Spain's culinary traditions rely on an abundance of locally grown vegetables and fruits as well as meats and poultry. Jamón serrano , a cured ham, and chorizo , a seasoned sausage, are popular. Seafood and fish are popular in coastal areas.). Olive oil and garlic are common ingredients.
The best-known Spanish dish is paella that originated in Valencia. There are numerous variations of the paella. Traditionally it is made of a variety of shellfish (such as shrimp, clams, crab, and lobster), chorizo (sausage), vegetables (tomatoes, peas, and asparagus), chicken and/or rabbit, and long-grained rice. Broth, onion, garlic, wine, pimiento (sweet red pepper), and saffron add flavor to the stew.
Every region has its own distinct cuisine and specialties. Gazpacho, a cold tomato soup, comes from Andalucía in southern Spain.. Andalusians enjoy freidurías (fish, such as sole or anchovies, fried in batter). Cataluña (Catalonia), in northeastern Spain, is known for its inventive dishes combining seafood, meat, poultry, and local fruits. In the northern Basque country , fish is important to the diet, with cod, eel, and squid featured prominently. The signature dish of Asturias is fabada, a bean stew. In the interior regions, such as Castilla, meats play a starring role. Tortilla española, a potato omelet, is served throughout the country. It can be prepared quickly and makes a hearty but simple dinner. Spain's best-known dessert is flan, a rich custard.
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ARROP RICARD CAMARENA Calle Almirante 14, Valencia Telf. 963 925 566 District – Ciutat Vella www.arrop.com The most exciting new restaurant in Valencia is the Arrop Ricard Camarena , set in the spectacular Hotel Palacio Marqués de Caro. The owners, Santiago Máñez and Luis Bellvís (the latter a descendant of the last Moorish King of Valencia, Abu Zayd), discovered a large section of the old Almohad city wall when they were renovating the building. They have preserved much of the old structure to create a balance of ancient and modern in which to enjoy Camarena's Michelin-starred cuisine, with a focus on seafood. Price – Lunch €30 Price – Evening €54 Closed Sunday and Monday |
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RESTAURANTE NAVARRO
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LA CEPA VIEJA Calle San Vicente Mártir 209, cruce con Avenida Giorgeta Telf. 963 423 236 District Patraix www.lacepavieja.es Situated in the heart of Valencia, La Cepa Vieja specialises in Mediterranean cuisine using the freshest local ingredients many of which are grown by themselves, such as garlic, artichokes, baby green beans, asparagus and many herbs. Even the olive oil comes from their own olive production. Traditional dishes are given a new twist with innovative touches from the Head Chef. Salt cod fritters, black rice with mushrooms, artichokes and wild asparagus, artisan prepared ox, beef sirloin, and a wide variety of Iberian hams, cheeses and sausages, fresh fish and salads. All this accompanied by 120 references on the wine list. This is a first class restaurant with prices which are reasonable. Price - €35 Closed Sunday, Monday night and Tuesday night. Booking required |
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REFUGIO RESTAURANTE DEL CARMEN
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SARGANTANA Llano de Zaidia 16, Valencia 46009 Telf. 963 384 833 District – La Saidia www.sargantanarestaurant.com Sargantana is a delightful restaurant situated close to the old River Turia. serving creative Mediterranean cuisine. The menu features a great selection of well thought out dishes such as black rice with squid and asparagus, sweet peppers stuffed with partridge, duck magret with figs, flavoured sausages and swordfish steaks with black and white garlic. The wine cellar is extensive with over 200 references to choose from. Price - €35 Booking required |
