Even people who hate surprises would find a hard time managing to resist a smile upon arrival at this iconic Valencian establishment. Walking away from Valencia city center, through a rather unattractive Soviet looking neighborhood of monotone run down apartment buildings and lost youth wondering the streets, one arrives at what looks frankly, like nothing. A brick one story building without a clear entrance, rusty doors and a sense of confusion that begins to creep into the mind. How can such a supposedly high end dining establishment be located here? One might blame the Google maps immediately or nervously scroll through the reservation email to double check the address. But, it is also important to maintain calmness, know that all will be fine. A few deep breaths later, circling the building initiates and that is when the wide open entrance with a greeter will enter the purview. Being led into a gorgeous waiting area with notable cookbooks and an industrial inspired warm decor, there is a light refreshment served and a bite sized onion snack. Unfortunately, this was probably the most frustrating part of the experience as the wait turned out to be about 45 minutes with just that virgin cocktail and a bite sized snack. For a restaurant of this caliber, this is a pretty major oddity. But, the rest of the meal was so spectacular, it is hard for any initial criticism to maintain its validity. The theme of the restaurant is usability if every part of the vegetable in different ways and dishes. For example, zucchini stuffed with steak tartare in one course, then reusing zucchini peel shavings in a dessert. The courses are certainly an adventure, with crazy delicacies such as black caviar purée with tiny shrimp, zucchini ice cream, garden strawberries with beet root and many others. The olive oil topped Valencian bread also stood out as undoubtedly the best bread I've ever tried, anywhere. The tasting menu is massive and will be extremely filling. Having a chance to meet the chef himself was quite special also. Thus, this is a restaurant that is highly curated and a unique experience that separates it even from some of the most prestigious restaurants in the world. Ricard Camarena's establishment certainly has a league of its own and a well deserved place in the Michelin guide, but more importantly, it is a place that has created very fond memories of Valencia. read more

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Ricard Camarena is located just outside of Old Town Valencia in the Marxalenes neighborhood. This is a 2-star Michelin restaurant, therefore you will need to make a reservation. We opted for the lunch service. The restaurant is tucked away in what was once a bomb factory, and is now a gorgeous, minimalist restaurant with only a handful of tables and plenty of smartly-lit space. The whole meal is an experience from the moment you enter through the door - the kitchen, service, venue, storytelling, wine pairing. Their staff were amazing, along with the endless dishes they served us (18 I believe). Highly recommend if you're willing to spend a little for a wide selection of gastronomic rollercoaster rides. read more

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Out of Country Review - Spain Enjoyed an exquisite dinner at Ricard Camarena on Tuesday night. Expect every element of the meal, from the food to the service to the space, all to meld together for this special event. Quality: An incredible experience, with vegetable and local seafood focused menu. Each dish is elegantly presented, the room movements allow for a different sensory approach to each dish, and the chef gets involved to showoff his newest ideas. The highlights are too many to count, but the Onion at the start, the Tomato dish, the Seeds Bread With Puff Pastry, and the Fig Dessert were among the best. Quantity: Around 15 courses. Value: Expensive, but well worth it. Ambiance: Ricard Camarena is a fine-dining restaurant located in a former industrial building and art gallery. The meal takes place over different locations, starting in a comfortable lounge, moving past the wine cellar into a spacious dining room, at a small kitchen counter, and eventually back to the lounge. The music is low, the design is simple, and the imposing rooms adds a certain mystique to the meal. Crowd: Advance reservations required. Service: Personal, intimate, and beautiful. read more

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This is the kind of experience that makes all my other 5-star reviews seem less deserved by comparison: it truly deserves a 6th star, or an asterisk, or a crown or SOMETHING. Going into this, I knew this was one of the few Michelin-starred restaurants in Valencia, the few reviews on Yelp were solid, and the larger number of reviews on TripAdvisor were unanimously effusive, so I had high expectations, which can sometimes be hard to deliver on... Those expectations were met and exceeded. The 45-euro weekday lunch is billed on the restaurant website as a 3-course lunch with a "prelude". That is the understatement of the year! The "prelude" is itself a multi-course tasting menu extravaganza. A picture is worth 1000s of words here, so refer to my posted photo, which includes so many courses that I had to stitch together 4 separate collages just to have everything pictured in one spot. Wines were priced appropriately - we had a local floral white that went well with everything for under 20-euros. There was so much happening at this lunch, and it was so overwhelmingly amazing, that it's nearly impossible to discuss each course, but to describe some highlights: -the green beans wrapped in lardo (iberian tocino) were perfectly cooked and served with a delicious cappuccino foam soup -the green asparagus in coffee butter - just amazing (whole table made "oohs and aahs"). -the steak tartare was served sushi-style wrapped in peeled cucumber (I think) -The fish, one of the actual courses after the prelude, was "hake", and it was just the best fish I've ever eaten. I can't even describe the texture, but it had a slight chewiness while being perfectly cooked. Wow. -we had an interpretation of paella (bottom right of my picture) - fantastic The meal had everything: table-side preparation of some courses, incredible variety even within a dish, every imaginable texture, umami, whatever you want to call it. I'll just call it the best meal of the year, and in competition with Eleven Madison Park (which costs 4x as much) for "best lunch ever". GO! read more

Ricard Camarena - Best lunch ever, and 45€! - Spanish Near Me - Valencia, V

My wife and I agreed that this was the best meal that we have both ever had! From start-to-finish, our meal at Ricard Camarena was more than just a meal, it was an experience. While we dd not have reservations for lunch, the restaurant was kind enough to sneak us in (it was helpful that it was a bit off-season, an earlier lunch, and a week-day). The staff was absolutely outstanding and this was the best service that I think either of us had ever experienced. Multiple staff members came by to check on us, tell us about the restaurant, and share the story behind each dish. The staff provided excellent recommendations on wine and cocktails and described the menu. We went with the tasting menu, which was the right call as we had more than enough food and were able to sample delicious dishes that we probably would not have ordered otherwise (and would have missed out on). With the tasting menu came the experience, we started in the lounge area with tasty cocktails and appetizers, then were whisked to the dining room, a spacious room that the restaurant did a great job of not overcrowding, and were able to meet with a chef who walked through each dish, answered questions, and shared the restaurant's emphasis on sustainability and local ingredients. I cannot do descriptions of each dish justice. They were all fantastic, innovative, and flavorful and this is a meal that my wife and I will certainly remember (and crave) for the rest of our lives. We have begun to look at other restaurants by Ricard Camarena and may even try to plan our next vacation around some of these restaurants - the staff, service, and meal was that good! We cannot recommend Ricard Camarena enough - phenomenal on all counts! read more

Ricard Camarena brings a much needed breath of fresh air to fine dining. Every dish is thoughtfully created and prepared to ensure that all ingredients are intentionally used. It is evident that sustainability is at the forefront of every dish. There is no part of any ingredient that goes to waste, and there are elements of each ingredient present throughout the many courses. The attention to detail is shown not only in the food but also in the service. The staff was extremely attentive and worked hard to ensure all guests were pleased. A couple at a nearby table was celebrating, and they made sure to make their night special. Ricard presented a course to us, which was an amazing experience. His passion for cooking and people was obvious in the way he served the food and spoke to guests. read more

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A must for all food-lovers who find themselves in Valencia. Beautifully situated at the Bombas Gens art center, Ricard Camarena is a one of a kind gourmet experience that highlights Valencian ingredients using innovating techniques and invoking quintessential food memories. The executive lunch is extremely good value, with 6 courses that cover a wide variety of flavor profiles. Service is one of a kind, I was actually greeted by name (how did they do it? God knows). Highly recommend it. read more

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Being my first night in Valencia in a while on a Sunday night I knew it was going to be difficult to find a good restaurant to eat at. I had remembered a few things I'd listed and then started combing online systems to see what was open. What? Ricard Camarena is open? Im there 10.30pm (like a good Spaniard). The problem is when I showed up it was closed! Luckily, the kitchen door was open and I could hear bustling inside. I look in and I use my terrible Spanish to see if anyone knows what's wrong. People show up and they all look at the reservation that I apparently had for that night. "No se. Lo siento..." lots of what I would hear. Luckily, Ricard Camarena has another restaurant which is on the other side of his flag ship that is open every night. The kitchens are connected and the server from Canalla bistro walked me over there instead. Needless to say I had an excellent meal. Just not what I expected. It would however be a precursor for what was to come. 3 years ago I came to this exact location when it housed the Michelin starred Torrijos. They say the chef and his wife moved to Madrid while his father in law the elder Torrijos retired. I knew it looked familiar from the outside. Same metal door with subtle lettering. Two days later I come back for lunch. I get inside and except for the kitchen, the place has been redone. Now Torrijos was a beautiful space. A shame they had to redo it, but I understand when you have a vision, you need to execute it and Chef Camarena's aesthetics and food are certainly tops in Valencia at this point. I'd gotten a small booth towards the middle. I looked on at a 4 top to my right, and long row of seats that could be a huge communal table or handle many two tops. Around the cornver there were a handful of other tables. Ahead, I could see a system of hanging poles that created a semi private dining space. See the pictures for what I mean. Knowing that I did not succeed a few nights ago, I was determined to go the full gambit on this lunch. I was doing the long tasting menu, which was House made bread A series of amuses/snacks Courses Desserts The google translations of the menu are a bit wacky (im going to fix this as soon as I can) *Amuse Buche "Kokkotxa" and Egg of Cod TUNA Donut & Radish Dehydrated Tomato & Foie Gras *Courses SMOKED EEL SOUP OF SEA BEANS and MUSSELS CELERY SOUP WITH ROCK OCTOPUS BROCCOLI DOME OF TUNA SALAD PEPPER AND PEPPERS RICE "margherita" CEPS in their own broth MULLET WITH FRIED CAULIFLOWER, LEMON JUICE AND CAPERS IBERIAN ACORN PREY IN DRESSING ROASTED WITH LEEK, DRY MUSTARD AND BEAUTIFUL SHOULDER OF LACQUERED KID, FRIED EGGPLANT TARTARE And Anchovy *Desserts ROASTED PUMPKIN, YOGURT AND GINGER CURRY SWEET FRUITS, HERBS AND COCO Needless to say this is a lot of food. However when Chef found out how much I understood of the food, he sent out a many things that were unexpected. But Im not complaining! The flavors and technique were phenomenal. Chef Camarena came out a few times and we chatted. His staff, notably David, the Sommelier (who came with chef from Restaurant Arrop) took great care of me. This is one of those places where you can see that modern Spanish cooking is being showcased at the highest levels. If you're in the area, and you appreciate the soul of tradition meeting modernity, it's worth your while to come here. Chef Camarena and team are certainly on the forefront of dining in Valencia. read more

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After a disappointing experience at Riff, another Michelin starred Valencia restaurant, I approached our meal at Ricard Camarena with some apprehension. There was no need for any trepidation. RC provided a exemplary dining experience. The room's decor was minimalist, but was able to envelop us with warmth and comfort, something totally missing from the ambiance at Riff. The reclaimedl wood tables provided a casual touch to the posh elegance. Service was professional and on point, but with a self deprecating attitude, making the diner the center of attention. We were the stars of the evening, invited in to enjoy their culinary treasures. All pretension was left outside. Opting for the nine course surprise menu, dish after dish arrived, presented beautifully and with wonderful explosions of flavor. The star of the evening for me was the roasted aubergine and Almadraba tuna taco. It tasted like succulent lox and cream cheese, and I write that with all due respect! The baby cuttlefish with onion juice, green cabbage, and truffle tasted amazing and I almost licked my plate. Desserts, bread, etc. were all simply delicious. Wine offerings covered the globe and displayed an eclectic array of prices. We opted for a mid priced white Rioja that complemented the food perfectly. Our bill, for a timeless, memorable, and fabulous meal was around $219 dollars for two people. A bargain for this experience. read more

Great value We took an impromptu trip to Spain without much planning and ended up in tourist traps based on Yelp reviews. I decided to change our fate and made a reservation for lunch here on the morning of. Restaurant is very beautifully designed with lots of midcentury furniture but with a modern sensibility. It reminds me of new hotels in Asia. The meal itself, including the wine pairing, was very accessible. €117 for 10 apps and 6 mains plus desserts. Everything was very well done. The seafood/fish courses were particularly well balanced with great white wine selections. Really great vacation treat. Low stakes Michelin star experience. Highly recommended. read more

