It’s no surprise that Valencia is the best place to go for paella. The original recipe comes from here and this great dish is the culinary symbol of the city. In Valencia there are many good restaurants, often located next to the beach or near the “Ciudad Vella”. Most have put a lot of effort into the decor and the atmosphere is very welcoming. No matter what you are going to do in Valencia: you must try paella at least once during your stay. Check these 3 restaurants so you can eat the best paella in the city.
La Ruia Restaurant
It is probably the best place to eat if you are looking for a genuine traditional Valencian restaurant. It offers a wide range of local options: more than 15 traditional types of paellas and rice dishes (it is difficult to find such an offer in any other restaurant in the city), fish dishes and the local meat. The interior is typical Valencian with ceramics and furniture on the walls. La Riua is truly a legend: it is a loved and respected place and that is why there are usually many guests. You can call and reserve a table or also order your paella while you are arriving. Eating paella costs almost 15 euros, meat 7, fish and seafood 10.
Tapelia Restaurant
This restaurant is an authentic “arroceria” with a wide range of rice dishes (15 – 20 different paellas). You can even taste the unique paella with deer. You can also order good creative meat dishes, good starters and salads. It is also possible to order paella to take away. The price range varies between 15/20 euros for a paella, 5/7 for meat dishes, 12 for salads. The atmosphere is really cozy with stone walls, intimate lighting, artwork with a great jazz soundtrack, lots of small tables close together and few people. There are two other “Tapelia restaurants” in town, one near the beach and one near the City of Arts and Sciences.
Alkazar Tavern
La Taverna Alkazar is a historic restaurant located in the center of Valencia with more than 50 years of history. It is one of the most popular, even for Valencians. It’s probably not cheap, but the high level of quality combined with the idea of simplicity makes it one of the best places to eat. It offers Spanish themes on the walls and a large dining terrace for the summer that is shared with two neighboring restaurants, perhaps a bit cheaper (so why not check out Givera and Palacio de Bellota too). You can enjoy luxurious traditional fish, shellfish and meats, as well as some varieties of paella. Fish/seafood dishes can cost around 15/20 euros, meat 10.
