Valencia is the home of the paella and you should try it at least once at a restaurant where the locals eat. The original recipe will have rabbit and snails in it. The locals like to eat rice at lunch and then head for the Las Arenas area of the city. If you go to the Old City you will find many Tapas Bars. There are also cafés and restaurants all charging different prices. Another advantage of finding the places the locals like to eat is that you will be charged local prices and not tourist prices. If you like to enjoy a nice lunch, you will be disappointed because most restaurants don’t start to serve food until 2 pm.
Ribera 17 is a very cheap taverna but the food is excellent and it is definitely worth having a meal there.
Los Toneles is opposite the bullring and it has been serving food for 60 years. The locals love the calamari that is served there.
La Utielana packs in the local crowd because the food is wholesome and it is a good value for the money. To ensure you get a table you need to arrive early, before the locals, because there are no reservations accepted here.
La Tastaolletes serves vegetable tapas. The salads are excellent and the cheesecake with fruit is something you shouldn’t even consider missing.
La Pepica was a favorite restaurant for Ernest Hemingway. All your food is cooked right out in the open so you can see everything that happens in the kitchen.
La Rosa is a place where the locals flock to. Lunch starts at 2pm but you should get there around 1.30pm if you want a table overlooking the sea.
Raco del Turia is a place to learn about local foods. The food served here is very traditional and you will find a mixture of local people and foreigners eating here.
Casa Montana is one of the five classic Tapas bars in Valencia. It is not one of the easiest places to find but it is worth taking the time to find it.
Café & Te is a chain where you will find many locals having their coffee and breakfast. They serve meals during the day and you can also get snacks as well.
Many of the restaurants in Valencia are tourist restaurants and you should ask the locals to recommend some of the hidden secret places. They will know where they get those great meals and, by asking, you will learn about them yourself.
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