Raco del Turia

Classic Valencian cuisine

Paella with blue Lobster & monkfish

When you think of a popular dish from Valencia, without a doubt paella would come on top of your mind. However, I was sure that there are so many other fantastic local dishes beside the legendary paella, and I was keen to find out when I was traveling to Valencia, the 3rd biggest city in Spain. I came across Raco del Turia, a traditional Valencian restaurant in the posh part of the city, Eixample. The decor of the restaurant is seriously old school, with heavy usage of wood, and classic paintings around the dining room, and there is the white tablecloth. The menu is your classic a la carte format, with a strong focus in rice dishes, from traditional paella that contained chicken and rabbit, to baked rice, rice soup, and noodle dishes, I never knew there were so many other versions of rice and noodle dishes from Valencia.

Raco del Turia

Carpaccio of Prawns

All i pebre

For starter, I opted for a light dish of carpaccio of prawns, this won't look out of place in a Michelin restaurant. The dish achieved the perfect balance of sweet and earthy taste, the oil and wild mushroom uplifted the freshness of the prawn perfectly. Less impressive was an eel stew, I felt the eel was left in the stew a touch too long as it lost most of its richness. The star of the day was blue lobster and monkfish paella, it was a rice dish with an overwhelming level of seafood umami goodness. The lobster was cooked just right, very tender and it offered so much powerful shellfish aroma to the whole dish, I also enjoyed the monkfish, which acted as a meaty texture and absorbed all the seafood flavour.

Paella with Pork ribs & Valencian Sausages

Paella with Vegetables

Coca de Llanda

My meal at Raco del Turia was a real eye-opener, I managed to sample some real authentic local cuisine. None of the dishes had a fancy or stylish presentation, but in terms of taste, it was so comforting and satisfying. It is highly recommended to come in a group so you get the chance to sample a range of dishes, all the rice dishes are for 2 people unless you inform them in advance. If I ever return to the city, I would love to return to try other dishes besides the rice dishes. 




Food 3.5/5


Average cost without drinks and services:
£40

Carrer de Ciscar, 10, 46005 València, Valencia, Spain

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