Central Bar – Valencia (Spain) en

The foodie coup de coeur of the trip: Michelin starred Richard Camarena’s tapas bar in the central market.
A real treat, it’s what I prefer anyhow in all these cities that I visit: the old markets and their atmospheres.
Here it’s good, not too expensive and not all in your face, the tapas bar like it doesn’t exist in Paris.

The old central market in Valencia is beautiful. It’s at the back of it that you find this Central Bar.
You sometimes have to wait a little bit for space to free up, especially if you’re more than two. I was by myself so I didn’t have any problems. The seats face the kitchen and you can see everything, the chefs at play, and the servers’ performance.
In front of us, behind glass panes, some of the tapas are offered, and beside us as well, in our neighbor’s plates.

– Cuttlefish

The staff was fantastic, dynamic and friendly.

So, cold or hot tapas, or sandwiches.

With me was Annie Bennett, THE english specialist in spanish cuisine, correspondant for the Daily Telegraph and shrewd blog writer  (http://moochingaroundspain.com/). Since she knew the restaurant well, she chose some tapas she liked:
-“Ricard Camarena” salad,  specialty of the house, take the half, it’s large enough for two ( at 3, 25 euros)-the white wine by the gladd was great, a Mestijaze ( for the connoisseurs: Mersguera 63%, Viognier 30%, 7% Malvasia) which I found both dry and fruity, 3 euros for the glass.

-since I was still a little hungry, I followed up with another house specialty, the sandwiches, thinking they were small, tapas version. Yeah, not so much, they were huge.
I took the classic, the “Ricard Camarena”: Lomo, cebolla, mostaza y queso ( pork, onion, mustard and cheese), it’s served hot. Very good, but it’s a meal on its own in my opinion 🙂

I loved it: a well executed idea, the starred chef’s tapas bar in the market, with soft and honest prices that make it seem like a dream: pure happiness, nothing fake.