One thing I came to realise after all these years of travel is, sometimes it really takes a bit of luck and lots of instinct for any travellers to come across a place that serves authentic reional cuisines at reasonable prices. Although I sometimes do allow myself the luxury of having a proper meal at a renown restaurant (such as one of those honoured by the venerable Michelin guide), in general I am that sort of person who prefers to venture out into places where no tourists would frequent and try out whatever places that catch my attention.
Sometimes I came away from a city empty-handed, without having found anything which really impressed me. But then again, there are some places on earth that just seem to deliver a non-stop supply of such rustic yet charming unknown little places with lots of local flavour.
Although Valencia is not very well-known outside of Europe as a top culinary destination, the city has an abundance of nice interesting little places all over the town, there is no shortage of decent foods wherever you go.
Although Valencia is not very well-known outside of Europe as a top culinary destination, the city has an abundance of nice interesting little places all over the town, there is no shortage of decent foods wherever you go.
A golden rule of the thumb is, no matter which country you find yourself in, decent bistros almost always seem to congregate near where the university students are. There are several universities and institutes of higher educations in Valenica, and the area where I stayed at in the first week is full of cheap student and neighbourhood eateries offering delicious food and tapas for a few euros.
On my way back from the City of Arts and Sciences, I saw this tapas bar in the middle of a residential district. All of a sudden I felt like having a glass of red wine with some tapas, so I decided to try this place out.
As both a student place and a neighbourhood local bar, prices are fairly affordable. A big glass of very decent red wine from La Rioja costs 1.50 euro with complimentary olives and biscuits. You can also order something fancier such as cured hams, tortillas, cuttlefish salads, pastas or paellas.
On weekends, live coverage of latest football games in Spain were shown on the TV inside the bar, and it has never failed to entertain me when I watched football games in Spain with a glass of red wine in hand, in the company of enthusiastic fans shouting and screaming and cheering their teams. Football is of huge importance in Spain and every bar pleads its loyalty to certain teams, so before you cheer for a particular side, make sure you know which team your hosts are placing their bets on.
In addition to tapas, this place has a good selection of local wines and more well-known varieties from other parts of Spain. You can either consume the wines on site, or take them home with you.
I forgot to write down the address of this little place, but as Valencia is a city full of good places to wine and dine, next time you are in this lively seaside city, just depend on your instinct and try out your luck whenever you see a place which catches your eyes. You never know what a bargain you may get...
Copyrights@2011. All text and photos by YC Cheng. All Rights Reserved.
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