Although new trends have included in world culture a meal on the way between breakfast and lunch, in the city of Valencia and its surroundings there has been a similar tradition for decades, an almost religious appointment, which brings crowds of people together in bars until well after midday: almuerzo or ‘esmorsaret’ as the locals call it.
This gastronomic rite has become, over the years, almost a must on weekends when friends look for an excuse to get together. Few are the Valencians who during these weeks of quarantine do not sigh for a good morning lunch in their favorite bar or restaurant and wait anxiously, as the writer of this article, but now we can visit again one of those temples of freshly baked bread filled with their favorite ingredients.
However, although there are many bars where one can enjoy this local tradition, from Flight Mode we would like to recommend to all those travelers who visit the city of Valencia some of the most awarded and famous places of this traditional food: Take note we are telling you where and what to eat in Valencia for the ‘’Almuerzo’’!
La Pergola
In front of the Jardines de Viveros, at the beginning of the Alameda, there is one of the most classic and visited lunch places by people of all ages in Valencia, La Pérgola, which receives its name from the structure that houses it.
Although the restaurant is quite small inside, it has a large terrace outside where you can enjoy a beer and some of its specialties such as the ‘Bombón’ sandwich.
Bodega la Pascuala
Another mythical bar on the lunch route that every Valencian knows is La Pascuala, located in front of Malvarrosa beach and famous for its giant sandwiches. However, it is not only notable for the size of its dishes but also for its variety and for offering some specialities that are not so common in most places, such as horse meat.
La Piula
Located in the city centre, this bar offers a wide variety of lunches and typical dishes of Spanish and Valencian cuisine. Although finding a table in this place can be very complicated since there is always a queue, we recommend visiting it on Wednesdays, when they prepare the house specialty: the squid sandwich.
Bar Alhambra
For tortilla lovers, Valencia is home to one of the best bars not only in the city but in all of Spain. With more than three decades, this small bar run by Benito and his wife specializes in tortillas and at its bar you will find everything from the classic potato and onion to sobrasada or artichokes, as well as much other homemade tapas. It is worth going there early if you want to have a leisurely lunch in this place as it fills up quickly and closes at 2 pm.
Restaurante Porta de la Mar
Chosen in 2019 as the best lunch bar in the province of Valencia (a prize is awarded every year to the best bars called Cacao de Oro), this place is located a few meters from the Plaza del Ayuntamiento in the city and is a great option for lunch and dinner, where you can find a variety of dishes with which you choose to bring your own sandwich.
This restaurant, which during the week is full of bank workers and businessmen who work in the nearby offices, is one of the highest quality options without being overpriced.
