Valencia, Spain: The Top 10 Experiences for Foodies

On Spain’s southeast coast lies the city of Valencia. It’s the country’s third-largest city and has a culture and language uniquely theirs.

While Spanish, yes, they do things a little differently in Valencia.

A bit rough around the edges, Valencia feels like a city that has gone through many transformations. And for some, it may take a slight warming up to appreciate all the city has to offer.

As Spain’s oldest city, it’s full of history with architecture that is a sight to see. Some buildings date back to the Reconquest, creating quite the juxtaposition with the futuristic Arts and Sciences Building. Truly a city built through the ages.

As a city that would have any history buff swooning, how does this translate into their food?

Valencia is the true home of paella, so of course, it’s everywhere, but not surprisingly, there’s much more.

Through culinary experiences, you’re sure to be reeled into the Valencia that the locals know and love.

To make the most of your time in the city, here are the best food experiences to have when visiting Valencia:

1. Eat Paella

Paella – the famous dish of Valencia. People often associate paella with Spanish cuisine, but locals will tell you that paella outside of Valencia isn’t real paella.

While you can enjoy various paella and rice dishes in Valencia, traditional paella is a must.

So what is traditional paella? That would be Paella Valenciana.

Paella Valenciana is made with local round grain rice, chicken, rabbit, green beans, butterbeans, artichokes, tomatoes, and seasonings like saffron and rosemary.

Historically, snails were a part of the recipe – especially if money was tight. Today, some recipes still include snails, while others have chosen to omit them altogether.

The best paellas have crispy bits on the bottom and edge of the pan. These crispy bits are called socarrat and come from rice being toasted and then caramelizing on the hot pan.

Typically, paella is eaten at lunch rather than dinner, but you’ll find restaurants in the city that offer it throughout the day.

If you have the time, venture out to El Palmer near Albufera National Park. Here you can enjoy paella near the rice paddies where the rice is grown. It’s about a 30-minute drive from the center of Valencia, or you can get there by train in just over an hour.

Keep in mind that most places require a minimum of 2 people per order, so you’ll usually have to decide as a table which paella you’d like to order.variou

Where To Try It:

Casa Carmela

A great place to enjoy paella near the beach. They’ve been around since 1922 and it’s a popular spot for local families to enjoy lunch. Reservations are recommended.

El Racó de la Paella

A restaurant located in a Valencian house from the 1900s. Paella is their specialty, and reservations are required.

Goya Gallery

The service can be hit or miss, but they recently won 2nd place in a paella competition. If you do come here, make sure to make a reservation, and let them know you want Paella Valenciana as you’ll have to order it in advance.

Restuarante Bon Aire

Located in El Palmar near the lagoon and rice paddies, this restaurant has won numerous paella competitions. If you’re making the trip, make sure to reserve a table.

Restaurante Yuso or Restaurante Yuso II

One restaurant with two locations. Restaurante Yuso II has outdoor seating which is great on a nice day. At lunch, both restaurants do a menu del dia where you get 3 courses for about 10€. You’ll have to check which rice dishes are on offer that day, but they also have their full menu available in the evening.

2. Wander Through Mercado Central

Mercado Central (also called Mercat Central) is a beautiful food market located in the center of Valencia.

Completed in 1928, Mercado Central is the largest covered food market in Europe.

Filled with grocers, butchers, fishmongers, and bakers, it’s a functioning market where locals buy their daily groceries.

There are also multiple stalls to buy souvenirs or enjoy a coffee, cocktail, or have a meal.

Aside from the variety of vendors, the thing that sets Mercado Central apart is its’ beauty.

It was designed in a Valencian Art Noveau style with a variety of materials. The unique roof makes the most of the Valencian sun, bringing in lots of natural light.

Open Monday through Saturday from 7:30am – 3pm, it’s a beautiful spot to wander and enjoy lunch.

Be sure to check out Central Bar. Run by Michelin-starred chef Ricard Camarena, the menu features delicious tapas and bocadillos (sandwiches).

With the cities best produce at its fingertips, all ingredients are sourced at the market each day.

While you may have to wait, it’s worth it.

Where To Go:

Mercado Central

Central Bar

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3. Sip on an Agua de Valencia

Walking through the streets of Valencia, you’ll see oranges growing everywhere – although you shouldn’t try and eat them as those aren’t the tasty ones.

As the orange citrus is famous in the city, it makes perfect sense to make proper use out of the ingredient. Better yet, use it to make a delicious cocktail.

Agua de Valencia is a popular drink consisting of freshly squeezed orange juice, cava, vodka, and gin. Some places may only use one spirit or add sugar too. You could think of it as an upgraded mimosa.

Recipes do vary slightly, and everyone alleges they make the best one. No matter which one you try, sipping an Agua de Valencia is a must when visiting the city.

Find a bar with a terrace and enjoy an Agua de Valencia outside – El Carmen and Russafa have many.

Or, a personal favorite: take a break as you wander through Central Market and grab one at La Cava De Supergourmet.

The lady running the bar is fun and makes a mean Agua de Valencia. Her version is just with vodka, though. According to her, that’s how you make the best one.

Where To Try It:

La Cava De Supergourmet

Cafe de Las Horas

4. Try Horchata and Fartons

Despite sharing the same name, Valencian horchata is entirely different from the Mexican version.

Horchata in Valencia, or orxata as it’s called in Catalan, is a nut-milk. Whereas in Mexico, they make it with rice.

Here, horchata is made by blending together tiger nuts (chufas in Spanish), water, and sugar. It tastes a bit like almond milk, and is best enjoyed chilled.

Throughout the city, you’ll find various cafes called horchaterias that specialize in making horchata.

