VALENCIA AND DENIA...November?

Regional Dining Discussions Italy, Spain, Portugal
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There is already a very informative thread on Valencia from a couple of years ago.
I thought to start a new one.
We will have 7 nights in Valencia followed by five in Denia.

I have booked Llisa Negra and have asked hotel (Only You) to book Raussel.

Major issue is the partner does not like seafood, so the rice dishes will either have to be ordered (with seafood) for me alone, OR we have to share a land-based rice dish.
I had an amazing, wonderful rice dish with pork at SeBe in Lanzarote last May and we were both competing to scrape the last bits off the pan.

But in Valencia
as I said
pay for two and eat it myself, or go for the land-based which is probably fine.

Will have a car departing Valencia en route to Denia so ideas for a lunch stop en route would be most welcome.

In Denia, I have booked two dinners at EL BARET DE MIGUEL.

Looking for more guidance, hopefully without too much traveling from our hotel in the center of Valencia but willing to take train or taxi if the end result is excellent


Will try Camarena’s BAR CENTRAL, and any other place in that incredible market


CA PEPICA?

I’ve been to the rice fields once (ten or so years ago) and had a poor experience at LA MATANDETA, but obviouly this was an outlier. No desire to go to that area again.

So if we want to stay close-ish, or within a reasonable taxi/easy train ride (partner does not walk all that well) from the center:

Where else do I need to book a month or so ahead of desired meal time??? We always like dinner rather than lunch but I imagine rice is more of a lunch dish
yes???

Any and all comments welcome; we depart the US mid-November, with two nights each in Madrid and in Cuenca (see my other post about Cuenca, here) before reaching Valencia by train on or about 20 November.

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For the best paella valenciana (no seafood), I recommend Napicol, in the same town as Ca Pepico. I like Ca Pepico’s seafood rices better but Napicol has a better Valenciana. Napicol you need to book a few weeks ahead for a weekend lunch.

In town, I haven’t tried it yet but Alexander Platero won best paella Valenciana for 2024. I am heading there in 2 weeks and will let you know.

At Llisa Negra get the pigeon rice meloso if your partner does not eat seafood.

You can also seek out arroz con costra: https://es.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arroz_con_costra
Another non seafood traditional rice option.

I also recommend at every turn Patapuerca Taberna Iberico (Cedro location) for tapas and raciones from great producers around Spain. You will need to call and make a reservation. A lot of non-seafood options (get the cecina).

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As I mentioned on that thread, I think, I would venture to Napicol and-or Ca Peptic from tigerjohn’s recommendation.

At Llisa Negra we ordered the arroz seco con magro de cerdo ibĂ©rico y verduritas. It may or may not be on this year’s menu.

On our own trip we’ll have a car so we can visit Restaurante Rioja in Benisanó simply because Quique Dacosta declared it the best paella restaurant in the Levante. I haven’t been. But it would be a half hour ride from the Only You in taxi, I think.

On the drive from Valencia to DĂšnia you could stop in Cullera at Casa Salvador, recommended by Repsol.

Please don’t have paella at night. It’s strictly a lunch time dish. for most Spaniards. We once made it in Seattle for our Spanish great niece who was visiting and got busy and didn’t get around to preparing it until it was dark. The family laughed at us for serving “paella at night” in the US.

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I had the same problem, as a solo traveler, in Valencia a couple years back trying to find somewhere to eat paella. The only place that was willing to accommodate me was the most excellent Navarro. Every other place wanted full price(understandable I guess) for a rice dish, which would have set me back around 70-80- Euros, it cost me half that including a bowl of mussels and dessert. Navarro might not be “the best paella” in Valencia, but it’s a terrific spot.

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On my last trip, my finest meal was at El Poblet (in Valencia). I preferred it to my meal at Quique’s finer restaurant in Denia (although, to be fair it was their last night service before their Christmas/New Year closing, so they may have ‘misjudged inventory’ – except they DID charge me full price for a problematic meal).

My other memory was the sherries served at Ricard Camarena. My resolution then (yet unrealized) was to return to Camarena and ask them to prepare a meal for me pairing a different sherry with each course (so you might want to check out the sherries at Bar Central).

My place for Paella has now closed (Paco Gandia) but their speciality was the Rabbit version (with or without snails) – surely there must be another place that presents that version (? Can Maribel help?).

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Bar Central was so good and so much fun that I ate/drank and snacked there 3 times out of the 6 days I was there, only reason it wasn’t more is because the market was closed when I first arrived in the city.

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I could go to Bar Central every singe day of the year, except of course, when the market is closed!

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BarCentral looks wonderful; I see they close at 3:30 so for a lunch that will no doubt kill our appetite for dinner!!! YES!!!

Any special dishes to order or has this already been covered here???

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Ricard Camarena (Loin, onion, mustard and cheese)
Canalla (Spicy black pudding, scrambled eggs and pickled pepper)
I also had their cheesecake and another dish that I can’t remember.

