Valencia is known for its extraordinary architecture, its golden sand beaches, and as the birthplace of paella. And while paella is the must eat food in Valencia, no trip to this Mediterranean city is complete without sampling some of these other typical Valencian dishes.
Valencian cuisine is characterized by the use of short-grain rice, fresh seafood, and garden-fresh vegetables accompanied by dark fruity wines from the nearby Utiel-Requena region. Eating your way through Valencia can easily become the highlight of your trip.
Here’s everything you need to know about what to eat in Valencia and the best places where to eat each dish.
All these dishes were born in Valencia and the nearby towns and villages. Their recipe has been past down through generations. And some of them are so quintessentially Valencian that they are hard to find anywhere else in Spain.
Next time you’re in Valencia, go beyond the sites and spoil your taste buds with these traditional foods in Valencia. You won’t regret it!
1. Paella Valenciana — Valencia’s most famous rice dish
Often referred to as Spain’s national dish, paella is a popular rice dish originally from Valencia. It is typically eaten for lunch, especially on Sundays, when many Valencian families gather around a large home cooked paella.
The original recipe is called paella Valenciana and uses ingredients such as chicken, rabbit, snails, rice, green beans, and huge local white beans called garrafó. Other types of paella, such as seafood or mixed paella are also available, although they were invented later.
Due to the high tourist demand, most paella restaurants in Valencia serve the famous rice dish for both lunch and dinner regardless of the day of the week. So it’s quite easy to find a place to enjoy this highly coveted Valencian dish. However, there are several things you should know before you order, which is why I recommend reading these paella facts first.
While paella is the must-try food in Valencia, if you like spending time in the kitchen I also recommend you join a paella cooking workshop. This can be a great opportunity to discover the secrets of making the world’s most famous rice dish and devour spoonfuls of it too.
Where to eat paella in Valencia: Casa Carmela (Carrer d’Isabel de Villena, 155), a time-tested spot for Valencian paella close to the Malvarrosa beach.
2. Fideuà — popular noodle dish from the region of Valencia
If you’re not a fan of rice, yet you love seafood, you should definitely give fideuà a try. This dish, originally from Gandia, a city 70 km south of Valencia, is also prepared in a wide pan, just like paella. The main difference is that the recipe calls for thin pasta noodles instead of rice.
Fideuà has a funny origin story. As it goes, the cook of a fishing boat from Gandia was presented with a problem — the captain was such a big fan of rice that whenever a rice dish was on the menu, the other sailors rarely had anything left to eat. So he swapped the rice for fideuà and the new recipe turned out to be quite popular. Plus no one went hungry anymore!
Nowadays you can eat fideuà pretty much anywhere in Spain. You’ll also find variations that stray from the original recipe. Nonetheless, it remains a local favorite and one of the top things to eat in Valencia and the nearby region.
Where to eat fideuà in Valencia: Goya Gallery (Carrer de Borriana, 3), a venue serving Valencian cuisine with a touch of creativity, winner of the 2019 Gandía Fideuà Contest.
3. Esgarraet — popular Valencian tapas
Another typical dish from Valencia, the esgarraet, is a cold salad usually served as an appetizer or tapa, oftentimes accompanied by bread.
As is the case with many traditional Valencian dishes, its preparation is simple and its origins humble — the esgarraet leverages ingredients people had on hand, like salt-cured cod and roasted red peppers.
This colorful mix is then seasoned with a bit of garlic and a dash of extra virgin olive oil. Sometimes, oven-roasted eggplant and black olives are added.
One of the curiosities of this plate is that the main ingredients are usually torn with the hands, hence the name (desgarrar means to tear). Definitely, a must eat in Valencia!
Where to eat esgarraet in Valencia: Can be found in most tapas bars.
4. Clochinas – Valencian mussels
Clochinas are a type of mollusk that exclusively grows in the Gulf of Valencia. Resembling mussels in appearance, but smaller and lighter in color, these shellfish are renowned for their exceptional quality, which many believe surpasses those found in the waters of Galicia and Catalonia.
