I\u2019ve been lucky enough to visit Spain\u2019s sunniest city, Valencia, multiple times over the past decade. My brother lives in Valencia part-time, and I\u2019ve visited him almost every year since he moved there (except of course in the dark days of 2020). So this foodie guide is an ongoing labour of love: during every trip, I eat in some new restaurants and re-visit some old favourites, tweaking my recommendations as the years go by. My brother is as much of a foodie as I am, so unsurprisingly our lunchtimes and evenings turn into a culinary tour of Valencia \u2013 tapas, paella,\u00a0horchata<\/em>, you name it\u2026 This article covers all that and more \u2013\u00a0buen provecho<\/em>!<\/p>\n Before you can start eating, you\u2019re going to need to travel to Valencia. There are direct flights to Valencia with Dutch airline KLM<\/a>, Spanish airline Iberia<\/a>, UK airline British Airways<\/a>\u00a0and German airline Lufthansa<\/a>, as well as low-cost airlines like Vueling<\/a>, easyJet<\/a> and Transavia<\/a>. You can compare times and prices among all airlines on sites like Skyscanner<\/a>, Expedia<\/a> and Omio<\/a>. From Valencia airport, it\u2019s a short hop on the metro into the centre of the city. Valencia is very walkable, but you can also hire a car<\/a> or a bike (handy for getting to the beach) or take public transport.<\/p>\n Finding the right accommodation can be one of the biggest challenges when it comes to foodie adventures abroad. (As someone with a love-hate relationship with Airbnb, I know this first hand). But there\u2019s a site out there that lets you search for places to stay \u2013 from boutique hotels to youth hostels to local apartments \u2013 across all different channels: cozycozy<\/a>. It covers hundreds of cities all over the world, including Valencia!<\/p>\n Valencia\u2019s\u00a0Mercado Central\u00a0is architecturally beautiful, even before you\u2019ve got to the food. Grab yourself a\u00a0bocadillo de jam\u00f3n\u00a0<\/em>while you wander around the stalls selling the very best Iberico ham, Manchego cheese, fresh fish, olives, nuts, dried fruit and of course\u00a0garrof\u00f3<\/em>\u00a0\u2013 the mysterious beans you find in paella\u2026 Just outside the main entrance to Mercado Central you\u2019ll also find a typical Valencian stand selling a drink called\u00a0horchata<\/em>\u00a0(or\u00a0orxata<\/em>, in Valencian dialect). It tastes a little like sweetened almond milk, and it\u2019s made by burning and grinding\u00a0chufa<\/em>\u00a0beans. The drink is traditionally served chilled with\u00a0fartons<\/em>\u00a0\u2013 much like iced buns \u2013 and you can get them from L\u2019Orxateria<\/strong> as a pick-me-up between sightseeing in the historic centre.<\/p>\n For a truly local shopping experience, drop into Mercado de Ruzafa in the Russafa neighbourhood. With its colourful fa\u00e7ades and some 160 stalls, it offers fresh produce, seafood, cured meats and bakery treats in a lively but less tourist-heavy setting than the city centre markets.<\/p>\n While many versions of paella are made with various seafood, Valencia\u2019s very own version is made with meat: chicken and rabbit, to be precise. This seems a little unintuitive given that Valencia is right by the sea, but since the city is reputed to be the birthplace of paella I\u2019m not going to argue. That said, we did cycle to the coast on more than one occasion to eat ours\u2026<\/p>\n With its long-standing reputation for being one of the paella greats of Valencia,\u00a0Casa Carmela<\/a>\u00a0is packed at every hour it\u2019s open. And given that it\u2019s set behind the beach, with no sea view, there\u2019s good reason for that. Their paella is cooked over open wood fire: look in the kitchen on your way through the restaurant \u2013 it\u2019s quite theatrical! The rice is sticky with umami goodness, and just charred on the bottom. We also enjoyed Casa Carmela\u2019s\u00a0esgarret<\/em>\u00a0(a Valencian roasted red pepper salad with cured tuna and hard-boiled eggs) and seafood salad, all washed down with a refreshing bottle of Albarino. Classic but perfectly executed.