The best outdoor cafés: landscapes to savour
You won’t need any convincing to believe that this city has a spectacular climate. It’s obvious from the moment you arrive! Sunny days greet you year-round, giving Valencia's streets, squares and other spots a robust outdoor life. For the magnificent weather is an invitation to cultivate an open nature and celebrate the pleasures of enjoyment. As a result, one permanent feature of Valencian life is the proliferation of terrazas, open spaces that pair views and palate.
Discover the best landscapes to savour.
Ciutat Vella
We begin in Ciutat Vella, our incredible old quarter. Highlights include the patio at El Ocho y Medio, serving international cuisine with a Mediterranean base, where you can enjoy the small microcosm of one of Valencia's most authentic squares, Lope de Vega. La Lola offers rice dishes and tapas in the centre of the medieval street map, amid dead-end alleys and mansions, beside the cathedral’s iconic bell tower: Micalet. La Bernarda is a tranquil oasis a few metres from the popular Reina Square. The patio at Le Marquis, the gastro restaurant at the SH Inglés Hotel, offers a close-up view of the incredible baroque entrance to Marqués de Dos Aguas Palace. Another highlight is Espai Seda, the restaurant at the Silk Museum, situated in the garden of an ancient medieval school.
Alameda, Turia Gardens and City of Arts and Sciences
Paseo de la Alameda is an avenue best enjoyed while seated and sampling delicious local products. Both Bocado Bar and Jauja are a sure bet. Also nearby are the Westin Hotel, with its graceful Jardín Bar, and Átic Palau Alameda, which offers stupendous views of the Turia Gardens, making it the perfect spot for an evening visit. Then there is La Terracita del Palace, the most casual option at the SH Valencia Palace Hotel, which boasts a distinctive ambiance. However, if there is one spot worthy of the title of best panoramic view of Valencia’s main green space and the famous City of Arts and Sciences, it is Contrapunto, the culinary spot at the Palau de les Arts opera house.
Russafa, Eixample and Corts Valencianes
The Russafa neighbourhood offers some of the most interesting options. Nothing equals the charm and culinary quality of either La Salita – holder of one Michelin star and located in a former mansion – or an urban garden converted into a patio to delight the senses with its alternative style – L’Hort al Nú. On a grand pedestrian square between San Valero Church and the municipal market in the fashion district we find Doña Petrona, food with Argentinean roots made using Valencian ingredients.
And in the other market, Colón, the loveliest example of Art Nouveau architecture, Mi Cub invites you to sample its casual offerings on the patio. For its part, Goya Gallery allows guests to admire the palm trees on the Avenida del Reino de Valencia while delighting in its market cuisine. In the vicinity of Sir Norman Foster’s conference centre, Terraza Obento is the new outdoor dining option from Casino Cirsa. Not far away, at the two-Michelin-starred Ricard Camarena Restaurant, the garden patio is another of the many attractions at one of the temples of local cuisine.
Non-stop Mediterranean
If there is one thing Valencia is known for, it is its beautiful broad strip of coastline. Kilometres of fine sand beach and dozens of spots with the best local products (fish, seafood, vegetables and rice) provide non-stop views of the Mediterranean. This is the case of La Ferrera, in Pinedo; Spaghetti & Blues and Brassa de Mar, in La Patacona; and Meraki Beach & Sky Restaurant, in La Pobla de Farnals. The urban beaches boast a wealth of terrazas overlooking the sea. Casa Isabel, El Coso del Mar, La Alegría de la Huerta, La Pepica, Portolito and Tridente.
Spectacular views share space with patios at Valencia's La Marina, from spots located in the iconic Veles e Vents Building, La Marítima, La Sucursal and MalaBar, to nearby locations, including Destino Puerto, El Camarote & The Roof, Panorama and Vlue Arribar.
Albufera and Horta
And there is still more to discover. In the Horta, Valencia's fertile region, the heartland for local crops, we find Bergamonte, a well-established rice restaurant, and La Mozaira, a culinary establishment committed to first-class ingredients in a beautiful spot, an elegantly refurbished former farmstead.
And in the Albufera, one of Spain’s richest and most important wetlands, don't miss the chance to discover the rice dishes on offer at El Palmar and Nou Racó, amid channels, crops, birds and boats manoeuvred using poles.