Clochinas are a highly prized food in Valencia and a symbol of local gastronomy. Their season spans from May to August, making them a scarce and sought-after delicacy.
The preferred preparation method involves steaming the shellfish while seasoning them with black pepper, bay leaf, salt, lemon, and a touch of sweet and spicy paprika. This cooking technique enhances the clochinas’ mild and elegant flavor.
Clochinas are then served in their own broth. You might be surprised to see diners dipping bread into the flavorful broth and enjoying it to the last drop. But the truth is that the broth is as much a delicacy as the clochinas themselves.
Where to eat clochinas in Valencia: La Pilareta, a bar in the El Carmen neighborhood that has been preparing clochinas since 1917.
5. Blanco y negro — typical baguette sandwich from Valencia
If you’re looking for popular snack food in Valencia, look no further than the humble blanco y negro (black and white) bocadillo — a sandwich made using a crusty baguette, often enjoyed as a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack.
Bocadillos are eaten throughout Spain, but the fillings differ from one region to another. In Valencia, blanco y negro takes its name from the two types of sausages used — longaniza (white) and morcilla (black blood sausage with onions). Other ingredients such as alioli (garlic mayo), tomato sauce, green garlic, and broad beans are often added as well.
While heartier than other bocadillos, the blanco y negro is a popular option you will find in many Valencian bars. It might not be the ideal food to eat in Valencia on a daily basis, but it can be a delicious occasional treat, especially for meat lovers.
6. Chivito — typical baguette sandwich from Valencia
Chivito is another super popular bocadillo typical from Valencia, this time made with grilled pork loin, bacon, melted cheese, tomato, lettuce, egg, and mayo.
If you’re familiar with chivito, the most iconic sandwich in Uruguay elevated to national dish status, the claim that chivito is a Valencian food might seem confusing. But there’s an explanation.
Chivito indeed originated in Uruguay. But Uruguayan chivito is made with beef steak, mozzarella, ham, olives, eggs, tomatoes, and mayonnaise served in a bun. So not only the sandwich filling is different, the type of bread used is different as well.
It’s not clear how the chivito crossed the pond and reached Valencia. Or why it kept the name but underwent so many other changes. What is clear though is that chivito is one of Valencia’s most beloved sandwiches and for good reason.
Where to eat chivito in Valencia: It’s rare to find a traditional bar that doesn’t have it on the menu.
7. Pepito Valenciano — deep-fried bread roll
If you ask for a Pepito in bars around Spain, you’ll likely get a beef bocadillo. But in Valencia, the humble Pepito is something else entirely.
In Valencia, a Pepito is a delicacy halfway between a croquette and an empanada (a pastry turnover filled with savory ingredients). It is filled with pisto (the Spanish version of ratatouille made with tomato, green peppers, pine nuts, and tuna), passed through milk, then beaten egg, and deep-fried until golden.
The result is a tasty snack that can be enjoyed both warm and cold at any time of the day.
Although the Pepito is regarded as a typical Easter food in Valencia, it can be found in traditional bars year-round.
Where to eat Pepito in Valencia: Forn Desamparats (Carrer de Guillem Sorolla, 11), a traditional bakery tucked away on a small street close to Mercado Central.
8. Valencian oranges — the best in the world
You cannot visit Valencia without tasting its famous sweet oranges. Introduced by the Moors in the 10th century, oranges have become a staple of Valencian cuisine.
It is quite common for locals to start their day with a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice and many coffee shops include this in their breakfast special. Oranges also make their appearance as a dessert option on restaurant menus, especially during the winter months.
Besides these, you can also find orange-flavored ice cream, orange sponge cake, and of course, the popular agua de Valencia cocktail that I’ll be talking about below.
Where to buy oranges in Valencia: Head to Mercado Central, one of the most beautiful markets in Valencia, and you’ll find piles of oranges to choose from.
