In Valencia, tapas are ordered for the middle of the table and shared. Many of them come from the vegetable gardens and the sea around the city, and others from the nearby regions, like the coques of La Marina Alta or the figatells. At Alenar, the tapas and wine bar we opened in 2019 right in Valencia city centre, our menu is built around those traditional recipes, with local produce and a touch of our own. It has earned us a Solete from the Repsol Guide.
What are Valencian tapas?
A tapa is a small dish made for sharing, usually with a drink. Valencian tapas are the ones made with the region’s own larder: roasted vegetables, salted and smoked fish, local sausages like figatell, baked coques and olive oil from the Comunitat Valenciana. More than a single dish, it is a way of eating: several tapas in the middle of the table, a glass of wine or a vermouth, and time to talk.
Valencian tapas you should try
If it is your first time eating tapas in Valencia, these are some of the most traditional ones, and this is how we make them at Alenar:
- Coca. A thin, crispy flatbread topped with vegetables, cured meats or salted fish. Ours come from La Marina Alta and are baked every day following Iaia Teresa’s recipe.
- Figatell. A traditional Valencian patty made with pork liver and meat. We serve it as a mini burger in soft bread, and in a warm broth when it is in season.
- Esgarraet. Roasted peppers in strips with salt cod or salted fish. Ours is chargrilled and topped with flaked capellanet.
- Salted and smoked fish. Mojama (salt-cured tuna), smoked sardine, smoked cod or anchovies: produce closely linked to the Valencian coast that works perfectly as a cold tapa.
- Patatas bravas. Not originally from Valencia, but you will find them in every tapas bar in the city. Ours are oven-baked and served with a sriracha brava sauce and garlic mayo.
Our favourite tapas at Alenar
Our menu is created by Two Many Chefs, the team of chefs Carlos Medina and Toni Soriano, and it combines traditional tapas with signature dishes. These are some of the most ordered for sharing:
- “00” anchovies with truffle oil, honey and basil, one of the house signature tapas.
- Extra-thick white asparagus with black truffle mayonnaise.
- Figatell mini burger, a bite that Traveler magazine featured in its article on what figatell is and where to eat it.
- Alenar house salad, with seasonal tomato, roasted peppers, smoked tuna, Catí cheese and capellanets.
For tinned seafood lovers, we have a premium selection from Espinaler: razor clams from Sálvora Island, cockles from the Noia estuary and mussels in escabeche from the Arousa estuary, served in the tin for sharing.
How to order tapas in Spain
The usual way is to order several tapas at once and leave them in the middle of the table, mixing cold and hot ones: some tinned seafood or a coca to start, a signature tapa and some bravas or a figatell to finish. Everyone tries a bit of everything, and you can always order a second round. If you are not sure what to choose or which wine to pair it with, ask the team at the bar: our cellar focuses on wines from the Mediterranean and, above all, from the Comunitat Valenciana, and they will recommend the one that best suits what you have ordered.
If you enjoy food and wine together, once a month we host a dinner with four wines and four dishes from a guest Valencian winery.
When to eat tapas in Valencia
You can eat tapas at lunch or dinner, and at Alenar the kitchen serves non-stop: Monday to Friday from 8:45 am to 11 pm and Saturdays from 10:30 am to 11 pm, so you can sit down whenever you are hungry. If Spanish meal times are new to you, our guide on where to eat in Valencia and when locals eat explains them, along with the dishes and neighbourhoods worth trying.
Where to find us in Valencia city centre
Alenar is at Carrer de Martínez Cubells, 6 (46002 València), between the Town Hall Square and the Estació del Nord train station, within walking distance of the main sights in the city centre. We recommend booking, especially at weekends and for groups. You can book online in English or call us on +34 960 039 603. If you are passing by without a plan, drop in: we also welcome walk-ins depending on availability at the bar.
