Valencia Restaurants

Restaurants in Valencia

If you like good food and good wine then you are definitely in the right place. Spain is internationally famous for its food and its cooking. The best meals are with no doubt: “La Paella” and “Las Tapas” that you can find in every corner of the streets. The origin of the true paella is in Valencia so the paella of Valencia is considered as the “queen” of paellas. A typical restaurant of Valencia will serve many different types of paellas with many different tastes. The most famous ones are the ones made with rice, chicken, rabbit, and vegetables, but they can also be served with fish, shrimps or a mixture of everything. Once in Valencia you will really have to taste it.
You can find “Tapas” in every corner of the streets, in what is called “cafeterias”. The tapas are one of the most typical Spanish meals and they are usually served with something to drink. You can find little plates with meat, fish, salad, and a normal course will cost you around 3 euros.

As there are more than one hundred restaurants in Valencia, you will always be able to find something you like: a romantic dinner with candles or just a little snack, Valencia will always satisfy your expectations. You will find every kind of food, from typical Spanish to Asian food or Italian for example, there is a bit of everything.
It is normal in Spain to have dinner late in the evening (between 20h and 22h) so a normal restaurant in Valencia should stay opened even after midnight. If your intention is to get used to the Spanish schedule then don’t be surprised if you have to a while before you get seated. Some restaurants also have a terrace outside, but you usually have to book in advance in order to get the table.
There are restaurants for every kind of budgets in Valencia, from active families to more composed people, and they can offer large home made servings with fresh ingredients to put their cooking in the highest level.
Most of the restaurants have an excellent house wine to offer, a good suggestion for those who get lost in the list wine!.

The word “tapa” literally means “cover or lid”. It is a small amount of food which generally goes with a glass of wine or beer. Traditionally, the tapas come with your drink but most of the bars only offer few olives and some pieces of chorizo (Spanish sausage) without making you pay- and you can be happy when they do it.

The tapas specific to Valencia are chorizo, Spanish tortilla, patatas bravas, croquetas and empanada. One tapa doesn’t cost more than 2 euros while other specialities like Spanish ham and Galician octopus can be a little bit more expensive.

You need to know that if you are going to a tapas bar in Valencia, a restaurant, or a café, most of them are going to make you pay an extra charge to be on the terrace or the patio.  It’s best to check before you sit down if you want to save some money.

Restaurants in Valencia

In Valencia there are many restaurants with lovely dining-rooms; many of them are situated near the “Ciudad Vella” or by the beach. You will notice that most of them have dedicated some time to the decoration and ambient created to make it more welcoming.  As well as the city's most famous dish of Paella Valenciana which is served in traditional restaurants, international cuisine is becoming increasingly more popular and there are a number of Japanese, Italian, and Indian quality restaurants to discover and enjoy.

Every inhabitant of Valencia will probably tell you that Valencia is considered to be the home of paella in Spain. It is not surprising then that there are lots of restaurants in Valencia where you can eat paella. No matter what you will be doing you have to make sure you taste paella in one of the many restaurant situated in town or by the beach. In spite of the fact that paella is usually associated with seafood, the “paella of Valencia” is originally made with rice, rabbit, chicken, snails and vegetables. If you prefer fish then you can ask for a “paella de mariscos”( seafood paella), or a “paella mixta”(mixed paella) with fish and chicken.

Valencia has plenty cafes and bars that also serve a selection of foods that extends beyond peanuts and crisps.  Although tradition dictates that lunch is a lengthly affair, worthy of taking a few hours over and to be spent in a restaurant or (ideally) to go back home to eat... followed by a brief rest, modern lifestyles and work schedules often make this unrealistic. Cafes are a good alternative to the many sandwich franchises.

As the paella’s place of birth, Valencia has got a very good reputation for its food. There are lots of farmhouses with fresh fruits and vegetables which travel from the fields to the markets and end in the kitchens of the restaurants. Fresh fish is also a favourite.

Most of the cheapest restaurants are situated in the Barrio del Carmen. It is worth wandering through the streets until you find the place you like best. The cheapest option is the menu of the day (menu del día) which includes a starter, a main plate and a desert. You probably won’t have to pay more than 10 euros for that.

Your restaurant budget is now done!