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The Camarena and the Canalla are the 2 famous sandwiches that Pedro enjoyed. It’s customary among the locals to have their pre-lunch “esmorzaret”, valencianos’ most “important” meal of the day, taken between 11 and noon before a late lunch.
The last time we went, we arrived at 10, grabbed one of the 24 or so bar stools, ordered a bocadillo and soon the regular “vultures” were standing behind us breathing down our necks, waiting impatiently for us to leave!

Remember the JosĂ© AndrĂ©s Valencia episode of going to an eatery (can’t remember what it was called) that specializes in these huge sandwiches, the art of having that mid-morning esmorzaret? Bar Rausell is. another place they folk to for this meal (but I prefer to reserve and sit in the dining room).

Another Valencian specialty, if on the chalkboard menu: allipebre de anguilas.

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Yes, getting there as early as possible is key, it gets really crowded , really fast :sweat_smile:

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Oh, boy
that “Camarena” loin sandwich!
Yes, will book Napicol as soon as their site allows
will take taxi.

It’s looking like seven nights is not nearly enough for Valencia!
This was the very first city I visited in Europe, back when I took a summer language course at the University there. I’ve only been back once since then and am overjoyed at being able to return!

I wrote this on the Lanzarote thread, but the Iberico pork rice dish at SeBe on that island was so very, very outstanding. But keep in mind that I know next to nothing about rice dishes.

Good idea about stopping in Cullera between Valencia and Denia
thanks, Maribel


CASA SALVADOR:

  1. Reguerot Paella
    (boneless duck, artichoke hearts, garlic clove and garlic leek)

http://casasalvador.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Carta-Menu-CS-CASTELLANO.pdf

There are SO MANY rice dishes on the menu
how to even begin to choose. Plus, all the other dishes


Came across this, in Valencia Centro, on Repsol, but need to look further to see if is tasting menu only, which I do not prefer.

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We have reservations at SeBe but unfortunately at night, so no ibĂ©rico pork rice for us. But we can have a fish main with mojo rojo y verde. I’m looking forward to trying all the local Canaries fish that I’ve never heard of!

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But Maribel we ate there at night and had the pork rice. Just do not snicker when you encounter the big velvet red rope as you enter the walkway to the interior!
But you know best
what are those Canarian fish?

Are you planning to to El Risco in Famara??

Did I miss any chatter about CASA CARMELA in Valencia
si, o no?

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Hi erica,
We are now adopting a Spain eating style with our main meal at lunch and a very light dinner. Because of the Saborea Gastro event going on during the day, we must goto SeBe at night. Arroz en paella, any variety, is just too much.

We learned our lesson at La Catapa long ago when we ordered in the evening Miguel Ángel’s arroz meloso con setas Y rabo de toro! To his credit he didn’t laugh or say “I told you! you couldn’t finish it”.
So any arroz en paella we have to order for lunch and walk it off.
I’ll get back to you the many types of fish that I don’t know in Canarias but right now we’re in Donostia at the SS Gastronomika conference. It’s both exciting and exhausting! Many famous faces, many wonderful “show cooking” experiences including an intro to Noor’s 18th century menu with Paco Morales and his partner.

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Maribel, of course it’s best to have the main meal at lunch! My issue is those giant hotel breakfasts that we eat around 10am
so how can I be hungry at 3pm? But I have split the Valencia meals between lunches and dinners
 Certainly the ones out of town will be for lunch
I read TJs great comments and will book Napicol for Sunday lunch)as soon as the table opens up tomorrow.

I just received an e-mail from Llisa Negra alerting me to their special Wednesday soccarrat fuera de carta. But does anyone know what exactly this is----the soccarrat alone, aka just the rice?
It is listed as a warm starter at 23euro. So perhaps we can order that to share (plus a couple of seafood treasures for me) and then go on the fideua with figs and duck?

Does the sound like a reasonable plan for Lisa Negra, keeping in mind that one of us does not like seafood?

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Eat breakfast earlier or skip it altogether?? :sweat_smile::rofl:

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The Soccarat is a relatively thick layer crispy on the outside. Have not tried it yet but it looked good at other tables at Lisa negra.

We dined at 2024 paella Valenciana champion Alejandro platero and were very impressed. It’s a set menu of 3 starters (excellent and all seafood based) plus a rice of your choice. Maybe as good as Napicol but it was only one visit.

Highly recommend you try Toshi if you have a chance. The all fish and seafood menu with seasonal ingredients is fantastic every time and for us the best high end place in the city.

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One quick question:

I can only get on to the waiting list at NAPICOL for a Sunday afternoon. SO, if that fails to pan out, do you all have a couple of recommendations for Sunday night in Valencia–not too fusion-ey and with at least an option or two for a non-seafood (fish is ok) eater. !??)
Mil gracias!!

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Erica, I suggest you call Napicol if you’ve joined the waitlist purely online. They may be able to confirm a table and take your rice order.

Habitual by Ricard Camarena takes reservations until 3:30 and has a large dining room so you might check with them if it doesn’t work at Napicol.