9 Best Restaurants in Catalonia, Valencia, and the Costa Blanca, Spain

There’s almost always a line outside this old-school, family-owned tapas bar, a local favorite since its founding in 1940. If you can’t get a table, sidle up to the long wood bar, choose from the display of bite-sized, toothpick-speared pintxos, and eat them standing, just like a local.

This bistro’s menu includes a 20-strong list of Catalan-style pizzas, served on peasant bread and incorporating regional ingredients like botifarra (sausage) and seasonal mushrooms. The delightful terrace is situated below a flight of stone stairs leading to the 17th-century Sant Martí church.

Spelled with a capital C, this legendary seaside spot opened in 1913 and spawned the term that’s given to similar bars dotting the Spanish coast. There’s nothing particularly outstanding about the food—typical seafood tapas, much of it fried—but the waterfront terrace is ideal for soaking up the sun and more than a century of history.

Owned by a professional cyclist and decorated with an abundance of bike memorabilia, this inviting café serves healthy, organic breakfasts and lunches—avocado toast, egg dishes, quinoa bowls—along with superb locally roasted coffee. It's a popular fuel-up stop for local cyclists.

This wine bar and restaurant in the heart of the casco antiguo (old town) earns high marks from locals and international visitors alike. There's a wide selection of montaditos (sandwiches), paella, and fresh seafood tapas—oysters, mussels, razor clams—complemented by a well-chosen list of Spanish wines. 

An Alicante institution, this inviting exposed-brick and wood-lined restaurant is very popular with locals, who come for the excellent-value tapas, market produce, and freshly caught fish, a tribute to the city’s enduring relationship with the sea. 

Not your average ice-cream parlor, this to-go spot is the brainchild of master confectioner Jordi Roca, of El Celler de Can Roca fame. Exquisite helados, fanciful toppings, and popsicles in the shape of Girona's famous climbing bear are just some of the treats you'll find here. Expect long lines.

A few steps from the Plaza de la Reina, this cozy spots blends the concept of a tapas bar with that of an Italian wine bar, with dishes like oxtail cannelloni, eggplant “meatballs,” and classic lasagna served small plates-style. There’s a fantastic list of Valencian, Spanish, and Italian wines, with many available by the glass.

Carved into a rocky point above Playa San Sebastiá, the multi-level Vivero is actually three distinct spaces: a casual, alfresco tapas spot up top; a swankier "beach club" at the bottom; and sandwiched between is a bi-level indoor/outdoor restaurant, with a wide variety of seafood dishes and paellas. Whichever you choose, the real reason to come is for the magnificent views, especially at sunset.