Valencia is renowned for some of the best Mediterranean food ever cooked. Being right on the coast gives you the chance to enjoy the freshest seafood, served in the tastiest ways at some amazing restaurants. Some of the most notable dishes you’ll find in this beautiful city are the delicious paella, mouth-watering fideuà, and for dessert, fartons to dip in horchata. Learning how to order these traditional foods in the Spanish language not only helps you connect more deeply with the culture, but also ensures you get exactly what you want and enjoy a more authentic dining experience.
In this article, I’ll go more in-depth about these notable dishes and the best restaurants to enjoy them in Valencia, along with much more. Along the way, I’ll show you some new Spanish gastronomy vocabulary you can use next time you’re ordering and experiencing the food this region has to offer.
Notable Spanish Dishes and Desserts from Valencia, Spain
Paella
Valencia, Spain is undisputedly the birthplace of this fantastic dish. It can be served in many different ways. The main ingredients in your average paella are rice, lima beans, tomatoes, saffron, and meats such as chicken and rabbit.
Another version you can try is Paella Valenciana, where seafood is substituted for meat. The seafood typically includes mussels, prawns/shrimp, and sepia (also known as cuttlefish in English-speaking countries). Always remember: never mix seafood and meat in the same paella.
If you’re really looking to explore new flavors, try Paella Negra (Black Paella), made with squid ink instead of tomatoes, along with white rice, green peppers, sepia or squid, and sometimes shrimp and crab. This dish is quite uncommon for many tourists, but if you’re adventurous and ready to use your new Spanish vocabulary, this one’s for you.
To order paella in Spanish, try these phrases:
¿Qué paella recomienda?
(Which paella do you recommend?)
Hola, ¿nos pones una paella para dos, por favor?
(Hi, can you get us a paella for two, please?)
Fideuà
Another amazing dish from the heart of the Valencia Province is fideuà—my personal favorite. This meal is very similar to seafood paella, but instead of rice, it uses pasta noodles. The specific type of noodle used is fideuà pasta, which you can find at your local Mercadona.
Common ingredients include fideuà pasta, sepia, squid, mussels, shrimp/prawn, and sometimes lemon for added flavor. This dish is a must-try the next time you visit Valencia, Spain.
To order fideuà in Spanish:
Quiero probar la fideuà. ¿Es posible pedirla para una persona?
(I want to try the fideuà. Is it possible to order it for one person?)
He oído mucho sobre la fideuà. ¿La tienen hoy?
(I’ve heard a lot about fideuà. Do you have it today?)
Fartons with Horchata
If you’re craving a sweet treat after one of the amazing dishes above, this combo is perfect for you! This dessert pairs a sweet pastry with a traditional drink to dip and enjoy together.
Fartons are long, sweet, spongy Spanish pastries glazed with sugar, made with flour, sugar, eggs, and milk. While delicious on their own, they are often dipped into horchata to enhance the flavor.
Horchata is a milk-like but dairy-free drink. Similar to almond milk, horchata is made with tiger nuts, which are ground, soaked, and sweetened—sometimes flavored with cinnamon or vanilla.
How to order in Spanish:
Una horchata con fartons, por favor.
(One horchata with fartons, please.)
¿Podría traerme una horchata natural y un par de fartons, por favor?
(Could you bring me a fresh horchata and a couple of fartons, please?)
Best Restaurants for These Amazing Spanish Meals
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Located in the city center of Valencia, Navarro has a 4.6/5 star rating and over 60 years of culinary tradition. Now run by the third generation of the original family, they offer some of the best traditional paella dishes in the city.
📍 C/ de l’Arquebisbe Mayoral, 5, Ciutat Vella, 46002 Valencia, Spain
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Just steps from the center, this hidden gem has a 4.6/5 star rating. Though open only 9 years, many say it serves the best fideuà in town, and their menu has consistently impressed both locals and tourists alike.
📍 C/ de la Corretgeria, 33, Ciutat Vella, 46001 Valencia, Spain
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Casa Orxata – Bio Horchata (For Fartons with Horchata)
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Located inside the iconic Mercado de Colón, this shop stands out with a 4.7/5 star rating. All ingredients are organic and locally sourced. The cozy ambiance makes it the ideal spot to test your Spanish skills and enjoy fartons with horchata.
📍 Mercado de Colón, Carrer de Jorge Juan, s/n, Ensanche, 46004 Valencia, Spain
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Texto Erika Torres Gil
Photo by Adrienn: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-eating-bruschetta-1537635/