Aragón 58 — Restaurant in Valencia

Aragon 58

Country: Spain Location: Avenida de Aragón 58, Valencia Cooking Style: Modern Mediterranean cuisine with local Valencian influences

Go There For:

• The €18 lunch menu, offering exceptional value with creative, high-quality dishes that showcase local flavors. • A thoughtfully crafted tasting menu (€50) that balances modern techniques with traditional Mediterranean ingredients. • A cozy, elegant atmosphere perfect for casual lunches or intimate dinners. • A wine list that champions Spanish and Valencian wines at fair prices, with excellent pairing options.

What to Eat and What to Drink:

What to Eat: • Lunch Menu (€18): Includes a starter, main course, dessert, and drink. Sample dishes: • Starters: Creamy pumpkin soup with crispy ham or Valencian salad with citrus vinaigrette. • Mains: Rice with duck and mushrooms or cod with a pil-pil sauce. • Desserts: Caramel flan or a light lemon mousse. • Tasting Menu (€50): A more elaborate selection that highlights seasonal ingredients. Past highlights include: • Starters: Seared scallops with cauliflower puree or Valencian tomato tartare with basil foam. • Mains: Iberian pork cheek with parsnip puree or monkfish with saffron emulsion and fennel. • Desserts: Dark chocolate ganache with orange or arroz con leche foam.

What to Drink: • The wine list features both local Valencian wines and standout Spanish appellations. • Pair starters with a crisp Verdil or Merseguera, native to Valencia. • For mains, try a red Garnacha or a robust Bobal, a signature grape from the Utiel-Requena DO. • Wines by the glass start at €5, with bottles beginning at €20, making it easy to explore regional wines.

Chef and Philosophy:

Chef: Miguel Navarro

Philosophy: Chef Miguel Navarro’s mission is to elevate Mediterranean and Valencian flavors with modern techniques while respecting the integrity of the ingredients. His menus emphasize seasonal and local produce, combining tradition with innovation to create a memorable dining experience.

Highlights from Critics:

• Guía Repsol: “Aragon 58 is a celebration of Valencia’s rich culinary heritage with a modern touch.” • Valencia Gastronomic Blog: “The lunch menu is one of the best values in the city, and the tasting menu is a culinary journey.” • Food bloggers: Praise the rice dishes and the chef’s creative use of local Valencian ingredients, such as citrus and saffron.

Signature Dishes:

• Monkfish with saffron emulsion and fennel • Rice with duck and mushrooms • Seared scallops with cauliflower puree • Iberian pork cheek with parsnip puree • Dark chocolate ganache with orange

Ratings and Reviews:

Overall Score: 87/100

Kitchen Score: 90/100

• Ingredients & Products: 92/100 – Seasonal and sourced locally from Valencia’s rich agricultural region. • Technique & Execution: 88/100 – Skillful cooking that respects tradition while embracing creativity. • Presentation: 88/100 – Plates are modern, clean, and visually appealing.

Wine List Score: 85/100

• A great selection of local Valencian wines and other Spanish classics. • Wines by the glass from €5 and bottles starting at €20. • Highlights include Bobal reds and crisp, citrusy whites from the region.

Ambiance Score: 85/100

• A cozy, modern dining room with warm lighting and minimalist décor. • Ideal for both casual lunches and more formal dinners.

Service Score: 85/100

• Attentive, friendly staff with good knowledge of wine pairings and menu recommendations. • Chef Miguel Navarro occasionally interacts with diners, adding a personal touch.

Conclusion: 87/100

Aragon 58 in Valencia delivers a perfect balance of creativity, tradition, and value. The €18 lunch menu is a standout deal, offering beautifully prepared Mediterranean dishes, while the tasting menu highlights the chef’s skill and dedication to seasonal Valencian flavors. With a welcoming atmosphere, excellent service, and a thoughtfully curated wine list, this restaurant is a must-visit for anyone exploring Valencia’s vibrant...

I recently visited this seafood restaurant and was thoroughly disappointed. We ordered grilled cockles, crayfish, montadito Bomba, and boquerones. While the boquerones and crayfish were decent, the cockles were sandy and tasteless, and the montadito Bomba was just a sad fried egg on dry bread.

Portion sizes were tiny. Despite ordering six dishes, we left hungry. The service was abysmal. Our waiter, Jose, was rude and dismissive, ruining the atmosphere. We skipped dessert and asked for the bill early.

The prices were exorbitant. A 15€ charge for bread! Is absurd. We ended up spending +100€ and we were still very hungry. In the end, this place is not worth the money. If you value good service and reasonable portions, this restaurant...

TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE!!! I’ll start by saying that no waiter understands or speaks even a little English. We ordered two bottles of wine and one of them never arrived. They made us wait a very long time to eat, in fact, we ordered 3 baskets of bread and ended up feeding ourselves with just the BREAD. They put a BEER on our bill that no one had ever ordered or drunk, and they only removed it after it was pointed out. The PORTIONS are ridiculous considering the price they charge you; we ordered 3 grilled shrimps and they charged us 42 EURO!!!!!! Not...