Foodie guide: 24 hours of eating in Valencia like a true local

In Valencia, you eat as if you never have to leave. Leave your jeans button undone for now: you’re going to eat as if mañana doesn’t exist. This is your foodie guide for a day (24 hours) in Valencia. Leave enough room in your stomach before you set off, because trust us: you’ll want to try everything here.

Your morning kick? A good cup of coffee

When I was in Valencia with my friends, we kept breakfast nice and simple: pick up a sandwich at the local bakery, grab some toppings from the supermarket, and eat everything while walking towards the beach. Pure holiday bliss. Want to do it like a local? Then drink a good cup of coffee before breakfast and have something sweet with it for energy. Your real first meal – aka the esmorzaret – doesn’t come until a few hours later.

Where to get your coffee in Valencia

So where do you get a good cup of coffee on a terrace to start your day? Well, from 7:30 a.m. onwards, you’ll already see the first wave of Valencians starting their day with a cortado – in other words: an espresso with a small cloud of milk (which is only €1.50 here, by the way). In Bario del Carmen, the lively terraces are everywhere. Plaza del Tossal and Plaza del Negrito are especially instantly convivial. Bonus: there’s a constant stream of people to secretly enjoy watching. Put on your sunglasses and you’re officially integrated – even if only for a moment.

What sweet treat should you have with it? A napolitana de chocolate, a magdalena or a tostada with jam – quick, sweet and perfect for dunking into your coffee. Not a substantial breakfast, but a real energy boost.

Now it’s time for the real deal: the esmorzaret. Forget brunch as you know it – here, things work a little differently.

Esmorzaret is the new brunch

In Valencia, they have esmorzaret. Between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m., Valencians tuck into a sandwich the size of a baby – and no, that’s not a joke. The ritual comes with peanuts and olives, fresh from the local land. At Puerta del Mar, you get yours with all the trimmings: fried eggs, anchovies, black pudding, and your mother-in-law. Okay, not the last one. But it does feel as if an entire family history has been stuffed between that bread. Asking for half a sandwich is more than normal here, by the way. Definitely do it, because otherwise you’ll have to schedule a six-hour siesta afterwards.

Paella for… lunch? Check!

If you really want to do it right in Valencia, you eat paella for lunch – and not in the evening, as many tourists tend to do. Around 2:00 p.m., most locals sit down for their rice dish, often dining out or eating with family at the table. Want to eat paella like a true local? Order paella Valenciana – no seafood (nope), but chicken, rabbit, beans and sometimes snails. Trust me, it tastes a hundred times better than it sounds. Really.

Eating paella in Valencia

My ultimate paella spot in Valencia? That’s Casa Carmela. By the beach, with an incredibly beautiful view – yes, almost as delicious as the paella they serve here. The paella is prepared over an orange-wood fire, and since 1922 it has been a favourite spot for locals and chefs alike. Want to know what paella is really supposed to taste like? This is your holy grail. The best part? The paella is placed in the middle of the table, with a wooden spoon, and everyone simply shares. Looking for other fun restaurants to eat paella in Valencia? Check!

Time for a snack

The first half of your 24 hours in Valencia is over. If you’ve eaten everything I’ve recommended so far, your stomach is probably already in “I’ll just roll home” mode. But hey – after letting your food settle a little, there’ll definitely be room again (especially when you hear which snack is still on the must-eat list!)

It’s horchata o’clock!

This lightly nutty, milky thirst-quencher is made from chufa (tiger nut, also known as earth almond, but it sounds fancier when you say it in Spanish). Naturally, you drink it at Horchatería Daniel, a place where locals and tourists peacefully dip side by side in silence. Dip? Yup! What do you dip? Fartons. Those long, airy cakes that you dip into your horchata are so delicious that they should really come with a warning: highly addictive. Can I say from experience that they taste as good as they sound? Absolutely. Did I order another one after eating my first farton? Also absolutely.

This snack moment around 5:00 p.m. is part of the Spanish tradition known as la merienda – the official afternoon snack.

Tapas? Vamos! The perfect dinner

Spaniards eat late. As in: “the kitchen opens at 8:00 p.m., and no, that’s not too late for a starter.” What do locals like to eat in the evening? Tapas, of course. Think: esgarraet, tellinas, buñuelos de bacalao, and don’t forget clóchinas (the local mussels). The best part of all? You can keep eating tapas until your fly is about to burst… One of my favourite places to do so is Birlibirloque Bar de Tapas y Vinos.

After-dinner drink

Do I hear a trend? Then I’m doing a taste test! Especially when it involves a delicious cocktail. Agua de Valencia is the cocktail that shouldn’t be missing from your Valencia routine. It’s an effortless way to end your day – and if you’re not careful, after a few you could even end up in a Spanish club. What’s in it? Orange juice, cava, a splash of gin and vodka. Where do you drink it? At Mi Cub in Mercado de Colón.

Fun wine bars

More of a wine fan (or 2, 3)? I get it. Valencia has plenty of delicious wines. In the mood for something fancy? Order a glass (or bottle, I won’t judge) at one of these Michelin-starred restaurants in the city. Would you rather be a little kinder to your wallet and not have to spend an entire evening on a glass of wine? That’s perfectly fine too. Valencia is packed with cosy spots where you can taste wines and the list is longer than your to-do list – good luck choosing! The best spots for drinking wine, if you ask me? Original CV or Borgia Winebar.

Original CV is the more upscale option where you can pick up a nice bottle. It’s not somewhere you go for an extended drinks evening, but you can taste delicious wines there. With a group? Choose your favourite wine each, and once you’re back at your Airbnb, organise a games night where you taste one another’s wines – how fun!

Looking for a real wine bar where you can linger over tapas? Then Borgia Winebar is the place to be. The good thing? You can come here with both small groups and larger parties.

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