*disclaimer, I'm American. If you find yourself in Valencia, trek on down to Azahar on the water. They have amazing paella, and even cater to the tourists and those that prefer a paella de marisco (which I recently learned was not the traditional paella). And that you should eat it around 3PM or so, and not for dinner. We did try both the seafood one and the Valencia paella. I gotta say, the Valencia one was very good as well for not having shellfish. I would really like to try them side by side, but that's a ton of food. We actually went back to Azahar twice which we don't normally do on vacation. The staff was great, and helpful. They were attentive and seemingly always around, but not in an annoying way. They have a lobster tank that had a couple of pretty good sized guys in there, both spiny and cold-water. Their tables each have a bottle of wine on them which they don't take away when you order a bottle. Not a bad thing, but paella pans are big, and the real estate on the tables may not be conducive to having two bottles of wine on the table. Things could get messy you know? I don't remember anything else spectacular about the interior. The views of the water and people watching are great though. If you find yourself in Valencia, hungry for some paella, I think this is the place to go. read more

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Our host in Valencia recommended taking the bus from the city center to the beach promenade, where the best paella is to be found. Locals have paella for lunch, not dinner so we went around 2 PM. Azahar is located on the beach promenade right next to a bunch of other restaurants that all pretty much serve the same things at comparable prices. What made us pick this place was it seemed more quiet and relaxed, with no obnoxious tourists inside. We were literally the only non-locals and it was fun to watch the nearby families interact, while we enjoyed the ocean breeze and views. Plates are huge and this is hands down the best seafood paella I had in all of Spain. So this is what it's supposed to taste like! A must for your Valencia to do list. Moderately priced. read more

Azahar - Seafood paella for two - Mediterranean Near Me - Valencia, V

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Rude inattentive staff. They charged for their disgusting bread and would not acknowledge us while we waited to have our drinks refilled. I was served a steak with a butter knife and a salad with no dressing/olive oils/ balsamic. I noticed that they treat their locals very well, but us visitors are treated like shit. I am so upset with how I've been treated by some locals at these establishments that when I come visit my new flat I will never recommend nor will I visit this establishment and I will notify the local trio advisors/united states travel agencies about this establishment and their reputation. I am from California and if any one treated a patron in this matter in the states they would be out of business in a matter of months. It's heart breaking to see how we're treated here and I would never treat any visitors in my country in this fashion. I sincerely wish that this changes or else they'll be obsolete. FUCK YOU ASSHOLES! read more

So when the Valencian locals tell you they leave the convenience of the city and make the trip to the beach for the most authentic paella in home of paella, you should try to make the trip if you have the time. Paella and beer on the beach in the afternoon is great medicine for the worn out traveler. We actually opted to take the bus from city center which worked out great. We arrived around 2pm on the strip ( a mini Ocean Ave for those of you familiar with Miami) and there were no shortage of restaurant options. Two different restaurants had been recommended to us however based on the noise, atmosphere, and number of local patrons we chose Azahar, a wise choice. When ordering paella there are several options. The traditional Valencia's style includes rabbit. We opted for the less traditional but equally flavorful seafood option, without meat. There is something about the rice that sets this paella part from the others. The texture and seasoning, which included hint of lemon were just awesome. The staff spoke little English but we communicated just fine, they worked very hard and cared about the customers with out babying them. Tip: if you've made the trip to the beach to eat, order the carafe of beer and sit around and enjoy the weather and the scene while you sober up. I ordered beer not knowing you could get the carafe (the economy size) for cheaper. So after I had my first I ordered the carafe. BTW some of these places are fancier than others. There is someting for any type of dress. Most of the folks we saw were in jeans and casual clothes, nicely dressed but not over dressed. read more

Served burnt paella and the waiter tried scrapping the plate and convincing us that it's good and that typical paella from Valencia for 2 personas is like this..burnt!!!! Avoid the gimmick deal, what a disappointment...worst meal for us on this trip! read more

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Will not come back. Ordered shrimp and scallop paella. My disappointment was not just that the shrimp was small but the scallop were 2 scallops they cut in half so there was 4 circles of scallops in the center of the pan. There was some pieces of squid but It was blend, no taste of seafood or safron. Wine list was ok but they did not have the one we picked. Service was just ok. Grilled squid was very good. Tender and perfectly grilled. The restaurant is ocean front and the evening had a nice breeze coming from the ocean, but the glass doors were closed and the AC didn't seem to be working. read more

Excellent mussels and garlic shrimp appetizers, service excellent, table white wine so so. read more

Azahar - Shrimp with garlic , delicious - Mediterranean Near Me - Valencia, V

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Good foods (especially paellas) and view from the restaurant. Also, the price was reasonable. If you are looking for good paellas, here is the place to go. read more

Went there today for dinner. Service is slow today. The Valencia paella was not that good. It was too salty and oily. The grilled squid was very good and steamed mussles was ok for warm starter. We would never order paella here again. They also charge almost $3 EUR for water and $3 EUR for bread per person. We went to this place based on reviews here and was disappointed. There was not many people inside for dinner at 7-8pm. We think this place is tourist trap!!! read more

The food was OK but the waiter lied to us to get us in the restaurant. He said our child would eat for free if we each ordered a 20 euro fixed price meal. We were then charged 10 euros for the child meal of some chicken and potatoes and the waiter denied telling us the child would eat for free. read more