<\/p>\n In El Cabanyal neighbourhood, La Pepica<\/a> is one of these large, seaside-y places whose d\u00e9cor doesn\u2019t look like it\u2019s changed much since the \u201980s and whose clientele have clearly been coming here for decades as well. Their paella Valenciana is a specialty, and comes according to the traditional recipe with garrof\u00f3<\/em>\u00a0(a large variety of butter bean), their green bean counterparts (like runner beans but larger), and plenty of aromatic rosemary and saffron.<\/p>\n If you prefer your paella with seafood, you\u2019ve got plenty of options along the beach too. We cycled in the opposite direction, down south to Playa de Pinedo, which felt like the quieter half of the Valencian coastline. Stopping at Restaurante Maremar<\/a> for a restorative cola, we decided it looked so nice that we\u2019d pop back for lunch a couple of hours later. Their paella was everything you\u2019d expect: ocean flavoured and sticky on the bottom of the pan. But their charcoal-grilled vegetables were possibly the stars of the show. Not to mention the uninterrupted views over the ocean\u2026<\/p>\n If you don\u2019t have quite the time or the energy to head to the beach and are staying more centrally, Casa Roberto\u2019s \u201chouse of rice\u201d<\/a> is a good choice in the Gran V\u00eda neighbourhood. Inside, it\u2019s quite traditional but we sat outside on the sunny pavement terrace to watch the world go by. Roberto\u2019s paella Valenciana came stuffed with all the things you\u2019d expect (chicken, rabbit, beans) but also artichoke and snails, which made it feel a little different. Their grilled vegetables were also excellent, if somewhat pricey, and they served a nice white wine (Rueda) by the glass.<\/p>\n The Valencians typically don\u2019t go out for dinner until after 9 pm, and if you\u2019re anything like me, you can\u2019t possibly wait that long to eat. Luckily, the tapas bars are generally open earlier, so you can stop by for a snack and a drink before dinner, or turn it into a full meal.<\/p>\n An ultra-local tapas bar just inside the Russafa neighbourhood, you won\u2019t see many tourists in Taberna Pare Pere<\/a>. This simple spot is known for its fish and seafood: think just-seared tuna fillets with pistachio sauce, or langoustines cooked with ajo tierno<\/em> (young garlic shoots that taste somewhere between a spring onion and wild garlic). The menu seems to be a general guideline rather than an accurate list: while several of the items weren\u2019t available, many other (unwritten) daily specials were. So it\u2019s worth asking what\u2019s on offer before you get too far in your decision-making process.<\/p>\n Located in El Cabanyal near the coast, you\u2019ll find queues out the door to get a table at well-known\u00a0Casa Montana<\/a>\u00a0so be sure to reserve in advance. This place is ultra-traditional, but in the best possible way: mouth-watering\u00a0jam\u00f3n Iberico<\/em>, silky Rioja and steaming piles of mussels. They also specialise in artisan canned fish, so we tried the razor clams \u2013 I was sceptical but they were briny and good. Also delicious were the young broad beans fried with\u00a0lomo<\/em>, the tuna cured in seven spices, and the red\u00a0piquillo<\/em>\u00a0peppers stuffed with cheese, coated in flour and deep-fried. Go hungry because you\u2019ll want to order everything on the menu!<\/p>\n In Valencia\u2019s central El Carmen neighbourhood, picture-perfect Roman and Gothic buildings nuzzle up against colourful street art and sunny terraces. But one of the more traditional bars in the area is La Pilareta<\/a>, where the mussel shells are still thrown into crates in front of the bar as the staff have done for decades. Better than the mussels, however, were the\u00a0montaditos<\/em>: halved, toasted bread rolls topped with grated tomato plus other variations. We tried the\u00a0morcilla<\/em> (blood sausage) and the chorizo, which tasted a lot better than they looked!