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A TU GUSTO Escritor Rafael Ferreres esq Avenida Obrero, Valencia 46013 Telf. 963 227 026 District – City of Arts & Sciences www.atugusto.com Located close to the City of Arts & Sciences this is a very good value for money restaurant suitable to all pockets. With years of experience at Michelin star restaurants, chef Salvador Furio decided to go it alone and has introduced a versatile eatery which appeals to both tourists and residents alike. Dishes on offer include entrecote of Galician beef with mushrooms, duck breast with vegetable tempura and teriyaki sauce, loin of lamb with couscous and Moroccan spices and rabbit with garlic and caramelized onions and morels. Fish dishes include turbot with black olives, mayonnaise and roasted tomatoes hake in green sauce with clams and prawns and confit of trout with cauliflower cream and caviar. Price - €25 Booking required |
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CERVECERIA RESTAURANTE DEVICIO Jorge Comin, 6, Valencia 46015 Telf. 963 478 319 District – Campanar Devicio has a superb collection of tapas on offer, however if you prefer something a little more filling, the menu offers a good selection of rice dishes, fish dishes, fillet stakes, and entrecotes. The dessert menu is equally impressive and the home made tiramisu is a speciality. Devicio is very popular with the hip and fashionable crowds of Valencia. There is a nice lounge area where you may relax after dining and listen to music. Also caters for parties and celebrations. Price - € 20 average |
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JOAQUIN SCHMIDT Calle Visitación 7, Valencia Telf. 963 401 710 District – La Saidi Born in Madrid but of German parentage, chef Joaquín Schmidt Río-Valle is becoming one of the best known chefs in Valencia. His philosophy of "preparing each menu as if I'm cooking for cherished friends." Produces stunning dishes with surprising tastes and aromas. All dishes are prepared using only extra-virgin olive oils, the best of balsamic vinegars, and special salts he imports from Brittany and Great Britain. "The Menu of All Faiths" is a menu with four dishes plus dessert, but his "Gourmand Menu" brings you five dishes plus dessert. The extravaganza is the "Joaquín Schmidt Menu," seven dishes plus cheese and dessert Price - €50 to €60 Closed Sunday and lunchtime Monday Booking required |
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ALEJANDRO DEL TORO Amadeo de Saboya 15 E - 46010 Valencia Telf. . 963 934 046 District - El Pla De Real www.restaurantealejandrodeltoro.com Owner and Chef Alejandro del Toro was awarded a Michelin star in 2003. Alejandro is the third generation in a family which has been dedicated to the hospitality industry. The restaurant boasts one of the most innovative kitchens in the city, where new ideas and constant reinvention ensure that every visit is new and exciting. The menu changes daily depending upon the fresh produce available and the season. The signature dish is a soup made with Raff tomatoes (an especially tasty variety from Almería in southern Spain) with basil and prawns. Price 40€to 68€ Price - menu €36-50€ Price – a la carte €51-75€ Price - menu degustación: €76-100€ Booking required |
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RESTAURANTE RIFF Conde de Altea 18 E - 46005 Valencia Telf. 963 335 353 District - L'L´Eixample www.restaurante-riff.com In keeping with the latest restaurant trends, Riff produces creative cuisine in a minimalist, designer setting. Chef Bernd Knöller may be German, but his understanding of local traditions (he's lived in Spain for more than 15 years) has made Riff one of the city's most popular Mediterranean restaurants. Specialties include fillet of red tuna with parmesan tomatoes and basil, skate wing roasted in olive oil with a red wine sauce and capers and grilled Lubina with orange blossom and sea snails. Lunch menu € 25 Evening menu €45 to €80 Closed Sundays and Mondays. Booking advised |
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EL GASTRONOMO Primado Reig 149 E - 46020 Valencia Telf. 963 697 036 District - El Pla De Real www.elgastronomorestaurante.com An old-fashioned, highly professional restaurant with traditional décor, the service and the dishes are as classic as the restaurant itself. A varied menu of rice, meat and fish dishes, including the house speciality, steak tartar. Closed Sundays, Monday and Tuesday nights Price €36 to €45 |
