The Sunday Times - UK (2022-06-05)

The Sunday Times June 5, 2022 17

Travel City breaks

THE BIG WEEKEND

T

Mimar

Cabanyal

City of Arts

and Sciences

Mercado

Colon

Mercado

Central

Turia

Gardens

1 mile

Valencia Airport

4½ miles

restaurant. That design has won awards

but it also has a growing reputation for

the freshest fish and shellfish (mains from

£15; lasastreriavalencia.com).

Mimar

With a prime location overlooking

Patacona Beach, this restaurant is the

perfect location to try Valencia’s most

famous dish — paella. Go traditional

(with chicken, rabbit, beans and even

snails), or add your own twist — all

with great sea views (mains from £15;

mimarvalencia.com).

Goya Gallery

A longstanding favourite with Valencians,

this sophisticated spot puts a modern

slant on established dishes. Try rich

national cheeses and aubergine with

smoked sardine, grilled calamari, oysters

and aged beef, as well as paella in its

many versions, from seafood to lobster

and pork with foie gras (mains from £14;

goyagalleryrestaurant.com).

WHERE TO STAY

Palacio Vallier

Set right next to Plaza de la Virgen with

its exuberant fountain, orange trees and

cathedral, this 19th-century mansion has

been beautifully restored with an art deco

flair. Creamy marble, neutral tones and

a touch of gold give an air of opulence,

while the roof terrace offers fantastic

views across the old town (B&B doubles

from £208; myrhotels.com).

NH Collection Valencia Colon

In the heart of upmarket Colon, this

boutique hotel has a striking design,

from the black, mirrored reception

through to the busy patterned wallpapers

and rich textiles. Airy rooms are

individually decorated, there is a cosy

wood-panelled bar, a restaurant and a

sky bar for sundowners (B&B doubles

from £140; nh-hotels.es).

Lindala Rooms

A disused building and warehouse have

been turned into this restaurant with

rooms. Downstairs food and drinks are

served in an open patio filled with plants

and fairy lights, while upstairs rooms are

elegant and understated. Natural wood,

clean whites and aquamarine accents

remind you that you aren’t far from the

coast (room-only doubles from £65;

lindalavalencia.com).

IF YOU ONLY DO ONE THING

Hire a bike and tour the city the local

way. Nothing beats freewheeling through

Turia Gardens all the way to the marina

and beach. Cycle lanes even fan out into

the market gardens and farms around

the city.

Sarah Gordon was a guest of Visit Valencia

(visitvalencia.com)

VA L E N C I A

at what was an old ice factory, La Fabrica

de Hielo (Carrer de Pavia, 37) — all just

steps from the city’s golden sands.

WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK

Bodega Anyora

Set in an old fisherman’s house in

Cabanyal, this tiny restaurant with a few

tables serves small plates inspired by the

neighbourhood and ingredients from

around Valencia. Try the fried anchovies

with lime salt, pizza-like cocas smothered

in smoked sardine, or the local

ratatouille. The wine list is decent too

(small plates from £5; anyora.es).

Mercado Colon

Once a covered market in the well-to-do

area of Colon, this temple to modernism

is now lined with bars and cafés. Sip

I

ts status as World Design Capital

for 2022 has thrown the spotlight

on Valencia’s eye-catching blend

of gothic, modernista and

strikingly futuristic architecture.

But that’s just one part of the appeal of

a leafy coastal city that may not have

the blockbuster attractions of Barcelona,

Madrid, Seville and the like, but which

has little trouble winning over the

first-time visitor. Amble in the old town,

explore the vast parks, zip over to the

nearby beaches or just park up in a

patio café for dishes made with

ingredients from the fertile farmland

that encircles the city.

WHAT TO DO

W Valencia was once a walled city and

you can still walk the gothic streets of its

old town set between its two remaining

city gates. Visit the silk exchange, a

reminder of the riches the city was built

on in the 15th century; and the cathedral,

said to guard the Holy Grail. The

warren-like streets are lined by a mix of

honeyed buildings, colourful street art,

bars and restaurants.

W At the heart of the old town you’ll find

Mercado Central (Placa de la Ciutat de

Bruges), the largest fresh produce market

in Europe. It’s worth a visit just to enjoy

its glorious art nouveau design, all

wrought iron, coloured glass and tiles,

set around a central dome. Stay to

wander among stalls of fresh fish and

produce grown in the market gardens

that surround the city, known as la huerta

(the orchard). Refuel at Central Bar, run

by chef Ricard Camarena; treats include

rabbit in garlic sauce, grilled pig’s ear,

and cuttlefish sandwich (dishes from £6;

m.centralbar.es).

W After a devastating flood in 1957,

Valencia’s Turia River was rerouted and

its old riverbed has been turned into

a serene park that wends its way through

the city for more than five miles. Turia

Gardens, as they are known, are filled

with palms, fragrant pines and flowers,

laced with walking and cycle trails

and filled with picnicking families,

yoga classes and sports events at the

weekend.

W At the easternmost end of the Turia

Gardens you’ll find structures emerging

from among the palm trees like

something out of a sci-fi film. The City

of Arts and Sciences was designed by

local architect Santiago Calatrava and

features fantastical white-tiled buildings

surrounded by ultramarine pools,

home to a science museum, opera house,

Imax cinema and aquarium.

W Three miles from the old town you’ll

find the city’s beaches, a great swathe of

golden sands that never seem full. Here

you’ll see energetic types playing

volleyball or paddle tennis while

restaurants serve steaming paellas and

crisp beers. Stroll the promenade to the

furthest beach, Patacona, where in the

summer months chiringuito beach bars

pop up on the sands.

THE COOLEST NEIGHBOURHOOD

Once a separate fishing village, Cabanyal

is now tucked within the embrace of

Valencia, although locals remain proud

of their distinctive heritage. This coastal

spot had fallen on hard times but is now

abuzz with a new appreciation for its

rows of colourful, tiled fishermen’s

houses and traditional tapas spots. Sip

artisan coffee in Tallat (Carrer de la

Barraca, 25), dine among old wine

barrels at Casa Montaña (Carrer de

Josep Benlliure, 69) or catch live music

CLARE COLLINS

Valencia’s traditional horchata drink,

made from tiger nuts; or enjoy an aperitif

in the evening (horchata £2.50;

mercadocolon.es).

Café Madrid

Now an elegant bar at the foot of a

palace-turned-boutique hotel, this

nightspot is renowned as the place where

agua de Valencia was invented. Orange

juice mixed with cava, gin and vodka,

it is as refreshing as it is potent and

best enjoyed beneath the glittering

chandeliers of this refined spot (agua

de Valencia £5; myrhotels.com).

La Sastreria

A swirl of glass and ceramic tiles in

vibrant shades of sapphire and cerulean

add a sub-aqua feel to this newly opened

Modern design meets Med charm, says Sarah Gordon

For dozens more

guides to your

favourite city-break

destinations, and

those you’re still to

discover, see our

dedicated Times

Travel website

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