Valencia pleasantly surprised us on so many levels, and food was one of those!
Once again there was a short list on dishes and food ingredients to try, and once again we had several must visit location.
Designed by the Valencian architect Francisco Mora Berenguer between 1914 and 1916, Mercado was actually half closed when we arrived early in the morning, so we had to find our luck somewhere else. Not so troublesome in Valencia, as every single corner offers something to eat.
Once again we embraced the Spanish habit of a second breakfast (around 11, noon) so we would have light snack in our Airbnb before heading out.
A number of coffee shops and bakeries open quite early so even if you do’t have intention on dining in your accommodation, there’s no way that one will go hungry.
If the visit to Mercado Colon was a failure, the Mercado central soon became one of the favorite second breakfast location.
Located across from the Llotja de la Seda, the Silk Exchange building, Mercado is a very busy local marked, not just on the inside but also outside.
With the merchants selling not just food, but clothes and kitchen utensils also, the market it’s packed with people daily.
Its unusual roof consists of original domes and sloping sections at different heights, while the interior seems to be lined in a range of materials such as iron, wood, ceramics and polychromed tiles.
Opened from Monday until Saturday, 7:30 am til 3pm, the Marked offers various fresh or dried ingredients, meat, cheeses, sea products, drinks and some prepared dishes as well.
While walking around the Market we deliberately sat for some quick brunch at the Central Bar, owned by one of the leading figures of Spanish fine-dining, Ricard Camarena.
Named the best chef by the Valencian Academy of Gastronomy in 2007 with two Michelin stars for his Ricard Camarena restaurant (one star being green sustainability star for“agriculture à la carte”) the fame of RC has spread way outside the local Spanish culinary borders.
Central Bar at the Mercado Central is by no means a fancy dining location. One you get your spot, and make sure to come before 11 am and the rush hour, you will be siting in high chairs at the bar glancing at the bartenders making your drink. But that’s what it makes even more attractive.
As we really liked the sandwiches we came back another day for a early lunch meal at the Central Bar (Debeli even got the chance to have a dinner at the X Bar on Mercado Colon).
Looking at the menu, google translating the dishes, running around the little one it was easiest form me to look at the other peoples plates and decide what to eat. Not the best idea, in the end, but you only live once so….
Anyway, a gentleman next to me was eating something nice looking and interesting, so I said I’ll have that.
Weirdly gummy texture and slightly odd taste, but no wonder as it was cuttlefish eggs! And luckily I googled it way afterwards 🤣
Debeli was smarter so he ordered something he could understand and that was plain old curry.
With the fact that there are over 1500 restaurants in Valencia, it really wasn’t hard to find a spot for lunch. Especially as Spaniards have a habit to dine even later than Italians, so most of the eateries are serving lunch between 1pm and 4pm.
Even with the restaurants located on the curb of the pavement, sitting between bustling cars and people passing by, there we weren’t afraid of being hungry.
Almost every single restaurant serves daily lunch options consisting of two dishes, dessert and a drink included and all of that for a fixed price. There’s always several options to choose from, so even the pickiest eater can get a hold of something.
On a evening when we had to be early in the accommodation because of the M bed time, Debeli would always find something in the neighborhood for us to nibble before turning the light out.
