The 19th-century grid south of the old town: Mercado de Colon, Calle Conde Altea wine bars, fine-dining rooms and quiet residential streets.
Casa Roberto on Carrer del Mestre Gozalbo in Valencia's Eixample has cooked Roberto Aparicio's traditional paellas since 1986, with a long chef's record in Valencian rice.
Signature: Paella valenciana, Arroz al horno, Croquetas
Order: The paella valenciana ordered ahead, with the croquetas and salmorejo to start.
Tip: Closed Monday all day and Sunday evenings. Reserve 48 hours ahead for paella; the dining room is small.
Habitual on the lower level of Mercado de Colon in Valencia is Ricard Camarena's market food-hall project, a sit-down bistro inside the 1916 modernista market.
Signature: Bocadillo de calamares, Caldo de ternera, Arroces
Order: The arroz of the day plus a glass of natural wine; the bocadillo de calamares for a lighter lunch.
Tip: Walk down the stairs at Mercado Colon to find it. Open daily, longer hours than the upstairs market itself.
Goya Gallery on Carrer de Borrull in Valencia's Eixample is a modern Spanish dining room with a strong tapas-and-arroz carte, a gallery-art interior and a tight wine list.
Signature: Croquetas, Steak tartar, Arroz
Order: The croquetas of jamon iberico, then the arroz meloso or the steak tartar with a glass of Mistela.
Tip: Reserve in advance for weekend dinners; the room fills with locals from L'Eixample. Lunch menu is good value.
Saiti on Carrer de Reina Dona Maria in Valencia's Eixample is chef Vicente Patino's modern Valencian room with two Repsol Suns, anchored on Mediterranean produce and short tastings.
Signature: Tasting menu, Arroz, Pescados
Order: The shorter tasting menu at lunch is the best-value introduction to the kitchen.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. The tasting runs about two hours; book through the website or call.
Kaymus on Avinguda de Maestro Rodrigo in Valencia is chef Nacho Romero's modern Valencian kitchen, with a strong arroz carte, a Mediterranean tasting menu and a serious wine list.
Signature: Arroz, Bacalao, Croquetas
Order: The tasting menu at lunch (around 45 euros), with the chef's choice of arroz that day.
Tip: Reserve through the website. Lunch tasting is excellent value; dinner is the full experience.
Askua on Carrer del Felip Maria Garin in Valencia is a Basque-style grill founded 1994 by Ricardo Gadea, with rotating local-fish specials, chuleton from old dairy cows and a Bunol tomato carte.
Signature: Chuleton, Pescados a la brasa, Tomate de Bunol
Order: The chuleton (old-cow rib-eye) sliced at the table, with a tomato of Bunol salad on the side.
Tip: Closed Sunday. Reserve 10 days ahead. The fish-and-chuleton menu changes daily on a small chalkboard.
Yarza on Carrer de Ciscar in Valencia's Canovas quarter is chef Manu Yarza's neighbourhood bistro, with daily-changing plates from the lonja, aged meats and a tight Valencian rice carte.
Signature: Cocina de cuchara, Pescado de lonja, Arroces
Order: The aged meat of the day or the rice of the day (order rice 24 hours ahead, minimum two).
Tip: Tight neighbourhood room; reserve through the website a week ahead. Rice dishes require advance order for at least two.
Ma Khin Cafe on the lower floor of Mercado de Colon in Valencia is a pan-Asian kitchen, with curries, noodles and bao under the 1916 modernista market vault.
Signature: Pad thai, Curry, Bao buns
Order: The Thai green curry or a plate of bao buns with iberico pork.
Tip: Open daily through the day. The Colon market complex hours run longer than the upstairs grocery stalls.
Racons in Valencia's Eixample is a neighbourhood arroceria with a wide rice carte, including the wood-oven arroz al horno that needs ordering in advance.
Signature: Arroz al horno, Paella valenciana, Croquetas
Order: The arroz al horno (oven-baked rice with chickpeas, pork and morcilla) for two.
Tip: Closed Sunday evening. The wood-oven arroz needs at least 24 hours notice.
Very Valencia runs evening paella classes near the Plaza de Toros with traditional, vegetable or seafood paella formats. Two-to-three hour sessions cover the history, ingredients and cooking techniques, ending with the meal at the table.
Melia Valencia's Sky Bar is a 24th-floor rooftop bar at the city's tallest hotel, with 360-degree city views, sunset cocktails and a small tapas carte.
Tip: Open daily May to October. Reserve through the website; the lift queue gets long.