicious! The staff were lovely as well! I would definitely recommend it!
The Salmorejo (which was a special that day) was delicious! As was the nutella cheesecake!
Where to drink:
Holidays wouldn’t quite be complete without sampling the local drinks! Here are my favourite:
Agua de Valencia
Agua De Valencia is an absolute must if you are there! But beware! They usually come by the Jarra (Jug) and although they taste like yummy fresh orange juice – they are lethal & a couple of glasses in you will definitely start to feel it! Featuring not only Cava & fresh orange, but also vodka AND gin! I have warned you!
We shared a wonderful jug of the stuff on Plaza Negrito, which is a charming square in the old town. Buzzing night or day it is definitely worth a visit! The bar itself has an amazing terrace & the day we went there was one woman single handedly running, making and serving the entire bar and terrace and doing a fantastic job I may add! Well done to her!
Cocktails by the beach
Cocktails by the beach are always fun & one of the nicest places we found was Sunset Gabanna. The decor is cool & the giant seats are so comfy you could probably fall asleep in them!
The Pina Colada & Strawberry Mojito were scrummy yummy!
Passeig De Neptu 32
I hope you enjoy these places to eat & drink in Valencia! If you have more recommendations for me please let me know in the comments below as I will surely be back! Thank you!
The Wee Wanderer x x
One thought on “My guide on where to eat & drink in Valencia!”