An old Spanish song says that Valencia is the city of flowers, light and love (“Valencia, es la tierra de las flores, de la luz y del amor”) – and I wholeheartedly agree because this city stole my heart! But there is one more thing I’d like to add: Valencia is a fantastic place to enjoy some really good food! Here is a round-up of everything my friend and I ate (and drank) in November 2022 when we spent one week in this beautiful corner of the world.

You can find the main Valencia post about everything we saw and did right here.

Ecuadorian home cooking at “Sant Jhoan’e”

On our first night we accidentally stumbled upon an authentic Ecuadorian restaurant and it was fantastic! The restaurant is called “Sant Jhoan’e” and is very low-key, no fancy interior, no social media channels but the most delicious home cooking soul food I had in a while! I love to try out new food and had never had Ecuadorian before, so I had no idea what to expect. The staff was a bit confused about two tourists with poor Spanish skills trying to figure out what to order. They were super nice though and helped us pick some dishes. We ended up having a real feast!

Everyone at the restaurant seemed to be Ecuadorian which is always a good sign. If there are no tourists, it usually means the food is authentic. This is a hidden gem of a restaurant if you ask me. I found their website in case you want to go and check them out yourself.

Adobe-style design restaurant: Living Bakkali

Another gem we found by accident is Living Bakkali. I know this article is supposed to be about the food but in this case I also have to mention the stunning interior design! This place is instagramable af! Beautiful furniture, velvet walls, earthy and nude tones everywhere – it was such a vibe! “But what about the food now?” you might ask. Well, don’t worry, it was delicious! We ordered several small dishes of their internatioal fusion cuisine and ate them tapas-style. This way we were able to try more menu items. We had Corneto Ibérico, Corneto Tuna, Costilla Duroc (pork ribs), Croqueta de Suquet de Gambas, Pastrami Brioche, Bao Hoisin, Bao Steak Tartar and a whole pot of melted cheese with herbs to dip. It was absolutely amazing – I can’t recommend this place enough!

Food paradise: The Central Market (Mercado Central)

Mercado Central de Valencia is a paradise for foodies! It is filled to the brim with delicious local produce, meats, spices, dried fruits and all sorts of different other delicacies. Make sure you arrive with an empty stomach so you can eat your way through the isles. My favourite was the charcoal flatbread pizza with spicy chorizo and cheese on top! The fresh orange juice was perfect with it.

A bonus: The beautiful architecture of the market hall and the buzzing vibe of the shoppers and visitors makes it one of the absolute go-to-places if you want to soak up the city’s spirit.

Casual drinks at night

Even in November the weather in Valencia was still mild and perfect to sit outside at night and watch the people. We picked one of the many casual cervecerías in the hip neighborhood of Ruzafa with its bustling nightlife. As a German I’m so not used to all this streetlife in the evening – everyone is out and about socializing, drinking, enjoying the moment – what a lovely lifestyle!

Our drinks of choice were a classic Sangria and a local specialty called Agua de Valencia. Caution: Both will get you tipsy in no time! Sangria because of its high sugar content and Agua de Valencia because it’s made with cava or champagne, orange juice, vodka and gin. Cheers! Salud!

La Pollería: A special kind of waffle

This was too funny not to try it! At La Pollería you get penis waffles as well as the female counterparts. These are not just novelty waffles, they actually tasted great – very fluffy and vanilla-y. And of course they make for a fun photo or ten!. Enjoy! 🙂

Paella Valenciana at La Pepica

No trip to Spain without eating the national dish: Paella! The traditional Valencian version is served with chicken and rabbit meat. We visited one of the most popular paella restaurants in town to try it: La Pepica right on the beach. They’ve been serving the famous rice dish since 1898 and it shows – they know what they’re doing. It was so good! Flavorful, delicious, hearty comfort food – definitely a must-try when you’re there. Pro-tip: Scratch the burnt rice bits with sauce from the bottom of the pan – they’re the best bits!

Horchata at a traditional Horchatería

What is horchata? It is a drink that looks like milk and is made of chufas, which are tiger nuts. These nuts are originally from Egypt, but nowadays they grow them in the municipality of Alboraya, which is located in the province of Valencia. The classic pastry to go with horchata is called farton, a long cigar-shaped sweet bread.

The horchata tasted like nothing I had ever tried before – sweet, rich but refreshing at the same time. The fartons really balanced out the milky sweetness quite well. We had both at Horchatería Santa Catalina right next to the beautiful Valencia Cathedral – perfect for a little break between visiting sights.

Sit down and have a drink

In general I’d like you to just sit down and order a coffe, beer or cocktail at one of the many cute little cafés or bars as often as possible while you’re in Valencia. Why? Because that’s when you’ll be able to sit back, breathe deeply, soak up the city’s atmosphere, enjoy yourself and do some people-watching. I don’t know how but the beer and cocktails always taste better when you’re on vacation – especially when it’s still t-shirt weather in November.

Turia is a delicious local beer made with toasted malt that gives it an amber color and toasty flavor – very drinkable and light. The Ambar beer is from the Spanish city of Zaragoza and a refreshing pick for warm evenings, too.

Churros with chocolate sauce

Last but not least: One of the yummiest Spanish desserts/sweet snacks there is – churros! You can get them at several stalls or shops throughout the whole city. I got mine at the churros stall right next to the entrance of the Central Market. You can get them pure or with a thick chocolate sauce. I even ordered one last horchata to go with them before I headed to the airport because I knew this combo would be hard to get back at home in Germany. Absolutely scrumptious!

Culinary adventures outside ofthe city

When we visited Valencia, my friend and I headed out to the countryside twice to explore the more rural regions and – of course – their food. Did you know Spain has its own rice fields, especially in the region around Valencia? Stay tuned for my next post to learn more about it.