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MESSANA Calle de Catalans, 8, 46001 Valencia Telf. 963 155 975 District – Ciutat Vella www.restaurantemessana.com Messana, is tucked away just off Plaza Negrito, it is a cocktail bar downstairs and has a large dining room upstairs with high beamed ceilings and white walls decorated with huge prints. The menu is not vast but is well thought out. Dishes include a vegetable terrine with fresh pesto and anchovies, goats cheese with caramelized apples, cazuelita of fresh pasta with tomatoes, spinach and ricotta, merluza wrapped in cheese with a mushroom sauce and magret of duck with mango chutney and dried fruits. Price – from €24 |
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MARISQUERIA CIVERA Mosén Femades 10 E - 46002 Valencia Telf. 963 529 764 District – Ciutat Vella www.marisqueriascivera.com This restaurant specialising in fish, seafood and rice dishes has a tapas bar, maritime inspired dining rooms and several private rooms. The seafood platter here is particularly good. Price € 35 to € 55 |
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OCHO Y MEDIO Plaza de Lope de Vega 5, 46001 Valencia Telf. 963 921 779 District – Ciutat Vella www.elochoymedio.com Armando Gil owner and chef offers superb Mediterranean cuisine with a French Influence. His specialities are dishes involving foie, such as foie rolled with fine slices of apple and served with a caramelised vermouth sauce and deserts made from chocolate, such as his “ Chocolate Paradise “ which is 4 tastings of different chocolate creations – two hot and two cold. Meat dishes include tender roasted ox with mushrooms and pear chutney and roasted rabbit with snails, olives and aromatic herbs. This welcoming restaurant has a neo-rustic style décor and is able to cater for special events in private rooms and also offers outside catering. Closed Sundays Price €40 to 50 Booking required |
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LA SUCURSAL Guillém de Castro 118 E - 46003 Valencia Telf. 963 746 665 District – Ciutat Vella This restaurant is a serene, polished hideaway located in the Valencian Institute of Modern Arts. It offers a combination of innovative and traditional cuisine and the chef is known for his soupy rice dishes prepared in deep pots instead of paella pans. One of these specialities is arroz caldosa de bogavante – a creamy rice with bits of lobster, seasoned with saffron and paprika. Deserts include a smooth quince sorbet, a pistachio sorbet and beet compote with fresh cheese ice cream and seasonal berries Price €40 to €70 Booking required |
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ALBACAR Calle Sorni, 35 Telf . 963 951 005 District - L' L´Eixample www.restaurantealbacar.com Mediterranean cuisine served in an original creative way, in attractive surroundings. Chef Tito Albacar adds a dash of the unusual to traditional dishes for example by taking a "poor" dish of pig's trotters and adding a truffle vinaigrette. Highly recommended are the curry crawfish salad, hot foie-gras with young pigeon and French beans, and the coffee parfait with rheum. Closed Sundays and Monday night Price -€ 50 Booking advised |
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EL CABANYAL Calle de la Reina 128, 46011 Valencia Telf . 963 561 503 District – Poblats Maritims www.restauranteelcabanyal.com Owned by Raul Cob, a young Gourmet entrepreneur, restaurant El Cabanyal specializes in seafood, and has earned a reputation as being one of the best restaurants in terms of fish and seafood in Valencia. The fishing tradition in the neighbourhood of cabañal, where the restaurant is located, is reflected in this restaurant. Among the fish on offer are grouper, sea bream, sea bass, turbot, bream, hake, tuna, sole, octopus, squid and shellfish. The restaurant is situated in one of the old preserved art deco buildings of the neighbourhood Booking required |
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C' AN BERMELL Calle Santo Tomás, 18, 46003 Valencia Telf . 963 91 02 88 District – Ciutat Vella Located in Barrio del Carmen in a lovely 17th century building. , Emilio Bermell has built up a reputation of being one of the best chefs in the city. Each day he carefully selects the freshest of local produce and creates original dishes such as a warm mushroom salad with truffle, onion stuffed cod with a green pepper sauce, duck breast with a red wine sauce and honey combs filled with foie gras. The deserts, all home made, include tiramisu and crepes. Booking required |
