La Pepica is a valencian rice restaurant in La Malvarrosa, 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.
Signature dishes: Paella valenciana, Arroz a banda, Arroz del senyoret
Must order: The paella valenciana with rabbit, chicken and ferraura beans at lunch, with a half-bottle of Utiel-Requena bobal.
Tip: Book the beachfront terrace one week ahead. Closed Sunday evenings. Hemingway's signed photograph hangs in the inner dining room.
Address: Paseo Neptuno, 6, Valencia
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.
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 on the carte.
Signature: Paella valenciana, Arroz a banda, Fideua
Order: The paella valenciana or the arroz a banda; the house Utiel-Requena tinto is honest.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. The dining room fills with locals by 14:00; reserve ahead.
Llisa Negra on Carrer de Pasqual i Genis in Valencia is Quique Dacosta's product-driven fire-only kitchen, with no gas stoves and every dish cooked over wood and embers.
Signature: Arroz seco, Pescado a la brasa, Carnes a la brasa
Order: The seasonal fish from the Valencia fish market grilled over olive wood, plus the arroz seco.
Tip: Reserve through the website at least 10 days ahead for dinner. The Krug embassy table seats four for the prestige tasting.
Casa Montana on Carrer de Josep Benlliure in Valencia's Cabanyal fishing quarter has poured wine from oak barrels and served tapas since 1836, with a 1,500-bottle wine cellar.
Signature: Esgarraet, Anchoas del Cantabrico, Atun en aceite
Order: The esgarraet (salt-cod with roasted red peppers) and a glass of Utiel-Requena bobal from the barrel.
Tip: Reserve ahead, especially for weekends. Closed Sunday. The wine list runs deep into local Valencian small producers.
Central Bar inside the Mercado Central in Valencia is Ricard Camarena's market-counter project, serving bocadillos and tapas built from the market stalls metres away.
Signature: Bocadillo de calamares, Carrillera iberica, Croquetas
Order: The bocadillo de calamares with squid from the market fishmongers, plus a vermut from the barrel.
Tip: Open during market hours, Mon to Sat 07:30 to 15:00. Stand at the counter or grab one of the few stools.
Canalla Bistro on Carrer del Mestre Josep Serrano in Valencia's Russafa is Ricard Camarena's casual urban project, a globe-trotting bistro across Asian, Latin and Mediterranean.
Signature: Bao buns, Tartar, Coca crujiente
Order: The bao bun with iberico pork and the tartar tasted with a Bobal red from the carte.
Tip: Russafa side of the city; book a week ahead for weekend nights. Tasting menu and a la carte both work.
