Dear friends of ours have been raving about Valencia for about two years now but it’s always been on our “we’ll get there” list. However, last year I was looking around for a birthday weekend destination for Jono with good food, a warmer climate, and easy affordable flights. Boom! Up popped Valencia. And now that we have been I am a convert. I am talking Top 10 must visit European cities. The weather in early November was mild, the food was fantastic and the prices (when spending pounds) were bueno!
We snuck out for an early afternoon flight and with that little extra time on Friday thought two nights worked well for exploring Valencia. The problem now is I want to go back, and eat everything we ate again plus a long list of more must visits. Shame, someone has to do it though…
Restaurants we loved in Valencia
– Canalla Bistro
Run by Ricard Camarena of Ricard Camarena Restaurant (two Michelin stars and 96 on the World’s 50 best). This was recommended as a way to try his cooking without the premium price tag. I would highly highly recommend a visit and based on our meal have moved his main restaurant onto our must visit list. The menu is shared plates of fusion cuisine with a nod to the Far East, South America and the Mediterranean. Sounds like it won’t work. It works. They offer the kitchen’s suggested menu for two and that would be my recommendation. Some of the dishes on that menu would never have been on my order list and they blew me away – looking at you zucchini ribbon salad with green mango and parmesan cheese.
– Casa Carmela
You can’t come to Valencia and not have paella. Valencia is home of paella and their traditional style involves chicken, rabbit, and snails. I did a fair amount of googling and ultimately landed on Case Carmela dating back to 1922. It’s super popular so you will need to book and if you’d like the traditional paella you will need to specify in your booking notes as it cannot be ordered on the day. They have a large offering of different seafood paellas which looked fantastic too and can be ordered on the day. Please be warned – the paella is HUGE! Honestly, we could have easily shared this with a third person. Also, the local wine is fantastic and I have included a photo below of the bottle we drank and loved with lunch.
– Central Bar
This is another restaurant run by Ricard Camarena and further cemented my belief that we need to visit his main restaurant. We popped in for a quick breakfast snack and honestly, I wish we had time for more. I will be going for the full lunch experience on our next trip. It’s located right in the centre of Mercat Central and sources local ingredients sold in the market to support an ever changing blackboard of menu items based on what is freshest and seasonal. We went for their bocadillos which are a type of sandwich served on a baguette. We opted for the cuttlefish and the cheesy pork situation. Both were buttery and superb.
– Casa Montaña
This is a super popular local tapas based in the fisherman’s district of Cabanyal. It’s a bit of a trek out but we tied it in with a walk through the City of Arts and Science. This is a must book stop and during the course of our lunch they must have politely turned away fifty people. The tapas is fantastic and I would recommend asking your waiter for suggestions. Everything we ate was fantastic but a special shout out to the goat’s cheese crostini with a top tier glass of dessert wine.
– Juliet
We discovered this gem on our walk to the City of Arts and Science as Jono was on the hunt for coffee. How magical to have a shop window filled with an assortment of freshly baked cookies! Jono said the coffee was great. I grabbed a slice of basque cheesecake to go and it was fantastic. Really good. Still thinking about it. Their Instagram looks amazing and I would definitely pop past on purpose next time with the hope of ordering more delicious things! Their cinnamon buns looked delicious too…
Places we visited but weren’t our favourites
– Cafe Madrid – Agua de Valencia is the famous local cocktail made of fresh orange juice, cava and generous splashes of gin and vodka served over ice. Cafe Madrid is the inventor of this cocktail in 1959 and everyone recommends a visit. It’s alright. A little stuffy and touristy and pretty pricey. I’d recommend grabbing a one litre jug at a more casual spot around the corner for a similar price. Our favourite spot was Escalons de la Llotja which we visited twice and will definitely visit again.
Places on our next visit list
– Richard Camarena Restaurant
– Kaido Sushi bar
– Horchatería Vida
– Bar Ricardo
Things we did when not eating
– Mercado Central
Huge local market with a gorgeous ceiling. Check out the giant steaks and seafood offering. We saw many people ordering oysters and sea urchins and eating them right there and then!
– Explore the historical centre
Valencia is so very beautiful and has an easy to stroll old town centre.
– Wonder around the City of Arts and Science
This is their modern compound of five museums. The museums didn’t tempt me but I wanted to check out the architecture – it really does feel like you’ve time travelled to the future with these crazy buildings! I would definitely recommend a walk around especially if you tie it into lunch at Casa Montaña. People recommend the aquarium here but it’s home to dolphins and beluga whales with daily shows taking place. That’s a hard no for me and I cannot support this aquarium.
Where we stayed in Valencia
We stayed at Catalonia Hotels & Resorts. Our room was lovely, the price was right and it was super central. We booked directly (vs booking.com) as they have a membership discount on their site.
Have the best time in Valencia!
with all my love, Tahlia
