Hi,
I'll be traveling to Valencia soon (next June ). I would like to have a PAELLA meal that is tasty, convenient and not touristy. Valencia being the home of Paella is the place to have it, but like everywhere in Spain, it's a dish "pushed" on tourist and often far from good. I'm not foreign to Paella, I'm from Spanish heritage and have had and can have decent paella where I live. That said, I think it would be a great experience to eat one at the birth place of this wonderful dish. I visited Valencia when I was very young (16 yo) and barely remember it. It believe I was take to Barraca Toni Monteliu, but I barely remember it. I would like to get recommendations on where to eat a good Paella that is more authentic.
Posted by
SE Pennsylvania
2482 posts
I can't find the name of the restaurant, but a Valencia native took a group of us to a restaurant along the beach. I think there were a number of places along there and they told us the beach was THE place for good paella.
Posted by
S.F Bay Area (Marin)
280 posts
I can't remember the name of the place we went to by the beach also. There are a number of them. A local told me lunchtime is paella time rather than dinner. We did lunch and it was packed. A couple years back.
Posted by
SoCal
550 posts
When looking for traditional Valencian fare, don't overlook other traditional rice dishes such as arroz negro, arroz al horno and arroz a banda. In the neighborhood in which I stayed last year, the higher-end restaurants seemed loath to advertise that they served paella, instead featuring the various "arroz" dishes that they thought, I suppose, spoke to more sophistication.
Honestly, it was more difficult for me to find good paella in Valencia than in the south of France. Obviously I was not looking in the right places. Nonetheless, Valencia became one of my favorite cities. Enjoy your trip!
Posted by
Bay Area, California
1559 posts
If you don't want to eat rabbit, then ensure your paella doesn't have it as an ingredient.
Posted by
South Bay Area
93 posts
I don’t remember the name of the restaurant anymore but it was supposedly the best paella restaurant in Valencia. We were disappointed to be told that we couldn’t order paella because we were supposed to let them know 24hrs in advance. I wish the guesthouse staff that recommended and made the reservation had informed us.
Posted by
Ontario, Canada
364 posts
We enjoyed chicken & rabbit paella at the Panorama Restaurant pre-Covid, great views of the beach as well.
Posted by
Vancouver, BC, Canada
1253 posts
https://restaurantenavarro.com/
It is located near the City Hall, which is free and worth visiting.
The traditional Valencian paella requires pre-order one day before. I think it is because it is cooked over wood. The other paella dishes can be ordered on the day of. Check the schedule. I think in June and July, they may not open on weekends and certain times.
Posted by
OP
5 posts
Thanks too all for your recommendations. I've done quite a bit of research and have narrowed down to 3 choice, all near the beach. There is no getting past the fact the it will be a tourist focused experience but I'm in fact a tourist, so no big deal just enjoy.