<\/p>\n For a modern, creative, fusion version of tapas and wine, head over to the hipster, minimalist\u00a0El Rodam\u00f3n de Russafa<\/a>. On the menu, you\u2019ll be greeted with some Asian flavours in the form of sweet & sour aubergine or duck spring rolls alongside Spanish pulpo<\/em> and calamari. On the wine list, you\u2019ll find Spanish bottles next to other European wines at a variety of price points. It\u2019s worth taking a look at the huge array of bottles displayed at the far end of the restaurant. We loved the Priorat: a Garnacha-led blend from Catalunya that was full-bodied and boozy but still fruity and balanced.<\/p>\n Located in Arrancapins, just west of Valencia\u2019s old town, Timoteo Gastrobar<\/a> is serving up a Spanish-international fusion of family-style sharing plates. Patatas bravas came with sobrasada<\/em> \u2013 a sort of spicy, cured sausage meat that\u2019s a bit like \u2018nduja<\/em>. Roasted aubergine was smoky and savoury, with what tasted like a sesame-miso sauce, while tuna tataki<\/em> had equally Asian accents with ginger and sesame. Finally, the jam\u00f3n \u201cbikini\u201d in brioche bread echoed a Cuban sandwich. The service was a little chaotic, but it\u2019s forgivable for food this good.<\/p>\n Literally translating as \u201csalt water\u201d, it\u2019s no surprise that Agua Salada<\/a> specialises in fish and seafood. And while I\u2019m sure these are locally caught, the flavours borrow from many different cultures. Cuttlefish came in wasabi mayo, while shrimp tartare was creamy and spicy with perhaps a touch of shiso. Tuna tataki<\/em> (seemingly a favourite on Valencian menus) was served with giant capers and za\u2019atar-style seasoning, while baby scallops came with a soy-based sauce. For those in search of something more traditional, the squid stew tasted resolutely Mediterranean, while the smoked fish appeared in a Russian salad format that we saw a lot elsewhere. Agua Salada was one of my favourite meals from my most recent trip, and is well worth the trek outside of the city centre.<\/p>\n Off the beaten path in the Benimaclet neighbourhood, El Aprendiz de Tapas<\/a> is a delightful combination of cool minimalism and colourful flowers. It also has what looks to be a fantastic terrace in good weather, overlooking a quiet square. The menu is eclectic, but somehow the kitchen nails absolutely everything. European flavours included smoky aubergine with mozzarella and mint pesto, or slow-cooked beef with couscous. Asia was represented by Chinese-style pork dumplings and Thai-style pork ribs with the most fragrant yellow curry sauce. Even traces of\u00a0nikkei<\/em>\u00a0were present in the form of tuna ceviche (served seared, \u201ccaliente\u201d style, with plantain chips and cancha corn) and salmon\u00a0tataki<\/em>\u00a0with sesame and kimchi. It sounds like a lot could go wrong, but trust me when I say that it was all spot on. Even the desserts were a joy: the most unctuously creamy, baked cheesecake, plus a refreshing yuzu mousse with mango sorbet. Perhaps because of its up-and-coming location, the bill at the end was\u00a0staggeringly reasonable. Go before they put the prices up!<\/p>\n Chef Ricard Camarena\u00a0holds two Michelin stars at his eponymous restaurant. But for those of us who don\u2019t have the funds to splash on Michelin-starred dining, Camarena also runs the more affordable Canalla Bistro<\/a>\u00a0on the outskirts of Russafa. Think international fusion dishes that aren\u2019t afraid of bold, spicy flavours. I particularly enjoyed the Peruvian-style seabass ceviche and the Asian-style tuna tartare, but literally everything we ordered was delicious \u2013 including the veggie dishes like spicy aubergine and vegetable tempura. Despite Camarena\u2019s culinary cachet, dinner at his bistro was extremely affordable (especially by northern European standards).