“The best way to know a city is to eat it.”  

– Scott Westerfield –

Tapas Valencia walking tour

Without a doubt, one of the best things about traveling is discovering new and exciting cuisine, and perhaps there’s no better way to discover a city than letting your tastebuds guide you. 

Spanish food culture is certainly one of the most celebrated the world over, with tapas the first that comes to mind. Tapas is the perfect activity to sample a few local specialty dishes along with a refreshing beer or wine.

It encourages day-long grazing, discovering local cuisine in a relaxed setting, and meandering amongst restaurants and quaint tapas bars.

Of course, visiting any Spanish city is worth some careful planning, and Valencia is certainly a highlight for any foodie enthusiast. Get your foodie bucket list ready! Let’s explore the very best tapas bars of Valencia!

Looking for more Foodie travel tips for Valencia?

Check out our Valencia Regional Foodie Guide

What to Eat – Popular Valencian Tapas

Touring Valencia is like unlocking the gates to foodie heaven, and tapas is definitely one of the best ways to explore this fantastic city. Valencia is famous for rice dishes and you’ll find plenty of great restaurants and bars offering tapas or main meal portions of famous Valencian dishes like paella, Arroz a banda, and much more. 

But hey, there’s so much more to Valencian tapas than the famous paella! The streets are lined with quaint tapas bars where you’ll find a wealth of tasty morsels from seafood tapas like Gambas al ajillo, irresistible meat tapas dishes like Albondigas, and of course, there are also plenty of delicious vegan tapas offerings like Padrón peppers, or the Orchard paella just to name a few!  

Popular tapas dishes include:

• Patatas Bravas 
• Ensalada Rusa (Potato salad Spanish-style)
• Paella Marisco (Seafood paella)
• Paella Valenciana 
• Fideua Negra (Squid ink pasta Valencian style)
• Calamares a la romana
• Gambas al ajillo
• Croquetas (with ham, black squid ink, or vegetarian)
• Croquetas de bacalao (croqueta with salted cod fish)
• Tortilla de patatas (Spanish omelet either with or without onion)
• Tuna Tartare

Where to go to find the best tapas in Valencia

Valencia is a large metropolitan city that combines several smaller barrios (suburbs), but perhaps most frequented by visitors is the central city area called Ciutat Vella, the beachside suburb of El Cabanyal, and just inland suburb of Beterò. 

For this guide, we’ve separated two main sections of tapas bars based on their location. Central and Beachside.

Central Valencia tapas Bar walking route 

• Total distance: 3.09 Km / 1.92 miles
• Allow around 4-5 hours to complete all of this tapas route. 
• Best time to go: Between 5-10pm (summer) / Wintertime anytime
• We suggest trying 1-2 tapas per stop, that way you’ll keep an appetite for the next tapas bar! 
• This route offers plenty of good walkways and shade during the day time. 
• Downloadable link  – Valencia Central Tapas walking tour 

To make your trip as enjoyable as possible, we’ve made a fully downloadable Google Maps route that we’ve created so you can easily load to your phone and easily find all of the tapas bars listed below.

Just tap the map link (below) and you’ve got all you’ll need to guide you from one tapas bar to the next in the palm of your hand! 

Have a great tapas tour! 

Beachside Valencia tapas Bar walking route 

• Total distance: 1.93 Km / 1.19 miles
• Allow around 3-4 hours to complete all of this tapas route. 
• Best time to go: Between noon-10pm (summer) / Wintertime anytime
• We suggest trying 1-2 tapas per stop, that way you’ll keep an appetite for the next tapas bar! 
• This route offers plenty of good walkways and shade during the day time. 
• Downloadable link  – Valencia Central Tapas walking tour 

Below is a fully downloadable Google Maps route that we’ve created so you can easily load it to your phone and easily find all of the tapas bars listed below. 

In our opinion, these beachside tapas bars and restaurants offer an excellent insight into authentic Valencian tapas dishes as well as a good offering of national Spanish tapas dishes too! 

Have a great tapas tour! 

Central Valencia tapas Bars we have featured: 

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Bar Pilar (La Pilareta)

Carrer del Moro Zeid, 13, 46001 València, Valencia

Bar Pilar was originally established in 1917 as a grocery store and over the past century has managed to retain the authentic charm of the previous century. Entering the bar is like stepping back in time, with ornate detailing and dark wood paneling that are a feast for the eyes. 

The bar is affectionately called ‘la Pilareta’ by locals and the food is also highly acclaimed, especially the house mussels dish called clóchinas. Other small tapas dishes not to be missed are the boquerones frito (fried sardines), and the fried cuttlefish (sepia a la plancha). 

