16 favourite wine bars and restaurants in Valencia 2024
The hidden gems and the classics you don't want to miss – here is the guide to wine bars and wine restaurants in Valencia, selected by Star Wine List's travelling ambassador Job Seuren.
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Phone: +34 961 11 11 06
Address: Carrer de Correus, 8, València
A Classic. One of Quique Dacosta’s many venues, but perhaps also the best that Valencia’s restaurant scene has to offer. Warm and hospitable both in service and on the plate. Local produce finds its way in playful, well-executed dishes. No blabla or posh ‘look what we can do’ things here. Chef Luis Valls, Quique’s right hand in the heart of the city, clearly has a feel for what the modern restaurant guest wants. He is supported by a lovely team who do their best to welcome everyone, no matter what language they speak. As for wine, there’s a convincing wine list with many local choices and a...
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Phone: +34 650 59 83 91
Address: Carrer de Cervantes, 10, València
A love story of César Martín and Iria Lado, who met over a 1994 Riesling. After working in the international hotel world they decided to go back to César’s roots in Valencia, where his parents had a restaurant called Norte. At a stone’s throw distance from the central train station, the bar/restaurant finds itself in a modern setting. Perhaps it may feel a little bit too much like an anonymous hotel lobby (candle or flower here and there and a nice playlist wouldn’t hurt), but don’t hold that against them. César and Iria’s warm hospitality, not to mention their amazing wine selection both by...
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Phone: +34 963 82 37 89
Address: Carrer del Doctor Zamenhof, 16, València
Ask any staff member in any decent restaurant in Valencia for other restaurant tips and they will all refer you to Bar Ricardo. This traditional bar is one of the warmest, most honest food places you will find in the city. Unpretentious fresh food, made and served by a hard-working team and a most decent list of traditional Spanish wines. Like the food, no pretensions here. Most of the serving staff will not be able to tell the difference between one bottle and the other, so a little knowledge on your side will make things easier. However with margins like this in a place like this, you don’...
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Phone: +34 963 25 91 71
Address: Carrer de Xile, 3, València
While Anyora in the beach neighbourhood Cabanyal may still be among Valencia’s top three places to visit, its younger brother/sister is not to mock with. Located in the city’s business neighbourhood bordering the Turia parc, this is surely worth a half-an-hour walk from the old city centre. Playful, affordable, modern food in a fresh, yet cosy setting. The wine list may not be the most extensive or deep in the city, but it’s honest and has a few really nice Spanish finds for prices many northern European restaurants can only buy them for at their retailer. Not to mention the compact but well...
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Phone: +34 965 42 17 84
Address: Partida de Jubalcoi, Ctra. Murcia-Alicante, Km.62, Elx
If anyone knows how enthusiastic I am about Ca Pepico just outside Valencia, imagine the happiness when I was recommended a similar great wine restaurant! La Masía de Chencho just outside Alicante is surely a fantastic find for wine enthusiasts, albeit a difficult one. You really need to know where you’re going taking a narrow dirt road off the main local roads. As you might expect, this is a place for the locals. Little English is spoken, which makes it an even more ‘true’ experience for foreigners. The setting is warm and slightly luxurious with white linen on the table and ultra-thin Spieg...
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Phone: +34 963 55 88 09
Address: Carrer d'en Vicent Gallart, 15, València
This is one of those friendly, traditional places where time seems to have stood still. But not quite, the interesting relatively modern choice of music makes sure of that. The place is very friendly, however. Most waiters speak English decently, and the whole place feels pleasant and comes across as not being a concept, but the real thing. The food is honest, basic, but well done. Good, simple traditional dishes, but the quality of ingredients makes the food shine. Bread from local San Honoré baker, daily fresh fish from the central market, meat from a nearby farmer in the Valencian area. If...
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Phone: +34 961 49 13 46
Address: Calle Mediterráneo, 1, Roca
A favourite in the city, though actually, it is just outside of it in the tiny Meliana village, a 10-minute cab ride away (or a 1,5-hour walk across the beach), is Ca Pepico. It's a hidden gem that shouldn't be shared too much, for it's one of those true traditional places that you want to conserve and don't overflow with tourists. That said, a wine lover should not miss Ca Pepico, a third-generation family restaurant in the middle of Valencia's vegetable farms using local produce to make outstanding, pure, honest, traditional food. Though they don't speak a word of English (and therefore are...
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Phone: +34 963 67 23 14
Address: Carrer de Josep Benlliure, 69, València
If there's anything like a historic wine place in Valencia, Casa Montaña it is, with a history that dates back to 1836. With a central bar, old wooden barrels, traditional tiles and no (I repeat, NO) music, it feels as if time has stood still here. Though it has been listed in more and more tourist guides and therefore has seen an increase in international guests and fewer locals, that doesn't seem to have affected the quality of the food or the wine selection. Very un-Valencian, most staff speaks English well, which actually can be a bit of a relief once in a while. Reservation is a must! The...