<\/p>\n In the same neighbourhood and a good alternative if you can\u2019t get into Canalla Bistro is\u00a0La Tasqueta del Mercat<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 close to Russafa market, as the name suggests. Each lunch and dinner time, they have a few set menus that are extremely good value for money. We paid under \u20ac25 for a five-course menu (this little Amsterdammer\u2019s jaw dropped!) plus only a few extra euros for a fabulous bottle of Ribera del Duero. I especially liked the\u00a0bacalao<\/em>\u00a0croquettes that were crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, as well as the tuna tartare with chilli and peanut sauces served with crisp corn tortilla. Plus, the chicken-liver p\u00e2t\u00e9 with focaccia and pickled onions was simple but perfectly prepared.<\/p>\n Bang in the centre of the old city, modern fine-dining restaurant Karak<\/a> is the brainchild of the extremely talented Rakel Cernicharo. We tried her ten-course tasting menu, which was a creative fusion of European and Asian flavours \u2013 playful but still recognisable. One of my favourite dishes was the shrimp ravioli with red curry sauce, seaweed and a garnish of fascinatingly sour green leaves \u2013 a veritable flavour bomb. Beef\u00a0tataki<\/em>\u00a0with\u00a0beurre noisette<\/em>, hazelnut sauce and leeks (pictured below) was delicate and subtle by contrast, but no less delicious for that. While Karak\u2019s signature dish of salmon cured for four days in soy sauce with sushi rice and kimchi cream was an umami hit. What\u2019s more, the sommelier was very knowledgeable about suitable wines to pair with the dishes, and you get a great view of the kitchen if you sit at the long communal tables upstairs.<\/p>\n You probably didn\u2019t come to Valencia looking for Indian curry, or Italian pizza, or Argentinian steak. But once you\u2019ve gorged yourself on tapas and paella for a few days, you might be ready for something different\u2026<\/p>\n Since the first time I visited Valencia, there seems to have been an explosion of Indian restaurants \u2013 and some of them are really surprisingly good. One such eatery is Kathmandu<\/a>, in the Gran V\u00eda neighbourhood, which specialises in Nepalese dishes as well as traditional North Indian fare. I especially enjoyed the chana<\/em> masala (chickpea curry) and the special Nepali curry with tamarind and peppers. But everything was great, right down to the naan bread and the service.<\/p>\n Essentially an Argentinian steakhouse, Asador Argentino Gordon 10<\/a> is filled with British and Dutch tourists \u2013 but don\u2019t let that put you off! One for the meat eaters, the kitchen serves up a truly excellent ribeye steak, done simply with baked potatoes and grilled vegetables. The wine is affordable and the service some of the best we had. A carnivore\u2019s paradise.<\/p>\n I generally don\u2019t eat much Italian food outside of Italy, but we\u2019d had a recommendation for pizza in Russafa and off we went in search of it. Unfortunately, the pizza joint in question (which shall remain nameless) was abysmal. But by that point we needed a dough fix \u2013 fast. We stumbled upon Interno Mediterraneo<\/a> quite by accident, but it turned out to be exactly what we were looking for. Pillowy Neapolitan-style crusts with fabulous-quality toppings, and some lovely cocktails to wash it all down with. I particularly enjoyed the jam\u00f3n y trufa<\/em> pizza with melt-in-the-mouth ham and a burrata-truffle cream sauce as well as fresh tomatoes. Plus, the smoky negroni made a great aperitivo.<\/p>\n In need of a restorative coffee fix or a refreshing beer? The coffee in Valencia seems generally to be of a high quality \u2013 I tend to order a cortado<\/em> for a shot of espresso with a shot of warm milk to take the edge off. There\u2019s also been a rise in Valencian craft beer since I started visiting: no longer are you limited to the local Turia lager \u2013 now you can find hoppy IPAs, sweet stouts and fruity white beers.<\/p>\n If you find yourself in Russafa during the afternoon, looking for either a caffeine fix or somewhere to work on your laptop for an hour, pop into Caf\u00e9 Artysana<\/a>. Good coffee, tasty cakes, and chilled atmosphere to read, chat, or catch up on your emails. I\u2019ve heard they also do brunch\u2026<\/p>\n If you\u2019re in El Cabanyal by the coast (for paella, perhaps), it\u2019s definitely worth popping into cultural centre and hipster hangout La F\u00e1brica de Hielo<\/a> \u2013 literally translating as the ice factory. When I was there, the beer taps were flowing (with local beer Turia, among others), there was various street food on offer, and all this was accompanied by live music from a talented local duo singing and strumming.