House specialties

• Boquerones frito
• Corquettas
• Sepia a la plancha
• Fried artichoke chips (seasonal)
• clóchinas (fresh mussels)

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Tasca Ángel

C. de la Puríssima, 1, 46001 València, Valencia

Tasca Angel is a longstanding local tapas favorite that has been offering traditional Valencian tapas and pintxos since 1946. The tapas bar is now run by a friendly husband and wife team that create exceptional tapas that are cooked right in front of you.

House Specialities not to be missed are the sardines (sardinas de la casa), garlic shrimp (gambas al ajillo), and the cod montadito. 

To order: 

• Sardinas de la casa
• Gamabs al ajillo
• All i Pebre 

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Taberna La Sénia

Carrer de la Sénia, 2, 46001 València, Valencia.

A small corner-side restaurant and tapas bar with notable prestige including a Michelin Tapas mention cements this much-loved, always busy taps bar. Taberna la Senia offers a great range of authentic tapas and main meals with a modern twist in a comfortable setting. 

House specialties include:

• Valencian tomato with Bonito Tunafish
• Cuttlefish noodles with homemade pesto
• Artichokes with cured ham

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Bar Boatella

Plaça del Mercat, 34, 46001 València, Valencia.

Poised just beside Mercado Central is Bar Boatella offering a great range of authentic tapas, well-priced main meal dishes, and exceptional desserts all made using market-fresh ingredients. 

Bar Boatella has a small inside restaurant and a terrace that’s ideal for enjoying a tapas while watching the world go by. 

House specialties:

• Fried Shrimp
• Moro (rice dish)
• Tellins
• Sepia a la plancha (grilled cuttlefish)

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Central Bar

The Central Market of Valencia, Plaça de la Ciutat de Bruges, s/n, 46002 València, Valencia.

Central bar is operated by Michelin Starred chef Ricard Camarena and is located in the heart of Valencia Mercado Central. The upscale tapas bar offers a careful curation of Classic hot and cold tapas dishes, plus some larger meals, and desserts, all of which are made from locally sourced ingredients. 

The menu rotates items with the seasons but standout dishes include:

• Artichoke chips
• Bocadillos (there’s always a few on the menu)
• Conejo al ajillo (Garlic rabbit)
• Sepia a la plancha (grilled cuttlefish)

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Restaurante Taberna Las Meninas

Plaça de Rodrigo Botet, 2, 46002 València, Valencia

Located right beside the picturesque plaza where you’ll also find the Font de les Tres Gràcies fountain is Restaurante Taberna Las Meninas, a quaint tapas bar and restaurant offering a range of specialty tapas dishes and authentic Valencian rice dishes. 

For those looking to try something seasonal, this restaurant offers a great range of seasonal Valencian rice dishes such as the paella with artichoke, as well as classics like the paella marisco (seafood paella). 

House specialties include:

• Various Valencian rice dishes
• Gambas al ajillo 
• Pulpo a la plancha

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Taberna Antonio Manue

C. de Sant Vicent Màrtir, 42, 46002 València, Valencia

Tucked away along a small side street is Taberna Antonio Manuel, a great place to stop off and enjoy a few tapas or rest your legs and dig into a larger meal. With plenty of inside and terrace tables, the bar and restaurant offer a bistro-style atmosphere along with an extensive tapas and drinks menu. 

House specialties:

• Meat grill (Parrillada de carne a la brasa)
• Seafood platter (Bandeja de frituras del mar)
• Ensalada Rusa
• Croquetas (many different types available)

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Sagardi Valencia Centro

C. de Sant Vicent Màrtir, 6, 46002 València, Valencia.

Sagardi Valencia is a popular Basque-style tapas and pintxos bar offering a range of traditional and authentic Spanish and Basque dishes with a modern flair. Aside from the numerous pintxos-styled dishes piled on the countertop, there’s also an a la carte menu and an extensive wine list.

House specialties include:

• Carne (steak)
• Sepia a la plancha
• Pintxos (various dishes served seasonally)

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El Pederniz

Passatge de Ventura Feliu, 20, 46007 València, Valencia

Not far from either Valencia Nord or Valencia Joaquin Sorolla train stations you’ll find El Pederniz, a classic Valencia tavern that specializes in traditional Valencian dishes. The multi-lingual staff offers an expensive menu that includes authentic paella and rice dishes, meat dishes, seafood, and tapas dishes. 

House specialties include Seafood paella (paella marisco), garlic shrimp (gambas al ajillo), and the Galician octopus (pulpo a la gallega). 

To order:

• Paella
• Gambas al ajillo
• Pulpo a la gallega

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La Casa del Tapeo

C. de Jesús, 95, 46007 València, Valencia

​​Av. de Gaspar Aguilar, 109, 46017 València, Valencia

Also not far from Valencia Nord train station is La Casa del Tapeo with two locations. Both are quite unassuming tapas bars from the outside and one may easily pass by without notice, but venture inside and you’ll discover some of the best tapas on offer in Valencia.