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Phone: +34 963 71 00 73
Address: Carrer d'Isabel de Villena, 155, València
At the end of the Malvarossa beach in the still undervalued, calm and friendly Malvarossa neighbourhood, you find Spain's perhaps most famous Paella restaurant. This is not a shy beach bar for locals and insiders, but a huge 200 plus seat restaurant where people from all over come to have great Paella. The many tourists don't stop the locals from coming, so you will find a great variety of characters eating here. From romantic foreign honeymooners to entire Spanish families with grandparents and grandkids together. The food may not be the most refined, but it's fresh and traditional, and you'l...
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Phone: +34 963 74 66 65
Address: Sc Puerto, 2, València
Situated on the 3rd floor in the modern Veles y Vents building, overlooking Valencia's harbour, La Sucursal is a clean, modern restaurant that serves elegant, refined dishes in different tasting menus. It was founded by one of Spain's culinary heroes, Loles Salvador, who sadly passed away in 2021. Current chef Fran Espí was raised in the Sucursal cooking academy before spending time in some of the most prestigious restaurants both in Spain and abroad. The dishes are elegant yet playful twists on traditional dishes and local ingredients. Though the atmosphere may be a bit stiff, especially if y...
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Phone: +34 963 84 31 93
Address: Carrer d'Àngel Guimerà, 61, València
With over 70 years of history, Rausell is a lovely traditional place that is on the top of the list of many local foodies. Situated just outside of the center of the busy Old Town, it’s visited mostly by locals ― it’s not a place for passers-by. The setting is a little more formal than most places, with tables covered with white linen (and no music), but the enjoyment of the guests makes up for that. Also, you can also try to find a more energetic spot at one of the few bar seats overlooking the kitchen. With mostly men above 40 running the service, English is not a language many of the waite...
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Phone: +34 963 35 54 18
Address: Avinguda de Burjassot, 54, València
If you want to go all out in Valencia, Ricard Camarena is the place to go. For years, Camarena has been in the top tier of Spanish restaurants, as it holds 2 Michelin stars, a green Michelin star, and 3 Repsol Suns, an award from Spain’s Repsol Guide. In 2023, it landed a place on and recently (2023) being placed in the Top 100 vegetarian restaurants in the world. Ricard is a strong advocate of local produce, with a menu almost entirely consisting of seafood, herbs, and vegetables. The chicken velouté you get as the first amusé, which is freakishly and amazingly deep, complex, and light at t...
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Phone: +34 963 49 87 71
Address: Camí Vell de Llíria, 93, València
Take the metro or bus into Valencia's congressional neighbourhood, walk a few minutes, and you'll end up in a different world called Beniferri. Originally a farmers village of some 900 people, Valencian 'modern' buildings and neighbourhoods worked their way up to and around it, so it is now a few blocks of the last standing traditional houses enclosed by the highway, subway and 21st-century real estate. Look at it as an oasis, centred by a wonderful peaceful restaurant with a wine list worth travelling for – pure, traditional, refined food with a strong emphasis on seafood. With fish being the...
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Phone: +34 960 08 18 55
Address: Carrer de Ciscar, 48, València
This tiny 9-seat winebar (no reservations!) is probably the insiders secret of Valencia’s hardcore wine community. Owner Pablo is a purist accepting only himself and his tastebuds behind the bar. Though the dishes he serves are just cold snacks, the selection of canned foods and charcuterie are the most premium quality you can find. Bread from local bakery Le Roi, charcuterie from Madønado and hake cheeks from Alalunga. Everything is served on beautiful, almost Scandinavian clean plates, which may be a reflection of Pablo’s Swedish background. Though many wines are not listed, a conversatio...
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Phone: +34 960 09 27 59
Address: Carrer d'Honorat Juan, 11, València
Surprisingly, Teca has not been on any of the popular ’to-visit’ lists ― until now. Not only is this friendly neighborhood restaurant in a more quiet side of town (open seven days a week till 24:00), but it also has a fantastic selection of wines. The food is authentic, comfortable, and very affordable, though with an interesting twist here and there. Who would combine pulpo, hummus, and papadum for example? The artichokes are one of their specialties and are not deep fried for a change, but pure with a nice herb vinaigrette. Teca is an unpretentious neighborhood place with some 35 seats an...
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Phone: +34 963 41 47 71
Address: Gran Via de les Germanies, 17, Valencia
It’s a bit difficult what to make of this centrally located place that has been here since 1916, but if you’re looking for a small snack and a good (and cheap) bottle of wine, this is worth a stop. On the busy Gran Via de la Germanies, the terrace is not the most beautiful in the city, the staff is very friendly but doesn’t speak anything but Spanish, and the wine selection by the glass could do with a serious upgrade. All that aside, the selection is extensive, you can get delicious cheeses and ham – and the croquetas are some of the best in town. Crowding with locals at night, it is a genu...