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CHUST GODOY Calle Boix, 6, 46003, Valencia Telf. 963 913 815 District – Ciutat Vella www.chustgodoy.com Run by Vicente Chust and his wife Carmen serving traditional, seasonal and creative cuisine. The menu is changed regularly in keeping with the seasons and includes such offerings as terrine of duck foie with herb bread, creamy rice with lobster, loin of veal with mustard and cod fillets with cream of cauliflower and spring onions. The menu is not extensive but carefully thought out and of high quality. They occasionally have special menus, such as one during the hunting season with game meat. Price - €50 to €60 Closed lunchtime Saturday and Sunday Booking required |
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LA BULERIA Obispo Jaime Pérez, 24 Telf. 963 153 058 District – Quatre Carreres www.labuleria.com Bringing together two of the most valued treasures of this country – Spanish cuisine and Flamenco. This is not some tourist trap but real Flamenco taken very seriously. Open Friday and Saturday only from 9pm to 11pm Price €30 to €45 including the show Booking required |
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TINTO FINO Calle Corregeria, 38, 46001 Valencia Telf. 963 153 964 District – Ciutat Vella www.tintofinoultramarino.com Just 50m from Plaza de La Reina, this is a wine bar with over 100 choices of the best international wines. It is also a restaurant with quality tapas, sausages, conserves, and cheeses from all over the world and fresh local foods prepared daily. As the owner says “ Share our passion for wine and genuine dishes. Save water, drink wine “ Open daily from 8pm |
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LA UTIELANA Plaza del Picadero de Dos Aguas, 3 46002 Valencia, Spain Telf. 963 529 414 District – Ciutat Vella A small out of the way restaurant with traditional cooking and very popular with the locals. It is a shame they serve lunch only. Lunch €8 Closed Saturday |
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EL ANGEL AZUL Calle del Conde de Altea, 33, 46005, Valencia Telf. 963 745 656 District - L' L´Eixample www.restauranteelangelazul.com Angel Azul is a very well-known award-winning restaurant in Valencia, with a loyal clientele, who describe it as one of Valencia's best. Spanish cuisine served in a traditional manner with a touch of the artisan. Freshly resourced local produce and an excellent wine list. Price - €35 to €60 Closed Sunday and Monday |
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HAMADRIADA Plaza Vicente Iborra 3 Telf. 963 260 891 District – Ciutat Vella www.hamadriada.com Located in Barrio del Carmen, the restaurant serves grilled meats, fish and traditional rice dishes. They also have a good selection of salads and Tapas. Prices are reasonable and they have a good lunch time menu. Closed Sunday Monday and Tueday nights. Lunch €10 Menu – Degustacion € 25 to €45 |
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RESTAURANTE LUZ DE
LUNA Paseo Marítimo, 5, 46011, Valencia Telf. . 963 550 053 Malvarrosa Beach www.playamalvarrosa.es/luzdeluna Mediterranean cuisine. Located right on beachfront of Malvarrosa beach with a good sized terrace . Free parking and a play area for children. Price - Moderate Open all year |
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RESTAURANTE COMMO Calle Pascual y Genís, 3, 46002, Valencia Telf . 963 523 649 District – Ciutat Vella www.restaurantecommo.com Mediterranean cuisine with a creative concept. Central location with public parking. Price - €35 |
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RESTAURANTE KAYMUS Avda. del Maestro Rodrigo 44 Telf. 963 486 666 District Campanar Conveniently located in Valencia's quickly expanding business hub, is Kaymus - the Spanish restaurant run by the veteran chef Nacho Romero. With rich experience in the culinary arena spanning ten years in some of the premier restaurants in Switzerland, Madrid, Catalonia, Valencia and Andalusia, Romero's talent for rice dishes and grilled meats among other exquisite preparations is hard to equal |
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NECO
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