Who am I to think I can say what the best paella in Spain is ?! But here goes..... I have only lived in Spain for about three years but I am a rice fanatic. No, seriously.... My first cookbook was a Risotto cookbook I picked up at Willams & Sonoma in New York City way back in 1989. I have been to Italy a dozen times and have had locals cook risotto for me - amazing. My wife is Persian, and their cuisine is based heavily on the use of basmati rice, cooked to absolute perfection. Paella fits right into the grand rice dish category on the world stage and I have probably had it 30 to 40 times. There are other versions of rice dishes in Spain and we will touch on those at the end.
So What is Paella?
Paella is a rich dish cooked fairly slowly in a wide, shallow pan. Ingredients like meat, vegetables, seafood, seasonings and saffron are added at different points throughout the process. I have seen everything from the tiniest "paella for one" dish to pans that were more than four feet across ! The image below shows the one my company hired for a paella lunch in Madrid a few years back. I had never seen anything like that before ! So let's get to the list - I will link to each restaurant on Google Maps so you know where to find them and can read more reviews. Remember to zoom in on these high resolution images to get a closer look !
Number 1 : Casa Federico in Denia
I hope you'll all read to the end of my list but I just couldn't wait to get the winner out there ! We spent a week in Denia recently and someone recommended Casa Federico. During COVID days it's nice to be able to sit outside in late January and enjoy a meal. You generally have to get paella for two - I like the traditional Valencian way with rabbit and green beans but my wife really wanted to try the vegetarian version. What a great choice that was! I mean look at the picture. Grilled eggplant, artichokes, spinach, red peppers, mushroom, cauliflower and more. So much good stuff and the texture of the rice was just the way I like - tender but not soft and squishy. At €13 per person this wasn't inexpensive for Spanish standards, but I feel it was worth every cent. If you're a vegan, you would be in heaven with this.
Number 2: La Riuá in Valencia
I really, really like this place. La Riuá is located in old town Valencia, just steps from the cathedral. It's cozy and the staff is super friendly. Yes, a LOT of tourists go here BUT it's old school. Waiters write slips and a copy is brought to the matriarch to be checked and passed to the kitchen. She runs a tight ship and that translates into spectacular paella. It might even be her personal recipe. We went to La Riuá in January, but had also been there on our first visit to Valencia back in 2017.
The paella we ordered on this visit was the traditional Valencian way - rabbit, chicken and wide, flat green beans. Many people say this is the only way to eat paella. I think it's wonderful but I am also one to try new and different flavors. In the end, it's about taste and consistency of the rice and this paella is just fantastic.
Number 3: Alli-Olli in La Latina, Madrid
When we moved to Madrid back in 2018, we spent the first six months living in the La Latina neighborhood just south of the city center and Plaza Mayor. This area is rich in culture and cuisine and boasts many great places for tapas. As good fortune would have it, Alli-Olli was located just up at the corner of our block and had dine-in and take-out options. The take-out option is a great way to try small portions of the paella before committing to a large dish. As you can see from the picture below, I had no problem committing to a full portion !
Once again, this was a vegetarian version but we ate there so often, we tried all versions except for the black squid ink one....just not my thing. These guys were really well organized as well. When you called to make a reservation for a table, they got your number and sent you a WhatsApp message right away. The message was to ask what paella you wanted so that they could have it just about ready when you walked in. What a great way to work things, since paella takes a solid 30 minutes to prepare. Sadly, while writing this article I noticed a "permanently closed" flag on Google Maps. Hope it isn't true and I'll have to stop by and see for myself soon.
Number 4: Canyamel in El Palmar, Valencia
My number four choice for the best paella in Spain is a bit out of the way. A good friend from Madrid had been to Canyamel many times and raved about the duck paella. I had never even seen that on a menu before! We were intrigued, so on a recent drive from Valencia to Denia we drove here and had lunch. It's a really interesting area because it lies smack dab in the middle of the actual rice paddies of the Valencia province. In fact, we took the time to drive around the area a bit and I captured some amazing drone footage which you can see on our YouTube Channel. Always good to know where your food comes from and how it is grown.
At the restaurant things started off a bit odd. We arrived early for lunch (130pm is pretty early for lunch in Spain) and there were no other guests. The restaurant has a large dining room and a smaller one. Given the cool temperatures, we found the big room too cold and the waitress moved us to the smaller one and turned up the heat. In about 20 minutes we were comfortable.... We ordered the duck paella and I have to say it was truly delicious. The duck added a bit more fatty flavor to the dish. It might not be for everyone but the fun is in the trying !
Honorable Mention
As we mentioned way back at the top, paella is not the only rice dish in Spain. Arroz Meloso is a more creamy/watery version of paella and prepared in a different type of pot. Same goes for our Honorable Mention entry - Arroz con Bogavante. This may be one of the best things I have ever eaten in Spain. It's basically rice with lobster. Yes, lobster and plenty of it. In Valencia, this is on the menu at many restaurants but it is often a very watery version. Our best experience with the dish was all the way across Spain in Fisterra at Casa Velay. As you can see from picture here, it was an absolute masterpiece and we left nothing behind !
