We’re in Valencia right now enjoying the sun, sand, and sea. This wasn’t our original summer vacation plan but some unexpected last minute changes made us readjust and we’re making the best of it. This is my first time in Valencia in way too many years and I’ve been pleasantly surprised to say the least. I’ll write a separate post about stuff we’ve done in Valencia however this restaurant deserves a whole post to itself; it was that good!
We had one of our most memorable meals (to date) at Alqueria del Pou restaurant in Valencia. I was a little weary at first because finding this place would have been a mission and a half if M hadn’t been there before so luckily we got there on the first try (this doesn’t usually happen ;-)).
The “journey” to get to this place just adds to its charm. It’s a house that looks like it’s in the middle of nowhere but really it’s surrounded by vegetable gardens or whatever stuff it is that they grow there (I totally missed out on the green thumb gene). It doesn’t look like much on the outside but once you step inside you know you’re on your way to having a special experience. The photos were taken on our phones and unfortunately we were too obsessed with the food to take decent pics but a picture is worth a thousand words and I think you’ll notice that we loved this meal!
The place serves typical Valencian fare and the star of course is paella. Paella was invented in Valencia and Valencians (I’m not even sure if that’s the proper word to define people from Valencia in English) definitely know how to do it right. They have different types of paellas ranging from the traditional “Paella Valenciana” to a variety of seafood paellas. We went for the traditional paella, which is a thin bed of rice that is slightly burnt on the bottom (don’t worry, it’s supposed to be this way and it’s one of the best parts), local veggies, rabbit, chicken, rosemary, and escargots. Sounds like a strange mix but it marries perfectly and most importantly tastes out of this world! La Alqueria del Pou cooks its paellas over a wood burning fire which also brings a special quality to the paellas; there’s an added je ne sais quoi that makes it unforgettable (at least for us it was).
But we have to go back to the beginning of lunch because everything we tried really was delicious. We started with “tellinas” (this is the word in Valencian) which in Spanish are called “coquinas” and they’re one of my favourite foods. “Coquinas” are super small oval shaped clams and I could eat them by the bucket full! We also ordered “Esgarradet” which was a cold dish made of roasted red peppers, olive oil, a few olives, and a little bit of cod fish. The peppers were perfect and you eat this on toasted slices of baguette and the crunch from the bread along with the freshness of the salad make a great combination. This was good but it was our least favourite because we found the cod to be a little too salty.
We also ordered what they call “mortero de all i oli (ajoaceite) o de tomate crudo con aceite de oliva)” which is a small bowl of fresh crushed tomatoes and a small bowl of aioli served with sliced baguette as well. OMG this stuff was da bomb!!! The tomato tasted like tomatoes (hard to come by in Spain nowadays) and I was content just eating from this little bowl because I’m not a big fan of mayo. Thankfully I have a very convincing husband who coaxed me into eating the aioli and thank G for that! It reminded me of garlic bread; you know the butter mixed with the garlic before you put it in the oven but way better. You have to try it when you go because you won’t regret it; the garlic breath is totally worth it.
Then came the rice that I already raved over and could go on and on about but the best thing to do is just try it.
Last but not least was dessert which I was hoping was going to be good but I had my doubts cause I find that when a restaurant does really well in the food category it doesn’t do so well in the dessert arena but again, thank G I was wrong about this too!!! We ordered a Greek yogurt ice cream that isn’t on the menu and rightfully so because there wouldn’t be any left for those of us who sat down to have lunch at 3:30 pm! This ice cream is a deluxe sundae; it’s served with lots of honey and a type of praline cookie (a “teja”) and is the perfect combination of tartness and sweetness with a touch of crunch. I don’t have words to describe how great this ice cream was, M and I would have eaten 7 more of those sundaes if we weren’t exploding from the 3,000,000 calories we’d already ingested! I’d go back to this place just for the ice cream, well who am I kidding? I’d also go back for the rice and the aioli. Oh yeah, we washed all of this down with a bottle of cold rosé from Marqués de Cáceres that was perfect with this meal (it’s really hot in Valencia in July).
I almost forgot, they also brought us a digestive drink called Mistela which could be described as port wine with flowers (you can thank M for the description) and two little pieces of “coca de llanda” which is a type Valencian bundt/sheet cake with cinnamon sugar that was delicious.
The service was marvellous and very friendly and we’ll definitely be going back before we leave Valencia. I know, I know, we’re total pigs and the worst part is is that I hope to do it again soon!
If you’re in the area, don’t pass up the Alqueria del Pou because it’s definitely worth getting lost on the way!
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Valencia does have its charm, and it has a light that I absolutely love and haven’t seen anywhere else.
The meal looks delicious! Greek yogurt ice cream?! What a treat!
‘Ive penciled it in to my MUST DO LIST.
The ice cream was amazing and I’m not even a huge ice cream fan but this one was definitely one of my faves.
I am so happy you are enjoying your holidays even if you had to change your holidays.
It’s always nice to be on holidays even if you don’t go anywhere!
Tellinas are the best! And what a perfect way to describe mistela….. I’m happy you enjoyed Valencia!
We still have a few more days here and I completely agree that tellinas are amazing!
I haven’t even had breakfast yet and now I’m starving for a paella, and ajo aceite, and ice cream….
Ice cream sounds like the best choice for breakfast!