The 57th edition of the International Paella de Sueca Contest has recently been held, and this year the prize has gone to Altamira Grill (Asador Altamira), located in the town of Alaquàs, very close to the capital, Valencia. Every day, this restaurant produces what is considered The Best Paella in the World this year. You should know that if you visit Valencia and want to try our most international dish, this restaurant is a must. However, in this post we will also suggest other places where you can taste the authentic Valencian paella. It is essential during your visit to the Valencian Community, land of rice and paellas par excellence. Are you writing it down?
At Asador Altamira they cook what has been considered the best paella in the world. It is one of the most long-standing restaurants, with its cooks already having participated in 20 different editions of the International Paella de Sueca Contest.
Francisco Pardo and Pedro Fernández, makers of the best paella in the world, have a secret to their success: Paella has to be made with a lot of care and dedication, and it is very important to control how the broth boils.
This restaurant, which received the second prize in this International Contest, is also a must visit if you want to eat a good paella. It is also an idyllic place as it is an Alqueria surrounded by the orchard and located just 500 metres from the City of Arts and Sciences. At L’Alqueria del Pou you can taste the traditional Valencian gastronomy, and enjoy appetizers such as esgarrat or steamed clotxinas (mussels). But their main specialty is their rice, in addition to the Valencian paella, they are specialists in sticky rice. Do not forget to visit this restaurant, and make sure you eat one of the best paellas in the world.
Located in the heart of the Campanar neighbourhood of Valencia, El Racó de la Paella is a typical, elegant, Valencian house with precious tiles. Besides the decoration, it is one of the places recommended by Wikipedia for tasting the authentic Valencian paella. An achievement for this place dating back to 1900, which nowadays perfectly combines tradition with avant-garde. In El Racó de la Paella, the most international dish has three main ingredients: fire (with orangewood), fresh and quality raw material, and the artistry of the cook that brings that special touch.
Casa Carmela is an indispensable place to taste good Valencian paella. Its owners boast of continuing to cook it following the methods learned from their ancestors. Casa Carmela, which began as a tent for swimmers back in the 1920s, commits to cooking with the fire of orange firewood and to the quality and proximity of the raw material. The result is a thin layer paella and smoked fire flavour. In addition, in Casa Carmela, paella is served to the centre of the table in a ceremony typical of the Mediterranean culture.
Considered by many as the King of Paellas, Casa Blayet is located on the beach of Perellonet, next to the Albufera, a place where rice has a supreme quality.
This restaurant, which began its journey there in 1935, offers tasty and very authentic paellas. So much so that they have won the first national award for paellas, which vouches for their good work and good cooking. The recipe of Casa Blayet’s paella has been passed on from generation to generation, achieving a unique and perfect result.
There are many more restaurants for tasking the authentic Valencian paella, but we wanted to select some of the best. Now that you know more, if you are planning to visit Valencia, do not forget going to one of these places to taste our most international dish. The gastronomic experience will be unforgettable!
