Valencia’s diverse food scene goes far beyond paella, its most famous dish. Eating (or learning to make) the regional specialty, preferably along the coast or in its birthplace, Albufera, is an authentic Valencian experience. But trying Valencia’s many other culinary delights—food and drinks—gives you a deeper gastronomic experience.
Some of the area’s most notable winemaking traditions date to the 15th century. You can tour olive oil farms, sip a refreshing glass of horchata, snack at vibrant tapas bars, and dine at a growing number of Michelin-starred restaurants in and around the city. And take part in the local Valencian custom of esmorzaret, a mid-morning meal between breakfast and lunch.
Eat paella at traditional restaurants
Paella for lunch by the seaside in Valencia
Courtesy of Turisme Comunitat Valenciana
Once a dish for rice-field workers who cooked rice over a wood-burning fire during daily lunch breaks, the iconic rice dish dates to the 15th century. They used whatever local ingredients were available—rice, vegetables, and even small birds and snails.
The saffron-infused, wood-fired rice dish hails from L’Albufera, a freshwater lagoon and wetland that spans thousands of acres of rice fields about 30 minutes from Valencia’s historic center. Visit and tour the area, which is also famous for birdwatching, to take a Valencian paella cooking class, and boat around the lagoon on an albuferenc, a traditional boat.
Contrary to popular belief, the most traditional version of Valencian paella doesn’t contain seafood. The recipe even has protected status—to be called Valencian paella, it must use only 10 traditional ingredients, including the ultra-absorbent Valencian rice, local beans, saffron, rabbit or chicken, and olive oil.
For the seafood version, full of shellfish and fresh Mediterranean fish, try it at popular restaurants like La Pepica or Casa Carmela along the coast. Both have been serving the classic Valencian staple for more than 100 years. Whichever version you’re eating, scrape the pan to get the socarrat, the best and crunchiest rice that usually sticks to the bottom.
Go wine tasting in the Valencia region
Valencia’s wine country
Courtesy of Turisme Comunitat Valenciana
The Valencia region has three official wine appellations: Alicante, Utiel-Requena, and Valencia. Fondillón, a wine protected by the Alicante appellation, holds great historical significance, having sailed the high seas alongside Spanish conquistadores in the 15th century.
Thanks to its high preservation capacity and vitamin C content, it reportedly protected the crew from scurvy. Only a few wineries still make this fortified wine—sample it at a spot like Las Virtudes Bodega.
Taste some of Valencia’s best wines by touring some of the many wineries in the area, such as Bodega Masos Guadalest, which dates to the year 1237. Bodegas Ladrón de Lunas is housed in a modernist building less than an hour away from Valencia’s city center.
Drink horchata
Enjoying Horchata
Courtesy of Turisme Comunitat Valenciana
Horchata, a non-alcoholic, plant-based beverage, is a refreshing Valencian drink. It has longstanding roots in the area, dating back centuries. As a Protected Designation of Origin product, it must be made from tigernuts grown in one of 16 areas in Valencia’s L’Horta Nord region to be considered authentic.
Alboraya is the epicenter of horchata, a small town about a 15-minute drive north of Valencia. The town is the gateway to L’Horta Nord, home to the tigernut fields where horchata’s main ingredient grows.
One of the most famous places to sip the drink in Alboraya is Horchatería Daniel. Or, if you’d rather stay in Valencia’s historic center, head to Horchatería Santa Catalina to admire the vintage tiles and pair the drink with a farton (a long, sugary ensaimada pastry). Order your horchata classic, granizada (like a slushy), or mixed (half-and-half).
Try tapas and the morning snack, esmorzar
Snacktime at Casa Montaña
Courtesy of Turisme Comunitat Valenciana
The tapas concept in Valencia is to go from bar to bar and order various tapas—or tapear—to share with friends. Start at the famous Casa Montaña and enjoy items like minced sausage or sardines.
Or tapear at market stalls in the famed Mercat Central, a massive modernist market where you can snack on a range of cuisines while soaking in the lively ambiance of locals shopping, fishmongers touting their catch of the day, and travelers wide-eyed at the cheeses, meats, and spices. Central Bar is especially fun for tasting tapas, where you can order a gilda (a Basque stuffed anchovy with olive and pickled pepper) or a Valencian oyster before continuing your market adventure.
Another local custom is esmorzar, a daily tradition of a mid-morning snack that’s specific to Valencia. Some bars even have special mid-morning menus with fixed prices, such as Trinquet de Pelayo, which is near the city’s train station and also serves tapas along with a daily lunch menu.
Veneno House has an entire esmorzaret menu available from 10 a.m.–12 p.m. daily. Or take a convenient tram to Taska La Reina to sample seafood-inspired snacks in the fishing neighborhood of El Cabanyal.
Dine at Michelin restaurants
Along with no-frills tapas spots, the Valencia region has ample fine dining, including 36 Michelin-starred restaurants. If you’re looking for a hotel with excellent food, Hotel Palacio Vallier’s restaurant, La Perfumería, nods to the building’s past as a perfume house.
For seafront dining, head to Denia’s three-Michelin-star Quique Dacosta Restaurant, which offers an extensive tasting menu with wine pairing options. La Salita is a restaurant with one Michelin star and tasting menus for adults and children. The two-star Richard Camarena Restaurant features produce and seafood exclusively from Valencia.
Taste fideuà and olive oil
A family eating Fideuà
Courtesy of Turisme Comunitat Valenciana
Fideuà is a dish that you might not find in the guidebooks. Similar to paella, it’s made with noodles and always includes shellfish or fish. You can find it at many beachside restaurants or spots that serve paella, such as La Pepica or Casa Carmela.
If there’s one thread through Valencian cuisine, it’s olive oil. In the Valencia region, it’s cultivated using traditional and sustainable methods and olives from centuries-old trees in the area of Castellón. Some olive oils have the Protected Designation of Origin Valenciana, which subjects their production to specific restrictions. Many tour operators offer routes through the region, where you can view the ancient olive trees and taste different varieties of oil.
When it comes to food in Valencia, the best thing you can do is explore, be open, and try everything. From paella and crisp horchata to seafood-infused paella and tasty mid-morning snacks, it’s a delicious destination.