No horchata experience is complete without the addition of fartons. These slightly sweet pastries are made of a light dough and dusted or glazed with sugar.

Fartons are typically baked rather than fried and served at room temperature.

So why the pairing of horchata and fartons?

They’re served together because you’re supposed to dip the pastry into the horchata and enjoy. It’s a sweet pairing that’s surprisingly tasty.

Where To Try It:

Horchateria Santa Catalina

Horchateria Daniel

5. Enjoy Buñuelos

Simply put, buñuelos are Valencia’s equivalent of a doughnut. While not perfectly round in shape, they do have a hole in the center.

They’re made of a pumpkin-based dough and are deep-fried in oil. Then, they’re finished off with a dusting of sugar.

Given that they’re not overly sweet, a popular way to enjoy buñuelos is dipping them into cups of thick, rich chocolate.

Traditionally, they’re eaten during Fallas, an annual festival that honors Saint Joseph, the patron saint of carpenters. It’s Valencia’s biggest festival, and it involves art, fires, explosions, and parades.

While buñuelos are considered one of the foods of Fallas, you can still find them year-round in the city. Most horchaterias serve both fartons and buñuelos, and they’ll often serve churros too.

Where To Try Them:

Buñuelería El Contraste

Horchateria Santa Catalina

6. Eat Tapas

A trip to Valencia isn’t complete without enjoying tapas.

While tapas-style eating is now trendy worldwide, eating tapas in Spain is a way of life.

n Valencia, the largest meal of the day is usually eaten at midday, so tapas (or small plates) are generally enjoyed in the evening – although you can get them during the day too.

Eating tapas is a social affair. It’s common for groups of friends to order various tapas to pick at while having drinks.

Given Valencia’s proximity to the sea, many of the popular tapas here are fish or seafood-based. Seasonality is also considered, so most menus will change based on the time of year.

Some of the most famous tapas include:

Patatas bravas – Fried potatoes topped with aioli and spicy sauce
Grilled Squid
Calamari – Rings of fried battered squid
Puntillitas – Fried battered mini squid
Esgarraet – Strips of bacalao (salted codfish) and roasted red peppers in olive oil
Prawns – Either grilled (a la plancha), fried (frito), or sizzling in a dish with olive oil and garlic (al ajillo)
Grilled Artichokes
Pescaditos – Tiny fish that are battered and fried
Pimientos de Padrón – Padron peppers that are fried in olive oil

Where To Try Them:

Bar Ricardo

Bar Richard

Boatella Tapas

Tasca Angel

7. Try Local Wine

According to archeologists, Valencia has been a grape-growing and wine-making region for thousands of years.

While not as famous in the wine world as other Spanish regions like Rioja or Ribera del Duero, Valencia is a region not to overlook.

With its own denominación de origen (protected designation of origin), Valencian wines are slowly becoming more accessible worldwide.

The region of Valencia has two designated titles – D.O. Valencia and D.O. Utiel-Requena.

There are a number of red grapes grown in D.O. Valencia, but the most popular are Monastrell, Tempranillo, Granacha, and Cabernet Sauvignon.

There is no one style that this region is known for, but reds tend to be more fruit-forward and centered around Monastrell.

Macabeo, Merseguera, and Chardonnay are typical white varietals that make up the region’s dry white wines.

Moscatel grows well here, making dessert wines very popular too.

D.O. Utiel-Requena is about an hour inland of Valencia’s city center. It’s from this area where the notable reds of the region are made.

The most popular grape being Bobal (a native varietal), but Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon are becoming more prevalent – in particular, for blending. This region makes some great cavas (sparkling wine) as well.

With so much wine being made in the region, trying the local varietals is a must when visiting.

Wine tours are available if you’d like to visit the vineyards, but numerous wine bars in the city also offer tastings of local wines.

Where To Try It:

El Cubo de Baco

8. Try Turrón

While most popular during the Christmas season, turrón is a sweet Valencian treat that can be enjoyed any time of the year.

It’s now popular throughout Spain, but turrón’s origins are in Valencia.

Traditional turrón is made of Marcona almonds, honey, and sugar. There are two main types: blando (soft) or duro (hard).

Turrón blando uses ground almonds and is tan in color. It has a soft chewiness to it, making it somewhat similar to marzipan.

Turrón duro is white with almond pieces in it. It has a crunchier texture and is more similar to nougat.

While those were the only types of turrón available in the past, a variety of flavors are now common. The most popular flavor being chocolate.

Other flavors include turrón with liquor, sesame, burnt egg yolk, and white chocolate.

Where To Try It:

Turrones Ramos

9. Visit Mercado de Colón

Mercado de Colón is an iconic building that was initially built as a market in 1916.

The modernist building underwent a renovation project, and Mercado de Colón reopened as a hub for dining and shopping.

The revamped Mercado de Colón is now complete with gourmet markets, bars, and restaurants. They also host a variety of events throughout the year.

The building is beautiful and is worth a visit to see. Stop in for a drink or have something to eat and soak up the atmosphere.

Try Horchatería Daniel for some horchata and fartons, or make a reservation to dine at Ricard Camarena’s Habitual.

Where To Go:

Mercado de Colón

Habitual

10. Bar Hop in Ruzafa

Ruzafa is arguably Valencia’s coolest neighborhood. Although once considered a seedy area, Ruzafa is now the trendy place to be.

It’s a unique neighborhood that first attracted the city’s artists and hipsters. Now, it’s a popular destination for locals and tourists alike.

With multiple galleries, unique shops, fun bars, and delicious food, Ruzafa is a great neighborhood for wandering and going out at night.

To experience the quintessential quirkiness of Ruzafa, head to Ubik Café. It’s part library and part cafe. They host events regularly, and it’s a popular spot for locals to hang out.

Where To Go: