There are several highly regarded Great Tapas Houses in Valencia…read more One of them is Bar Mistela. Bar Mistela is not one of the ancient Founding Fathers of Tapas. It is a relative newcomer to the Valencia Food Scene. It is in Torrefiel, a grungy lower middle class neighborhood in the Northwest of Town. Ugly institutional apartment buildings abound. There are few reasons to go to Torrefiel unless you know someone there - Or you need a cheap apartment. But Bar Mistela is an absolute culinary jewel. Just get out of the Old City and go. * * * In order to get to the good stuff - you will have to fight Bar Mistela's godawful phone menu. Bar Mistela has many many many many things on its menu. Plus it has one whole range of foods for breakfast. (Bar Mistela is considered by some food writers in Valencia as having the best breakfast in the city.) They do an entire other menu for lunch. They have a huge list of tapa offerings for nightfall. The place opens early, closes late and takes no time off in the middle. But as a result of this the menu is very very very very long. Long with half of the items not being available due to time of day issues. Thumbing through this on your phone is like thumbing through an alphabetical list of every high school in the U.S. Worse - there are web instability issues that make parts of the menu appear and disappear. The actual dishes you want to order are somewhat like Brigadoon in the musical. The magical castle with the dishes you want rises up out of the mists and then disappears just as mysteriously. * * * BUT If you can get through the Magic Castle challenges of ordering, You are in for an absolute treat. * * * Among the stars of the show 1) A Valencian liqueur, fittingly named Mistela. Bland, almost like a liqueur made of pure sugar, but not even remotely cloying. Served with a dusting of grated orange rind that makes all the difference in the world. In this case, the bitter part of the orange rind, cuts into the simple sugar taste and provides the dramatic tension. The drink - like most liqueurs and vermouths in Spain, is served on ice. Wonderful. I would have that again and again. I have not seen that Valencian liqueur in any liquor store, in the Central Mercat or in any other restaurant I have been to yet. I do NOT think it is of house fabrication. 2) One of the greatest plates of grilled vegetables I have ever had. (Ok - except for Albania - which serves some of the greatest grilled veggies in the world.) My vegetarian wife and I went nuts over her veggies including asparagus stalks and tomatoes halves that were die-and-go-to-heaven-good. 3) A fantastic house pinxto comprised of first rate anchovies, first rate light olives and one neutral ingredient I don't remember. The whole concoction is drenched in light Spanish olive oil. It is as wonderful as it sounds. 4) A respectable potatoes brava. 5) Really really really good Spanish bread to mop up all the olive oil and the juices from the other dishes. 6) Nougat ice cream for dessert. It was the best nougat ice cream I have had in my life. It was the worst nougat ice cream I have had in my life and It was about average for the nougat ice creams I have had in my life. You get the idea. It is the only nougat ice cream I have ever had in my life. But I would not mind having that again! * * * Would I walk past all those ugly apartment blocks for a repeat evening at Bar Mistela? Mmmm ... maybe next time I take a cab. But then next time I go for breakfast. And the time after that I go for lunch. Remember the menu is massive with three different configurations for the different times of the day. * * * Seriously consider getting up early one morning and going to Bar Mistela. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

we went to the restaurant on Monday night, each of people cost 10.5€ I would say the food…read moredefinitely worth the price. There are several salad and main dish choice, if you are not picky person, the options would suit for all. There are also several different cakes, yogurt and ice cream. I was really surprised with this cheap price to get that much options and the taste.

Traditional Spanish restaurant. Good Valencia paella (just a bit too salty). Located in the old…read morepart of town behind the ceramic museum. Nothing fancy but good basic food and fast service. The paella must be ordered in advance (apparently takes 4 hours to cook). It was ready a few minutes after we sat down at our table.

Li D Diana is the kind of place locals hope never shows up on a "must-visit" list--and that's…read moreexactly why it's perfect. Tucked away in Arrancapins, this bar is as authentic as Valencia gets. No tourists, no trends, no pretension--just great drinks, great people, and unbeatable prices. The local beers are ice-cold and ridiculously affordable, the vino tinto and redoble local wine flow freely, and the chupitos are hands-down the best in town. Nothing curated, nothing fancy--just done right. And then there's Sue, the soul of the place. Warm, sharp, endlessly welcoming, and always making sure your glass never stays empty for long. You don't feel like a customer here--you feel like you belong. This isn't a bar you discover. It's a bar you're let into. And honestly, I shouldn't even be writing this.

Daily drink specials are GREAT! 1€ for a San Miguel bottle or glass of wine. And 3.50€ for mixed…read moredrinks (gin and tonic, rum and coke, etc). Food is super cheap too and the portions are huge (sandwiches especially). If you're looking for a budget option, this place is great. The service is super friendly and they have outdoor seating. Grab a seat, a cheap drink and a no-frills snack, then people watch and relax.

Wow. It's not really a hidden place any longer. On Tripadvisor this small restaurant is among the…read moretop 10 restaurants in Valencia. Well deserved. What a great example of the fusion of Spanish, Columbian and Asian food. Just go for the 6-8-10 sections of the main menu of the day.

stumbled across this place while purposely lost in old town. amazing tapas and cocktails. they…read morestayed open for us and offered great recommendations on the food and drinks !

Okay, I have learned something vital about tapas bars and restaurants. A diner should check to see…read moreif the food is cooked fresh. Tapas that have been sitting out on display may look good, but you are taking a chance both with taste and your health. Taverna Cavaliers looked old and charming from the street, and I thought that a departure from the hip and trendy may be on order. The service was nice enough, but the wine and drink selection was poor. We ate some meatballs that were cold, but surprisingly tasty with some stale pieces of bread. After one drink we left for another tapas bar on this street filled with drinking and dining establishments.

My gastronomic tour of Spain up to this point was a great one. Many grand restaurants, a shitload…read moreof Michelin stars, a great number of tapas/pintxos, an unbelievable amount of delicious food. Now there is nothing special about Bar Los Arcos to the naked eye. It is special because this is the neighborhood joint that my friend frequents, where he grew up, where I got many a story of his upbringing. It is special because he describes it as the purest expression of Spanish cooking for the everyday person. You will not ever find a Michelin inspector here. It belongs to the residents. It is where we see the neighborhood old guy that dresses up in his military uniform and says high to everyone he sees. The schoolkids hang out here. It is a community place and we sit outside amongst the locals. If I didn't know better, we'd probably get beaten up if not chaperoned by my friend. Comidas caseras, tapas, platos combinados, bocadillos, cenas, postres, paella valenciana, caldereta de pescado, caracoles...are amongst the variety of things you can get here in this tiny hole in the wall. I enjoy my jamon and various spread of tapas that come in waves. It is truly a pleasure to sit thousands of miles from my own home, in the middle of my friend's hometown, as if I lived here myself. Even if it were for only a few fleeting moments.