VALÈNCIA PROVINCE - RICE - CULLERA - RESTAURANTE CASA SALVADOR

Aug 31

2 min read

RESTAURANTE CASA SALVADOR

We recently returned to Casa Salvador, the place in València province for rice, and found it just as wonderful as before. The restaurant is situated in the La Albufera rice-growing region of València, near the Cullera estuary, which is a freshwater lagoon that flows into the sea. It can be a bit challenging to locate.

Make your way over the bridge in Cullera via the back road (CV-605). Take a right onto Via Pista, then a left at Poligon Num 28 Estany. Finally, turn right onto Avenida de Estany. If you feel lost, don’t turn back; it will be worth it in the end!

Two indoor dining rooms seat around 200 people.

As the weather is usually perfect, you may prefer to sit outside on the terrace.

This overlooks the Albufera Natural Park and the lagoon as it flows into the Mediterranean Sea.

The area is characterised by lush paddy fields and small boats, giving it a distinctly Vietnamese feel!

The best dishes are, of course, the rice dishes for which València is famous.

We began with an excellent carpaccio of Valèncian tomato, tuna belly, pine nuts, and basil.

Vieira con cangrejo y cítricos (scallop with crab and citrus).

Anguilas fritas en aceite de oliva con ajo y chile (fried eels in olive oil with garlic and chilli).

And of course, paella Valènciana (which is usually chicken, rabbit, flat green beans, giant butter beans and sometimes snails, all things which you would typically find in the adjacent paddy fields)

We finished with the flan de la casa.

Other available rice dishes are

Arroz a banda (rice with cuttlefish)

Paella de pato, anguilas y caracoles (paella with duck, eels and snails)

Paella Quinn (Bogavante, rape y ajos tiernos) (paella lobster, monkfish & tender garlic)

Paella de rodaballo y angulas (paella with turbot and elvers (baby eels)

Paella con pargo rojo y gambas (paella with red snapper and prawns)

Paella de verduras (paella with vegetables)

Arroz de pulpo y bacalao (rice stew with octopus and cod)

Fideuà (a noodle-like paella)

Arroz negro (rice with squid ink)

While there is a selection of meat and fish dishes, the rice is the standout option.

The wine list is extensive, and it can be quite costly.

The restaurant is an entirely family-run organisation, founded over 60 years ago by Salvador, who started as a humble snack bar to feed the local fishermen. It is now something of a stately home in a picturesque location.