As a foreigner who has lived in Valencia for three years, I must say that paella is absolutely the most worthwhile culinary experience in this city. However, finding truly delicious paella isn’t easy, as many restaurants in tourist areas vary greatly in quality. Today I’ll share several restaurants that I personally think are worth trying.
Casa Montaña - A Classic Choice with Rich History
This restaurant has over 130 years of history and is located in the Carmen district. Their paella uses very fresh ingredients, especially their traditional Valencian paella where the rice is cooked to perfection. The prices are relatively reasonable, around 25-30 euros for two people. The only downside is that reservations are required in advance, especially on weekends.
La Pepica - Delicious Experience by the Beach
If you want to enjoy paella while watching the sea view, La Pepica is definitely the top choice. This restaurant is right next to Malvarossa Beach, and it’s said that even Hemingway was once a regular customer of their Valencia paella. I particularly recommend their mixed seafood paella, which includes shrimp, clams, mussels, and various other seafood.
| Restaurant Name | Price Per Person | Specialty Recommendation | Reservation Required |
|---|
| Casa Montaña | 25-30€ | Traditional Valencian Paella | Required |
| La Pepica | 20-25€ | Mixed Seafood Paella | Recommended |
| El Palmar Restaurants | 15-20€ | Country-style Paella | Not Required |
For friends with limited budgets for Valencian paella, I recommend visiting some local restaurants in El Palmar town. While the atmosphere might not be as refined as downtown, the prices are much cheaper and the taste is just as good as those famous restaurants. Especially on weekends, many local families also go there for gatherings.
Warning Guide and Dining Tips
Finally, let me remind everyone of a few points: First, never eat paella at restaurants near Las Ramblas, as they basically exist to overcharge tourists. Second, authentic paella doesn’t contain sausage - if the menu shows paella with sausage, you can be sure it’s not prepared in the traditional way. Also, regarding Valencia paella, it usually takes 20-30 minutes to wait since it’s made fresh, so patience is required.
I hope these recommendations are helpful to everyone, and if you have other good restaurant suggestions, please feel free to share them in the comments!
