Our visit to Valencia wouldn’t be complete without a thorough evaluation of all of the culinary specialties available in this unique city. In Valencia and Calatrava Challenge the Senses we described all of the interesting places to visit in Valencia. But, there was so much interesting food and drink in Valencia that we had to write an entire article just about the food and drink.
Mercado Central
The Valencia Central Market was a bit less touristy than its Barcelona counterpart. Completed in 1928, it has a bright and airy feeling inside. Most stalls were dedicated to serving local folks and businesses. The stalls housed a good selection of butchers and fishmongers, vegetables, nuts, and spices. The variety of foods is always fun to see. I especially enjoy seeing what is featured. You can tell a lot about a place by what is popular in the central market.
There was only one café contained within it, as opposed to the several I found in Barcelona. Unfortunately, construction for the light rail was going on in front of the market and has caused quite a disruption. I hope it will be completed soon so everyone can get back to enjoying the market vibe.
Tapas
In the category of “always take the food tour”, we signed up for a walking tour that explained the history of the buildings in the old town followed by a tapas and wine paired meal. Our general purpose for these tours is one of discovery in addition to getting some tasty food. I would say the bites were decent and we were taken to a hidden gem church (Parroquia Sant Nicolai) but I didn’t come away having learned much about the food for the time spent.
Agua de Valencia
There are two exceptions to that last statement. We did meet a friendly Spanish/American couple and we learned about agua de valencia, which is a kind of mimosa on steroids. After the tapas meal, we went with our new friends to Café de Las Horas, where we happily chatted away over a shared pitcher of the “agua”.
The cocktail starts with the juice of Valencia oranges, of course, which is then spiked with cava, vodka, and gin. This drink is perfect for West Palm Beach or Newport Beach. It goes down very smoothly. Too smooth, Diana was a little foggy on the walk back to the hotel.
Paella Conceived
Paella is one of those dishes closely tied to Spain. You can get it in many places, typically featuring fish and seafood. Valencians will tell you that paella was born here and will point to the nearby Albufera rice fields as proof. Interestingly, Paella Valenciana is augmented with rabbit, chicken, and snails instead of seafood. I’m told this is because the historic center was not close to the sea by pre-automobile standards, so their paella didn’t use seafood.
Moreover, the epicenter of paella is actually out in the rice fields, in the town of El Palmer, which is about 100 meters wide and 10 blocks long, and 10km from the town. We happen to drive through on a weekend around lunch to find the entire place swamped with people, cars, and tables on the streets. Everyone seemed to be vying for a coveted spot to get their paella rice as close to the source as possible. I almost wonder whether it also came with an opportunity to mine Bitcoin. It was that popular.
Paella Delivered
When we asked the concierge at the Westin for a paella recommendation for dinner, he wanted to send us out to El Palmer. But we asked for something within walking distance. So he made us a reservation at a place across the riverbed and about 10 minutes away called Raco del Turia. As usual, we arrived around 8:30 pm, way before anyone else. We ordered our paella Valenciana (of course) and waited. Meanwhile, the place filled up (of course).
Our paella was awesome, surpassing expectations. I wasn’t surprised to see every other table ordering the same thing, even though there were several other appealing items on the menu. I mean, I wouldn’t go to Peter Luger’s for the first time and order salmon, as did a diner on Somebody Feed Phil.
Beyond Tapas and Paella
We also chanced upon Voltereta, a popular Indonesian-themed restaurant. It reminded me a little of Rainforest Café, although a bit less over the top on the ambiance. Again we arrived 8-ish and got in. By the time we left around 10 pm, there was a large line of folks waiting to get in. The five or six small plates we had were very tasty in the Balinese setting.
On our final night in Valencia, we went to a well-rated Italian place near the Westin named Gusto di Roma. Some form of pasta is available just about everywhere in Spain. We had been trying to eat local cuisine to learn more about it and the culture. This time around, I was just looking for a pasta fix. The dishes you can see below may look simple, but the flavors and textures were very well balanced. These pasta dishes really hit the spot.
What would you want to eat or drink in Valencia?