The restaurant located at C. de Jesús, 95 has a pleasant restaurant as well as a small terrace area. The restaurant regularly receives excellent reviews and is well-regarded as a place with large portions and great value for money. 

House specialties include:

• Langostidos cocidos
• Arros el horno en cazuela
• Fideua marinera

Beachside Valencia tapas featured: 

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La Cabanyita

Carrer d’Eugènia Viñes, 58, 46011 València, Valencia.

A stone’s throw from the beach down Carrer d’Eugènia Viñes you’ll find a newcomer to the scene La Cabanyita, which opened in 2021. The tapas bar and restaurant feature a colorful and funky interior with retro decor and color palette, plus there’s a small terrace outside. 

Along with a range of classic Spanish tapas dishes, you’ll also find some modern takes on tapas dishes, specialty salads, and there’s also a good range of wood-fired pizzas available. 

House Specialties include:

• Patatas Bravas
• Salad with burrata
• Sepia a la plancha

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La Otra Parte

Carrer d’Eugènia Viñes, 113, 46011 València, Valencia.

Located right opposite the beach (Platja del Cabanyal), La Otra Parte is a popular tapas bar with a relaxed vibe. The colorful interior is artfully decorated and features artworks and creative furnishings that add charm to this small but wonderful bar and restaurant. Outside, there’s a good-sized terrace area where diners can enjoy the sea breeze. 

The food offered is a combination of hot and cold tapas dishes and some main meal options with plenty of vegetarian options available too.  

House specialties not to be missed include:

• Calamares a la plancha
• Carrillada ibérica- beef cheek with red wine reduction, and a mash of root vegetables
• Ceviche de Pez Espada

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Ca la Mar

Carrer de Just Vilar, 19, 46011 València, Valencia.

A few blocks from the Mercat Municipal de Cabanyal you’ll find Ca la Mar. This picturesque tapas bar and restaurant are highly regarded by locals and visitors alike, with a great range of seafood-focused tapas dishes, authentic Valencian dishes, plus a great selection of drinks and cocktails. 

Tapas specialties include:

• Tuna tartare
• Secreto Iberico
• Hummus
• Black Pudding Timale

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Bar Cabanyal

Carrer de Martí Grajales, 5, 46011 València, Valencia.

A popular tapas bar with a focus on fresh seafood and fish dishes. Bar Cabanyal is an unassuming but friendly local bar that’s worth visiting if you’re in the area and looking for some great seafood tapas. 

House specialties include:

• Gambas a la plancha
• Pulpo a la gallega

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Bar Restaurante miSitio

Carrer de Just Vilar, 6, 46011 València, Valencia.

Right behind the Seafood Market Mercat Municipal de Cabanyal is Bar Restaurante miSitio. With a recently renovated interior, this tapas bar and restaurant are popular with a local crowd, and for good reason. There is a good range of affordable tapas dishes to sample, along with a rotating roster of traditional Valencian rice dishes on offer. 

With such close proximity to the seafood market, all seafood dishes are prepared using some of the freshest ingredients you can find anywhere in Valencia. They also offer a very well-priced 3-course ‘menu del dia’ which is well worth the effort to venture inland from the beach for a few hours. 

House specialties include:

• Paella de langosta (Lobster with rice)
• Paella marisco (Seafood Paella)
• Bocadillos (rolls with various toppings)

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Casa Montaña

Carrer de Josep Benlliure, 69, 46011 València, Valencia.

Just a few streets back from the main port of Valencia, you’ll find Casa Montaña, a delightful Valencian tavern founded in 1836. The restaurant and bar have ample seating on the ground level that oozes old-world charm and offer an exceptional selection of tapas and main meal dishes, plus a vast wine selection. 

Downstairs there’s a seating area in the now unused brandy brewery where you can sit beside old brandy barrels, plus other historic paraphernalia while you enjoy a meal. 

House specialties include: 

• Exceptional tasting menu with accompanying wines (€50-60 per person)
• Hot and cold tapas (all are exceptional)
• Desserts – Pastel de tres chocolates

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La Sastreria

Carrer de Josep Benlliure, 42, 46011 València, Valencia.

For those looking for a more upscale dining experience, you can’t go past La Sastreria with its clean lines and refreshing modern decor. The restaurant offers a fantastic range of Authentic Valencian dishes all with a modern twist. 

Any of the seafood dishes are highly regarded and the croquettes have become something of a legend with virtually every table sampling the bubble-infused dish! 

House specialties include:

• Croqueta líquida de gamba roja y su coral – Specialty red prawn croquetas
• Navajas (razor clams)
• Sea urchins (seasonal availability)