9. Buñuelos de calabaza — pumpkin fritters typical from Valencia
Churros are quite famous throughout the world, but have you ever tried buñuelos? Much like churros, buñuelos are fried dough balls, typically eaten dunked in thick hot chocolate. However, while buñuelos can be found throughout Spain, buñuelos de calabaza (pumpkin buñuelos) are a very typical Valencian sweet treat.
Both churros and buñuelos are easy to find in Valencia during the winter months. The peak is reached during Las Fallas festival, when dozens of stalls take over the streets. However, while most of them offer buñuelos, not all of them use pumpkin, so you should look for the ones that advertise buñuelos de calabaza.
Buñuelos are prepared on the spot and served piping hot. Due to this, finding buñuelos during the summer months is nearly impossible.
Where to eat buñuelos in Valencia: Buñoleria El Contraste (Carrer de Sant Valero, 12), a small family-run place in the Ruzafa neighborhood that has been preparing buñuelos year-round for five generations (and counting!).
10. Turrón — a sweet treat from the region of Valencia
Turrón is a delicious nougat-like treat typically made with honey and almonds. It’s one of the classics of Spanish Christmas foods, with roots in the small town of Jijona, south of Valencia.
Traditionally, Valencian turrón is either soft (turrón blando from Jijona) or hard (turrón duro from Alicante). Other Spanish regions have developed their own turrón flavors — from toasted egg yolk and marzipan all the way to cider and mojito. Oh, and if you look hard enough you can even find turrón-flavored beer!
Keep in mind that in Valencia, people eat turrón during Christmas. This means that supermarkets and specialist shops only sell turrón from October to January. If you visit Valencia any other time of the year, head to the Central Market and the gift shops nearby.
Where to buy turrón in Valencia: For handmade turrón check out Turrónes Ramos and Turrónes Galiana in the city center. Beware that they are only open during the winter months.
11. Horchata with fartons — Valencia’s most popular drink
Horchata is a sweet and refreshing non-dairy milk made from chufa (tigernuts), a tuber that grows in the fields of Alboraya, north of Valencia.
Horchata is best accompanied by fartons (baked bread dusted with sugar) and is the ideal pick-me-up drink after a long day of sightseeing.
Traditional horchata (not the bottled kind you can find in supermarkets) is made with nothing but chufa, water, sugar, lemon, and cinnamon and it can be quite sweet. I usually order mine with some sugar-free horchata mixed in.
Horchata is served in liquid form or granizada (slushie). Many locals prefer the slushie version, however, personally, I prefer the liquid one because it doesn’t lose its flavor as you drink it.
Another curious thing about the chufa tubers is that recently they’ve also been used to make Spanish craft beer. Look for the Antara brand in the supermarkets (it might be difficult to find in bars).
Where to drink horchata in Valencia: Horchatería Daniel inside Mercado de Colon (one of the top places to visit in Valencia). I’ve also compiled a list of my favorite horchaterías in Valencia.
12. Agua de Valencia — Valencia’s most iconic cocktail
This delicious and insanely refreshing cocktail is made with cava, fresh orange juice, vodka, gin, and of course, lots of ice. It is usually served in a large jug that is then shared among a group and drank from broad cocktail glasses.
Agua de Valencia is best enjoyed on a terrace after a hard day’s work or a few hours of sightseeing (because sightseeing is hard work too!).
This is the bubbly that’s guaranteed to make your time in Valencia feel extra special. And since it’s Valencia’s signature drink, rest assured that while strolling around the Old Town you’re never too far from a small bar with a nice terrace serving Agua de Valencia.
Where to drink Agua de Valencia in Valencia: Café Madrid (Carrer de l’Abadia de Sant Martí, 10), a stylish cocktail bar and the birthplace of Agua de Valencia.
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Ready to visit Valencia and try all these delicious foods and drinks? Before booking your hotel, read about the best places to stay in Valencia for a breakdown of the top hotels by area.
