Tavella

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 restaurant's main focus, the signature is an entire turbot from the grill for two to share. Don't expect a roaring tapas bar. The linen tablecloths, calm setting and attentive service make it a tiny bit more upscale, though very affordable prices may suggest otherwise. The recommendation given by El Mundo's Victor de la Serna, and a damn good one it is.

Traditional as the place may seem, the wine list is anything but. Mainly because it is a digital one on a tabloid, something you see much more around Spain due to Covid-measurements in recent years. Whether or not you prefer to touch a leaf instead of a screen, the list is impressive, with pages and pages of fantastic Spanish wines. Feel a thirst for the big and famous? It's there (and very well-priced too!). More adventurous, like a hop-over to the Canaries? There's a wide selection of better and lesser-known growers. Good stemware, excellent service; this is an attentive place in a less-obvious Valencian outskirt.