Excellent, very unique food. Service is great. Make sure to arrive with plenty of time as place is small and there is a waiting line. I fully recommend this place it is a unique experience!!! read more

Ricard Camarena is an amazing chef, we´ve tried his bistro restaurant and the mercat bar before but now it was time to experience the Michelin star restaurant! A great opportunity to try this during Valencia cuina oberta, the restaurant week. We had a lunch menu for 35 euro and we had 5 wines with it, so in the end we spend 60 euros. I have to say it was wel spend for this gastronomic experience. The restaurant is refined, modern and creates a good ambiance; our table was right next to the open kitchen, great! Our waiters were excellent in their explanation and also in their wine recommendations. I was blown away with the canapé of smoked Eel. The squid infusion we did not liked a lot, but the dish with beans and the glazed mackerel was making up for that. The chicken breast was ok, but did not come close to the other dishes. The desert with coffee and burnt milk was a new experience that I could not appreciate but my boyfriend loved it. read more

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I was there with my girlfriend on occasion of Cuina Oberta: a weekly event in which one of the best restaurant of Valencia offer a fixed menu for a promotion price. We emjoy the event to have a lunch in one of the most famous restaurant in Valencia. For me worths totally his Michelin star. An innovative cuisine using local food, a stunning wine tasting, a very refined and elegant ambient and an attentive service. Youo can spend for the dinner 80-100 € but ,if you like eating and drinking, will be well spent. read more

We did the full 10 courses with wine pairings. Everything was excellent! This meal was pricier than most places you find in Valencia, but the food, service and setting made it worth the price. Do yourself a favor and order the full 10 courses with wine pairings. Every dish was amazing and the wine was paired extremely well. This was our first Michelin star restaurant and one of the best meals we have ever eaten! read more

Ricard Camarena - Spanish Near Me - Valencia, V

This new and highly recommended restaurant is located in a lovely spot, Bombas Gens, a newly opened art museum in Valencia. Upon entering you are led to a room for "aperitivos" (drinks and appetizers). Never rushed (people who arrived after me were in a group and took much longer than me--dining alone--to arrive in the dining room), you are gently and amiably led to the main room when you are ready. Since I'd dined at Poblet (another Michelin starred restaurant in town) the night before, I was not in the mood for the 11 or 15 course tasting menu. So I chose the 55 euro/ three course lunch menu which was more than enough for me. Of course three courses (preceded by the appetizers at the bar area) really were five if you include the "pre-dessert" and "post-dessert. The dining room is particularly private and spacious, with tables placed quite far from each other. Upon entering I was told that I was placed in "primera fila" (first row) since I was dining alone (rare for me)--with the open kitchen right in front of me. It was pretty much a first row orchestra seat at the theater (ok, I'm from Manhattan--forgive the allusion). The service was delightful, and when I had questions about certain foods (for example quisquillas--not the word I know for shrimp) one of my two servers happily answered. The staff is particularly friendly and knowledgeable, and obvious care has been taken in their training and hiring. Much appreciated. Each course was delicious and beautiful to look at. Creative, original and wonderful food combined with personal and outstanding service combined to make a spectacular experience. Oh, and they asked if I needed a cab, called for it, and then walked me out to the waiting taxi. Nice touch! If you go, you're in for a treat (just don't eat another 11 course menu the night before!) read more

If the meal had continued on the trajectory it established at the onset, this would have without a doubt been one of the most memorable of my life. Unfortunately, the darker meat courses and desserts just didn't live up to the very considerable quality of the "Prelude" and the fish courses. Still more than worth it. The subtle taste of sherry in one of the fish dishes with a fennel(?) cream sauce was maybe the highlight for me. Or the use of toasted sesame seeds in a few different dishes. Nice atmosphere, good service. Would recommend. read more

It almost hidden on a street and had to ring the doorbell to get in but were greeted by the waiting staff very quickly. We had the Richard Camerena menu with wine pairing on our last night in Valencia and it was amazing! The staff were helpful and gave great suggestions and information about the food and wine origins. I would definitely suggest going here on a special occasion (slightly pricey) - I cannot think of anything negative to say at all (ask for the goat cheek!!) read more