<\/p>\n We headed to Ubik Caf\u00e9<\/a> primarily because we\u2019d read that it was dog-friendly, and once we arrived we discovered it was everyone-friendly. Kids, couples, friends, families and their furry companions are all welcome at this artsy Russafa caf\u00e9 that\u2019s filled with bustle and books.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.amsterdamfoodie.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/A-Foodies-Guide-to-Valencia-500x500.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\nTransport and accommodation in Valencia<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Markets in Valencia<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.amsterdamfoodie.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Mercado-de-Ruzafa-Valencia-500x641.jpg\")
Paella restaurants in Valencia<\/h2>\n
Casa Carmela<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.amsterdamfoodie.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Casa-Carmella-Valencia-500x624.jpg\")
La Pepica<\/h3>\n
![\"Valencia](\"https:\/\/www.amsterdamfoodie.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Valencia-restaurants-La-Pepica-paella-500x400.jpg\")
<\/a>Maremar<\/h3>\n
Casa Roberto<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.amsterdamfoodie.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Casa-Roberto-paella-in-Valencia-500x500.jpg\")
<\/a>Tapas bars in Valencia<\/h2>\n
Taberna Pare Pere<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.amsterdamfoodie.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Taber-Pare-Pere-Valencia-tapas-bar-500x830.jpg\")
Casa Montana<\/h3>\n
![\"Casa](\"https:\/\/www.amsterdamfoodie.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Casa-Montana-tapas-restaurant-Valencia-500x625.jpg\")
<\/a>La Pilareta<\/h3>\n
El Rodam\u00f3n de Russafa<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.amsterdamfoodie.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/El-Rodamon-de-Russafa-500x682.jpg\")
Modern Spanish restaurants in Valencia<\/h2>\n
Timoteo Gastrobar<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.amsterdamfoodie.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Timoteo-Gastrobar-Valencia-500x302.jpg\")
Agua Salada<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.amsterdamfoodie.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Agua-Salada-restaurant-Valencia-500x761.jpg\")
El Aprendiz de Tapas<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.amsterdamfoodie.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/El-Aprendiz-de-Tapas-Valencia-500x628.jpg\")
Canalla Bistro<\/h3>\n
![\"Valencia](\"https:\/\/www.amsterdamfoodie.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Valencia-restaurants-Ricard-Camarena-Cannalla-Bistro-500x375.jpg\")
<\/a>La Tasqueta del Mercat<\/h3>\n
Karak<\/h3>\n
![\"Karak](\"https:\/\/www.amsterdamfoodie.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Karak-fine-dining-in-Valencia-500x625.jpg\")
<\/a>International food in Valencia<\/h2>\n
Kathmandu<\/h3>\n
Asador Argentino Gordon 10<\/h3>\n
![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.amsterdamfoodie.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Asador-Argentino-Gordon-10-steak-in-Valencia.jpg\")
<\/a>Interno Mediterraneo<\/h3>\n
Caf\u00e9s in Valencia<\/h2>\n
Caf\u00e9 Artysana<\/h3>\n
La F\u00e1brica de Hielo<\/h3>\n
![\"Valencia](\"https:\/\/www.amsterdamfoodie.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Valencia-bars-La-Fabrica-de-Hielo-500x718.jpg\")
<\/a>Ubik Caf\u00e9<\/h3>\n
Heading to Valencia? If you liked this Foodie Guide to Valencia Restaurants you might like my Wine Lover\u2019s Guide to Valencia<\/a> too\u2026<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n