Valencia, Spain

I just posted a very long reply, not realizing that it was on the Italy forum.....you can read it, there.

I'll give you a few ideas, based on our visit at the end of 2024. This was my third time in Valencia so we took it pretty easy and did not cover all the main sights. On this trip we began with a night in Madrid, then train to Cuenca for three nights, followed by nine in Valencia and five in Denia, returning to Valencia the night before our flight back to New York. We had a car only for the portion from Valencia to Denia and back.
The central food market is well worth a visit, for the building as well as for the food itself. But I was put off by the frequent announcements telling visitors not to touch, and the many signs prohibiting photos of many of the stalls.
A great place for a drink, snack or lunch inside is BAR CENTRAL. Go before noon or prepare to wait a few minutes for a spot along the counter. Try the ensaladilla and one of their sandwiches; I loved the Ricard Camarena sandwich, named after the owner/chef: pork loin, mayo, and mustard. Fantabulous!!!!

Be sure to book in advance, online, for the HORTENSIA HERRERA museum of modern art. Fantastic collection of names famous and not-so-famous. Not just paintings, but I will not spoil the surprise.
Next door is a small shop, to the left of the entrance, that sells clothing of natural fibers, and small accessories, by small Spanish designers, many from Valencia. Moderate prices.
Do not miss the Lonja de la Seda, the silk exchange and what may be the most thrilling church in Spain, the San Nicola, dubbed the "Sistine Chapel of Valencia," for good reason, I think.
One of the most memorable, and fun, things we did (two days in a row!) was to take a taxi (train also possible) to the outskirts where the hamlet of Meliana is home to probably the best rice restaurants in the area. Paella is only one of the rice dishes on offer, and you choose your rice dish when you book your table, as preparation is lengthy. Paella is eaten almost always eaten for lunch; be wary of restaurants offering this for dinner, as they will almost always be aimed at non-discriminating tourists. One exception to this is LLISA NEGRA, the restaurant of one of this coast's most famous chefs. It's in the center and they do serve rice at dinner. One of the best meals we had on this trip.
If you go to Meliana, by taxi or train, for paella or other rice (18-20 euro taxi; trains from Nord station much less) the two restaurants we absolutely loved were these: NAPICOL and CA PEPICA. Both are outstanding and ignored by the vast majority of tourists.

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Be sure to go out to the former fisherman's barrio, the now-gentrifying El Cabanyal, for at least one meal and a walk around this still small village at the edge of the city. ten minutes by taxi from center and there is also a bus.
I wrote about our meal there, and our other meals, here, with some photos added:

https://www.hungryonion.org/t/valencia-paella-etc-11-12-24/41345

Just to add a bit of info on the great post by ekscrunchy (by the way, I´m going to Valencia next month for 4 days and I love your suggestions): paella (which, by the way, is the name of the recipient where the rice is cooked) is always for lunch for locals, and extremely rare for dinner. The reason is that lunch is our most important meal of the day (around 2 or 3pm) and it´s long and very social; dinner is much smaller (around 0930pm-10pm) and we do not eat much at this time of the day.

I absolutely adore Valencia; it's unquestionably my favorite Spanish city. Cuisine not so much, though. To my taste the best food was at the restaurants along the Malvarrosa beach, where the seafood was plentiful, fresh and delicious.

The paella I had at the Mercado Central was on both occasions terrible: not fresh, mushy and over-salted. French paella is IMO much better.

Here's a gift link to a NY Times guide. (link valid for 14 days)
36 Hours Valencia, Spain

We stayed in Valencia for several nights. It does have a great old center with a Cathedral and market. The station is off a bit from the center, but has a bullfighting arena right next to it.

My impression of the city is that while it attracts tourists, it does not overly cater to tourists. The city is a bit spread out. While the old center is reasonably compact, there are several other neat neighborhoods, plus the renovated river bed, then the beach is a bus ride away.

For restaurants, we switched up and had some decent Italian and pizza, we of course had some paella, at La Pepica near the beach, but there are lots of good places.

I do recommend the tasca bar Tasca Angel, a small hole in the wall serving fantastic tapas/raciones and cheap drinks.

If you like vermouth, then head to Bocatin del Carmen, a small bar with a wide vermouth selection, and a patient bar person willing to help you explore.

If you are really into paella, do some web searches, there are lots of good places available, but many outside the city limits.

If you are into craft beer, there is a great little brewery doing American style beers, Stonecastle Brewery. A bus ride to get to, but worth it.

I was just in Valencia so I have you covered:

• Hundred, best burger in the entire world, according to burger critics. Highly recommended by me as well.
• Latte e Farina, great Italian restaurant, beautiful setting in the old city, all the food was amazing too.
• Sueño Andaluz, tapas bar with really friendly staff, along with fantastic tapas. Best bravas I’ve had in Spain, roast pork, and tortillitas de camarones also highly recommended.
• mirador de only you, had the tasting menu at this hotel restaurant with a view of the city. It was a good 8.5/10 on food but the atmosphere, views and ambience were all pretty special.
• Stupor Mundi Vino, French wine bar, beautiful atmosphere and amazing French wine that was better than 95% of the wine I’ve had visiting France. I think this is a must if you’re a wino.
• Bar Cremaet, had paella here which you need to order in advance. This was a great execution of the local specialty and you could tell it was a local favorite, not a tourist spot. The outdoor seating area was a bit dreary so I might sit inside next time.

Let me know if you’re looking for a specific type of restaurant because I really did my research on Valencia’s food scene.

I'm curious about where you did your research..always looking for new sources for restaurants.

Most often I go straight to Repsol.

I try to cast a pretty wide net in neighborhoods where I'll be spending a lot of time. So, I'll go through Google maps, Tripadvisor, the fork, to get a longer list, and I'll look at YouTube, food blogs, and reddit to see more curated recommendations. Obviously there are erroneous reviews and places that game the system to get noticed on social media for tourists so you need an eye for what looks right.

It's probably a bit time consuming for a non-foodie but I like research element of it.

I think that’s great. I love to research food and restaurants before I travel!! One of the best tips I found for Valencia was to go to Meliana for paella.

Be aware that if you want "authentic Valencian" paella, you may have to pre-order 24 hours ahead. It is usually not an issue if you order the other versions, e.g. seafood paella.

If you would like a huge platter of assorted grilled meats and unlimited drinks, check out Asador el Poteño which is about a block from the City Hall.

Valencia was my favorite city and is a great place to rent a bike.

All the good restaurants know for paella and other rice dishes will ask you to order when you make a reservation.
That's one way to distinguish between a tourist place and an authentic rice restaurant. Remember that paella is only one of several rice dishes common to the area. As I mentioned, above, this dish is traditionally eaten for lunch and served for a minimum of two persons. Menus almost always list the price per person.

These are there rice dishes on the English menu at Llisa Negra, one of the few well-regarded Valencian restaurants serving rice at dinnertime; we had a fantastic dinner here last year and, unlike the other top paella places, it's in the center, so prices are higher here than they are in Meliana. I highly recommend!

Cooked over orange tree and vine shoot flame
We use rice from the D.O. València

Traditional Valencian Paella (min. 2)
€24 / person

Duck & orange fideuà (min. 2) (NEW). €28 / person

Senyoret-style rice (min. 2). €26 / person

Saffron-infused semi-dry rice with blue lobster and its head au gratin (min. 2) (NEW). €42 / person

Dry rice on paella with smoked pork knuckle, mushrooms and seasonal vegetables with mayonnaise and truffle foam (min. 2). €28 / person: