A land worth eating.

The flagship of the Extremadura-born chef based in Dénia, where cooking is treated as an art form that reinvents itself completely every season. The sea of the Marina Alta and its larder inspire a single long, conceptual and highly visual menu, served in a white Mediterranean-style villa.

Alberto Ferruz cooks the landscape of the Marina Alta in an old farmhouse surrounded by gardens on the outskirts of Xàbia. Fish and seafood from the nearby market, wild herbs and local produce become two tasting menus that change with the seasons and play with techniques and textures.

A Quique Dacosta group project that replaces El Poblet on the same first floor in central València, now with Mexican chef Carolina Álvarez in the kitchen. Creative cooking with great technical precision and careful aesthetics, built around three tasting menus of different lengths.

A family business with more than four decades of history, set in a villa at the foot of Montcabrer. Kiko Moya reinterprets the culinary memory of inland Alicante with seasonal produce, and is known for his thin rice dishes cooked in an iron tray. À la carte and two menus.

Housed in the former Bombas Gens factory, now an arts centre, with an aperitif bar and open kitchen. Vegetables take centre stage: they arrive daily from the restaurant's own gardens a few kilometres away and are used to the full in sauces and stocks. Tasting menus, one of them plant-based, plus à la carte and a chef's table.

A young restaurant high above Oropesa with sweeping Mediterranean views, which earned its first star in the 2026 guide. Jorge Lengua and Adrián Peralta cook produce from Castellón's gardens, sea and mountains in two elaborately presented tasting menus, with table décor that changes with each menu.

In an alley next to Vinaròs's Plaza Parroquial, this Castellón chef starts from local seasonal produce and blends it with Arab, Peruvian and Asian influences without going overboard. A new star in 2026, with à la carte, several menus including a vegan one, and a terrace.

About 15 km from València, Roger Julián runs a contemporary space where dining room and kitchen meet around a central island and guests can approach the chef. His cooking is rooted in the territory and whole-product use, with three tasting menus. New star in 2026.

Vicky Sevilla cooks in the former stables of a 16th-century palace in Sagunt's old town, beneath imposing stone arches. Her cooking is modern and personal, closely tied to Mediterranean tradition and local produce, and desserts are plated at a counter in view of the dining room.

A couple of chefs trained under Martín Berasategui run this restaurant by Alcossebre's marina, with an open kitchen and three Mediterranean-style dining rooms. Their modern cooking pays close attention to textures and presentation and supports small producers, across three tasting menus with nautical names.

The restaurant of the AR Diamante Beach hotel, on Calp's seafront, where Rafa Soler champions the Valencian larder with innovative cooking of Mediterranean roots. Seasonal produce with minimal handling, bread from a family recipe and his own oil from ancient olive trees, in several tasting menus and a chef's counter.

A small spot near San Juan beach where Joaquín Baeza, trained under Martín Berasategui, cooks contemporary Mediterranean food based on seasonal Alicante produce. Two hallmarks define it: home-grown aromatic herbs and a carefully chosen selection of olive oils. À la carte and two tasting menus.

The fine-dining restaurant of The Cookbook hotel, in a bright, white dining room. José Manuel Miguel, with a starred career in France, combines classic French technique with Mediterranean produce in three tasting menus, and gives champagne a special place in his wine cellar.

Miguel Barrera turned the family business in Vall d'Alba into a benchmark for inland Castellón. Around 90% of the produce comes from his own garden or nearby small producers, with local varieties. Contemporary cooking with Valencian roots in several menus, including a vegetarian one, and good rice dishes.

Rimini-born Ferdinando Bernardi brings Italian hospitality to a house in a hillside residential area of Benissa, with a terrace and sea views. His contemporary Italian cooking is built on seasonal produce from Alicante suppliers and served in two tasting menus, dinner only.

A restored old country house in Ondara, now part of the BonAmb group under Alberto Ferruz's supervision. It has a lovely terrace with century-old trees and a bright dining room with a semi-open kitchen, serving contemporary Mediterranean cooking both à la carte and as a tasting menu.

A family business founded in 1915 as a wine cellar and, over the years, turned into the reference table of the Marina Baixa. Cristina Figueira reinterprets Alicante's recipes with modern technique and a clear Mediterranean accent, with a wine list that gives Valencian wines a strong role.

A small dining room of just 18 seats in Ruzafa where the Argentine chef couple blend their roots with the Mediterranean larder and Italian touches. The experience revolves around a long, unhurried tasting menu, with a vegetarian option and seasonal extras such as truffle, caviar or artisan cheeses.

A minimalist space next to the Mercado de Colón, run by a chef couple who share the kitchen and the dining room. Their cooking relies on seasonal, local produce handled with contemporary technique across several tasting menus, one of them designed for weekday lunch.

An intimate counter for around ten guests where sushi master Yoshikazu Yanome practises edomae style with fish and seafood from the Valencian coast. Nigiri is the heart of the experience, with red prawn as the star product, served directly across the counter.

A country house on the outskirts of Elche with a terrace and its own garden, which supplies aromatic herbs and organic flowers every day. Susi Díaz, with her family's support, updates Alicante and Valencian recipes with refined technique and very careful presentation, with special weight on fish and seafood.

Set in a small mansion in Ruzafa with an upstairs dining room, garden, lounge and terrace. Begoña Rodrigo signs light, fresh creative cooking marked by vinegars, pickles and citrus, across several menus: one meat, one seafood, one plant-based and the house's full menu.

In a stately building on Plaza de Tetuán, with a white dining room dotted with works by Valencian women artists. María José Martínez cooks in a modern Mediterranean key with seasonal produce, with honey and beekeeping as a common thread; Juanjo Soria runs the dining room.

A restaurant with a terrace and views of the Penyal d'Ifac in a residential area above Calp. Its cooking starts from Italian tradition and blends it with local Mediterranean produce, with handmade pasta and precise flavours, served in two tasting menus of different lengths with artisan breads.

After training elsewhere, Àlex Vidal returned to his home town to open this dining room with an open kitchen. His cooking champions the food of La Ribera and Carcaixent with organic, local produce, reinterpreted in three tasting menus that pay tribute to local tradition.

Next to Dénia's port, it splits its offer between a casual ground-floor gastrobar with Mediterranean and Asian influences and a fine-dining room upstairs with rooftop access. The cooking focuses on fish, seafood and rice dishes, with the local red prawn as the big draw.

The chef, a keen fisherman, builds his cooking on Castellón's sea: fish and seafood from the market, rice dishes and produce from the Baix Maestrat. A single tasting menu, which can be extended with extra dishes, revives seafaring recipes and showcases little-known local species.

Bernd Knöller, a German chef settled in València for decades, runs this Ensanche restaurant with an open kitchen and a counter where you can watch him work. His free-spirited, ever-changing Mediterranean cooking relies on market fish, charcoal grilling and rice dishes, with a fixed-price à la carte and a tasting menu.

A small spot facing Arenal beach run by a couple trained with Quique Dacosta. They cook in a Mediterranean key with northern touches, relying on the catch of the day, and let you choose between a seven-course tasting menu or à la carte with half portions to build your own route.

A contemporary tavern in the Ensanche run by a chef couple who trained at DSTAgE. They take classic bar and tavern dishes as a starting point and reinterpret them with technique and creative freedom, appealing to diners' taste memories through two tasting menus.

A neighbourhood restaurant in Benalúa that defends Alicante's recipes without frills, with fresh seasonal produce and no frozen or vacuum-packed ingredients. The chef updates stews, rice dishes and fideuàs with modern technique in a menu that changes often with the market.

A casual bistro in Ruzafa with a big bar, an open kitchen and tables made from the bases of old sewing machines. Its two partners offer updated Mediterranean cooking that follows the seasons, with à la carte and menus that change with the produce available.

A rice restaurant in El Palmar, in the heart of the Albufera, with a renovated dining room celebrating rice culture and a large terrace overlooking the canal. Its menu combines rice dishes and traditional Valencian recipes with more modern ideas, plus two menus dedicated to local cooking.

A modern bistro inside The Cookbook food hotel, away from Calp's busiest tourist areas, with large windows and tables at different heights. Its name points to comfort food: relaxed traditional and international cooking with pizzas, cocas, grilled dishes, rice and steak tartare, plus a tasting menu.

A small Nordic-style restaurant in Ayora, run by a couple who forage herbs and mushrooms nearby themselves. Seasonal, local cooking with modern touches: dry, creamy or rossejat rice and a gazpacho manchego cooked like a risotto, with a set lunch menu and a tasting menu.

A family restaurant in Alzira now run by the second generation, with several rustic-modern rooms, ceramic tiles and an open kitchen. Updated traditional cooking with produce from La Ribera, a short à la carte and three tasting menus: Xúquer, Casella and Murta.

A family business in an early 20th-century house in Alfafara, with a rustic dining room of exposed beams and a fireplace. The cooking reinterprets the recipes of the Alicante mountains in a lighter, modern key, served through three set menus: El Pantanet, Cava la Font and El Teix.

A family restaurant in València's northern huerta with a pleasant garden terrace and its own organic vegetable garden, which supplies much of its produce. No set menus: market cooking with plenty of off-menu seasonal suggestions and dry or creamy rice dishes to order.

A small, cosy spot in a residential area of Alicante where the chef, trained in prestigious Italian kitchens, blends Alicante and Italian traditions. À la carte with the day's market fish and a tasting menu, at very reasonable prices.

Housed in Castelló's oldest civil building, with remains of the city wall and a 14th-century oven. Pedro Salas revisits Castellón's recipes through four menus (Senda, the vegetarian Vía Verde, Ramal and Vía Augusta), and hands guests a booklet of local legends at the end.

A minimalist restaurant in Vinaròs whose name means 'native'. Marc Martorell offers a sea-and-mountain tasting menu with fish from the local market, garden vegetables and meat from inland Castellón.

Aarón Berenguer's contemporary restaurant starts the experience at the 'Mesa Madre', where the concept is explained and aperitifs are served. It works with Alicante produce such as red prawn or turrón and the day's fish cooked over the grill, in the Ejecutivo (weekday lunch), Lumbre and Levante menus.

An eatery near El Campello beach where the chef, of Swedish and Spanish roots, combines Mediterranean flavours with Nordic touches. À la carte that changes three times a year and three menus: a lunch menu and the Raíces (7 courses) and Alas (10 courses) tasting menus.

An intimate, narrow space next to Alicante's Mercado Central, with just five tables, a private room and a semi-open kitchen. Nanín Pérez cooks contemporary market food with good fish from the market, à la carte or as a tasting menu.

Set in an old toy factory next to the road up to Dénia castle. Chef Massimo Arienti fuses his Italian culinary heritage with Marina Alta produce in three tasting menus (Inizio, Toy Maker and Brianza) that play with textures and presentation.

The relaxed bistro from the Fierro chefs, in an old Ruzafa bar. It revolves around the grill and a dry-ageing cabinet with aged fish and meat; you eat small plates to share or choose a fish, vegetable, meat or the full 'Te damos de comer' (We'll feed you) menu.

A bistro opened at the end of 2024 in El Cabanyal by a French chef couple. French-based cooking with good technique, using Spanish produce and vegetables from their own garden in Meliana, in a short seasonal à la carte and two menus, El Trío and Mengem.

A rice restaurant from the Arrocería Maribel group, between València and the Albufera Natural Park, with a lounge area and a pool to stay on after lunch. Traditional Valencian cooking with a wide choice of rice dishes; many paellas and creamy rice dishes are ordered when booking.

Murcian chef Nazario Cano signs very personal Mediterranean cooking, based on Marina Alta produce and the rhythm of the seasons. It has its own entrance next to the Ritual de Terra hotel and an earth-toned dining room with striking circular pieces hanging from the ceiling.

A bright, stone-walled space in central Alicante where Javier Beltri, trained at Le Cordon Bleu and the Basque Culinary Center, mixes Mediterranean and Peruvian cooking. Rice dishes are enriched with chilli peppers and other Andean ingredients, and the offer is affordable and relaxed.

A small restaurant on a pedestrian street in Gandia's old town, with Paco Castelló in the kitchen and Gabri Tarín in the dining room. They work only with two surprise menus of 9 and 13 courses that update traditional Valencian recipes, as a tribute to the cooking of mothers and grandmothers.

Named after the local tosca stone that lines its interior, it has a pleasant terrace overlooking the canal and the moored pleasure boats. Mediterranean cooking with modern touches, both à la carte and in two tasting menus, Luna and Eclipse.

A modern gastrobar in central Alicante run by two Dutch chefs who combine Central European, French and Spanish influences. Special attention goes to sauces and to finishing many dishes on the grill; the menu changes every two months and is completed by a set lunch menu and a seasonal menu.

Set in a charming country house at a crossroads in La Xara, a district of Dénia, with a terrace and several dining rooms, one with a fireplace. Argentine chef Federico Guajardo works with Mediterranean produce in tasting menus that run through his signature dishes; next door, Venta de Posa offers more traditional cooking.

A bistro in central Alicante from chef Juanlu Parra, who previously worked in R&D for Grupo Dani García. His menu returns to Mediterranean roots with a modern outlook and a strong Andalusian accent, in dishes made to be enjoyed without ceremony.

A small, contemporary restaurant in Pedreguer's old town, next to the market, run by the married couple Ausiàs Signes and Felicia Guerra. Updated Mediterranean cooking with local produce in two tasting menus, and outstanding desserts: Signes was named Pastry Chef Revelation at Madrid Fusión 2022.

A contemporary gastrobar in Ibi that showcases produce from the Foia de Castalla with modern presentation. Many dishes come as half portions to share, prices are reasonable and desserts recall the town's ice-cream-making tradition.

María José San Román's restaurant, next to the old Fish Market and facing the port, offers contemporary Mediterranean cooking with clean flavours, anchored in Alicante tradition. Much of the vegetables come from her own garden, Terramón, about 15 km away.

A modern, eye-catching building on the way up to Santa Bárbara castle, with a terrace and wide views over the city. Alicante-born Dani Frías offers contemporary Mediterranean cooking, with seafood playing a big role, through two menus.

An Alicante classic with a very busy ground-floor bar and an upstairs dining room with fine ceilings. The display of fresh seafood and fish rules (quisquilla shrimp, red prawn, langoustines, oysters), and the same menu is served at the bar and in the dining room, with half portions and a section of rice dishes.

Nou Manolín's sister restaurant on Avenida Óscar Esplá, famous for its ground-floor tapas bar and a more formal dining room upstairs. The menu combines house classics, dishes of the day and a good selection of rice dishes, with fish and seafood from the Dénia and Santa Pola markets.

A family business born from an old bar that Jorge Jurado, who has worked in Gordon Ramsay's and Alain Ducasse's kitchens, turned into a chef-driven restaurant. Market produce with French and international influences, served only as tasting menus and by reservation.

A casual gastrobar with a modern atmosphere in the city centre, with a good bar and a few tables. Open from midday to the early hours, it offers tapas, cured meats and Iberian ham, seafood, caviar and rice dishes, plus cocktails; it is also a Krug Ambassade, with a selection of the maison's champagne.

A tavern in central Alicante with a huge range of tapas on display, almost a shop window of produce. Besides tapas and sharing plates, it offers seafood, fish and rice dishes made with quality ingredients, with an extensive wine list; it has a terrace.

Set in a villa surrounded by gardens in the residential area of Vistahermosa, with elegant rooms and a terrace in high demand on summer nights. Classic Mediterranean cooking, focused on produce from the Alicante coast, with its own section devoted to rice dishes.

An 1830 country house in the rural district of Jubalcoi, turned into a rustic yet elegant restaurant with large spaces for celebrations. Its traditional cooking shines above all in its rice dishes, and the wine cellar, with more than 1,500 references, is the pride of the house.

A produce-driven restaurant next to the bus station, with a display of fish and seafood from nearby markets and Galicia. It is famous in the area for its alioli, and offers daily suggestions, seafood by weight, rice dishes for two or more and two menus: Mediterráneo and Degustación.

A family-style, casual grill house with a pleasant terrace on the Benimagrell road. The Basque-inspired grill takes centre stage, especially the T-bone steak, though the menu also includes starters, cocas, seasonal vegetables and good fish, plus a tasting menu.

A family business with a modern look on the Arenal seafront promenade, with good sea views. Its motto is to cook the Mediterranean: dry and creamy rice dishes, fideuà, fresh fish from the Xàbia market and quality meat, all in a traditional, no-frills style.

A restaurant spread over two floors of a house in Xàbia's old town that keeps charming original details. Seasonal Mediterranean cooking with modern presentation and plenty of flavour, where vegetables, local fish and the odd heartier dish sit side by side.

Pablo Montoro offers an immersive experience in La Albufereta: before sitting down, guests can walk through spaces such as Hi Line, Cocoon Lab or Geoda Verde, with visual effects and aromas. The creative cooking, with Mediterranean roots, is served on tableware made in his own workshop.

A small spot on a pedestrian street in the old town, born from the meeting of Fernando, from Mexico, and Olivia, from Greece. Their cooking starts from the Mediterranean and blends it with Mexican and Greek flavours; it is à la carte, but you must choose at least five dishes to share.

A tapas bar in the heart of the city that recreates the look of an old grocery store, with a bar area. Come to graze on fine tapas, Iberian ham, salted fish, preserves and seafood, and much of the produce can be bought to take away.

In the afternoon-drinks area behind the Mercado Central, it lives up to its name with an open kitchen and a flexible menu that allows half portions to build your own menu. The chefs serve and explain contemporary dishes based on market produce.

A restaurant with a contemporary feel in central Castelló, named after its chef. Its international cooking nods to the countries where he trained (Italy, France, Switzerland and Spain) and comes as à la carte, a lunchtime course menu and an eleven-course tasting menu by reservation.

An intimate space with just five tables and an open kitchen in central Castelló. Cristian Granero, who came to cooking from bread and pastry making, seeks to connect flavours and emotions through three tasting menus: D'Uixó, Sentidos and Anhelo.

A family restaurant in the Grau de Castelló, with the mother in the kitchen and the son in the dining room. Everything revolves around the sea: fresh fish from the market, seafood by weight, rice dishes and calderos for a minimum of two, with à la carte, a set lunch menu and a tasting menu.

A family business in a restored medieval house on the arcaded Calle Blasco de Alagón, with a 13th-century well and a glass-walled wine cellar in the basement. It updates Morella recipes with careful technique and presentation, supporting local producers and seasonal produce.

A small restaurant on Oropesa's Plaza de la Constitución, run by a couple who left painting and teaching for cooking. A short menu of classic French roots with Central European touches, very attentive service and a strong focus on wine.

A modern-looking restaurant in central Benicàssim from chef Jorge Lengua, who also runs Llavor in Oropesa del Mar. Contemporary cooking with good technique and presentation, with à la carte, rice dishes to order, a weekday executive menu, a weekend menu and another to share.

A fire-cooking restaurant opened in 2022 on the Gran Vía, a step from the Mercado de Colón, where almost everything goes over embers and smoke. Edu Espejo, a keen fisherman, handles large fish roasted in a grilling basket, aged meats and choice vegetables with minimal intervention, with the kitchen in view of the dining room.

A family restaurant on the old N-III road, on the outskirts of Requena, with a terrace and parking. Traditional, regional cooking without frills: spoon dishes, rice dishes such as arroz del senyoret or lobster paella, and individual portions to share. Run by the family, with mother and daughter in the dining room.

A seafood restaurant of unadorned Mediterranean produce, founded in 2004 and reopened by José Vicente in its current premises in the Eixample. There is no printed menu: the offer is recited at the table and changes daily with what comes in from the market, with rockfish and seafood such as Dénia prawn in the spotlight.

A bright, modern dining room about a hundred metres from the Torres de Serranos, in the Carmen district. Guillermo Pérez and Rubén Navarro sign updated traditional cooking based on seasonal produce and reasonable prices. They work mainly with menus: an executive lunch menu, an evening menu and a tasting menu.

A large, modern-rustic space on Avenida de Aragón, near Plaza de Zaragoza, whose motto is 'rice and embers'. It offers dry and creamy rice dishes (minimum two people) alongside a grill for market fish and aged beef, plus stews and seafood as suggestions.

A historic Eixample restaurant that began as a bar in 1950 and was where the city's film festival was born. Today it serves traditional Mediterranean cooking with good starters, but its speciality is rice dishes, dry and creamy, best ordered before midday. A very loyal local clientele.

A chef-driven restaurant between the Mercado Central and Plaza del Ayuntamiento where Rakel Cernicharo, chef and illustrator, captures her personal world. A Mediterranean base with plenty of international touches, told through three tasting menus (Small, Medium and Large); a large mural and her sketchbooks accompany the experience.

A small bistro-style restaurant with modern-rustic décor in the Eixample, run by Vicente Patiño. Mediterranean and Valencian cooking seen through modern eyes, across three tasting menus named after the city (L'Eixample, Na Germana and Lo Rat Penat), all with optional wine pairing.

A large, contemporary dining room near Avenida de Aragón and the Alameda, with updated market cooking and seasonal produce from the Valencian huerta and coast. Besides à la carte and menus, it holds themed events around truffles or mushrooms, backed by a well-chosen wine cellar.

A Zen-style Japanese restaurant in Ruzafa, with Kyoto-inspired interiors that have become a neighbourhood landmark. Modern, accessible Japanese cooking, with a sushi bar and a wide range of starters, built on the purity of the produce. Booking ahead is recommended.

Ricard Camarena's informal venture on the ground floor of the Art Nouveau Mercado de Colón, with a striking design that surprises as you walk in. A long, affordable menu with a Mediterranean base and international touches that brings back dishes from the chef's past seasons.