Valencia: Morning Food Tour with Central Market Visit
Start your day off right and experience a true Valencian morning strolling through the city. Join this guided food tour, visit the bustling Central Market, and taste a...
Arroz a banda is Valencia's seafood-stock rice, cooked in a fish broth made from rockfish, served alone with allioli on the side: a sailor's rice from the Cabanyal fishing quarter.
Arroz a banda emerged from the Cabanyal fishermen who could not sell the small rockfish (morralla) at market. They cooked the rice in the fish stock until the broth was absorbed, then ate it with allioli on the side. The name (banda = separately) refers to the fish being served apart from the rice, in the older tradition. Modern Valencian restaurants serve the dish without the fish, just the deeply-flavoured rice with allioli, at La Riua, Casa Carmela and the El Palmar restaurants.
4 editor picks for Arroz a banda in Valencia, ranked by editorial score. All Valencia signature dishes · Arroz a banda across every city.
Casa Carmela ★ 4.6
la-malvarrosa · C/ Isabel de Villena 155, 46011 Valencia
Casa Carmela on the Malvarrosa beachfront in Valencia has cooked wood-fired paellas to order since 1922, with a 20-strong rice repertoire and a lunch-only.
La Riua ★ 4.4
ciutat-vella · C/ del Mar, 27, Valencia
La Riua on Carrer del Mar in Valencia's old town has run a family-tavern rice kitchen since 1978, now in the third generation, with a dozen paellas.
Rausell ★ 4.4
extramurs · Calle Angel Guimerá 61, 46008 Valencia
Rausell on Carrer d'Angel Guimera in Valencia's Extramurs is a family-run rice and seafood kitchen since 1948, now in its third generation. Priced at €€.
La Pepica ★ 4.3
la-malvarrosa · Paseo Neptuno, 6, Valencia
La Pepica on Passeig de Neptu in Valencia's Malvarrosa beach has served paella since 1898; Hemingway, Queen Sofia and Orson Welles all ate the rice here.
Learn to cook it, or eat it with a guide
Arroz a banda makes more sense with someone from Valencia explaining it. These are the classes and tours we have checked, with booking links.
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