Casa Carmela — Restaurant in Valencia

A Taste of History: Casa Carmela, a Timeless Culinary Journey in Valencia

During my last trip to Spain, I had the privilege of dining at the iconic Casa Carmela in Valencia. This historic restaurant has been serving its guests with delicious paellas for over a century. Stepping into Casa Carmela, you're immediately transported to an elegant ambiance that resonates with its rich heritage.

The attentive and knowledgeable waitstaff added to the overall experience. They guided us through the menu, ensuring we made informed choices. One important note: it is highly recommended to make reservations in advance, as most paellas are made to order. Planning ahead is essential to savor the flavors that Casa Carmela has perfected over the years.

The restaurant offers an excellent selection of wines that pair exceptionally well with their signature paellas. However, it's worth noting that the cost of dining here is relatively high, given the restaurant's fame and historical significance. While we enjoyed some appetizers and the paellas themselves, I must admit that they fell slightly short of my lofty expectations.

Considering the reputation and legacy of Casa Carmela, I expected their paellas to be the pinnacle of perfection, but they did not quite reach that level. It's important to mention that there are other places where you can find equally delightful paellas at a more reasonable price. However, the ambiance and the historical significance of Casa Carmela are exceptional, adding an irreplaceable element to the dining experience.

Despite my slightly reserved judgment at the moment, I plan on returning to Casa Carmela to give their cuisine another chance to win me over completely. If they manage to exceed my expectations, I will gladly adjust this review accordingly.

In conclusion, Casa Carmela offers a unique and nostalgic journey through time, making it a must-visit destination in Valencia. While the paellas may not have been the absolute best I've ever tasted, the restaurant's rich history and unparalleled atmosphere make it an unforgettable experience. I look forward to returning and revisiting Casa Carmela to indulge in their culinary...

If you are a tourist / new to the area, read the one and two star reviews here and on TripAdvisor. And watch for the waiters with their shrimp (“prawn”) upsell! We totally fell for it and only realized what happened after reading the low rated reviews on this site and TripAdvisor. Your bill will be 50% more than what you expected. In the end, we spent 250 EUR / 300 USD for two adults and two young children for lunch (3pm reservation in mid July 2025). Basically, Michelin star pricing, but for average food (the paella is good but nothing to tell your friends and family back home about) and …subpar service (the interior design is nice, but this is clearly the only thing you’re paying for). When I received and paid the bill, I did let the waiter know that I was surprised by the shrimp/prawn pricing and he told me the price is in the menu and that the shrimp is a local delicacy…but the menu is not a paper menu, but rather a QR code menu on your phone and for people who don’t memorize the pricing while talking to the waiter (we also had our young children distracting us with questions), this restaurant will trick you into ordering much more expensive dishes than you bargained for. See receipt (who in the world pays over a hundred Euros for 8 shrimp…Casa Carmela is not “known” for shrimp, rather paella!).

In summary, be prepared to spend $75 per person or more and be underwhelmed with the quality of the food and the quality of the service. The waiter even went out of his way to tell us the shrimp / prawn pricing is not meant to be deceptive to tourists, but it clearly is when you read the reviews! They appear not to be interested in repeat customers.

I’m rating this restaurant a one star because of the underhanded way we were treated. Pretty...

Please don’t be misleaded by the 4+ str review.

We had to pay a 20 euro deposit per person to reserve and were told to spend at least 40 euro per person. We got literally the worst table in the restaurant with all the waiting staff rushing past us and makes noises. We ordered 4 main dishes (we were 4 people), 4 side dishes and then were told we should order at least 3-4 appetizers even though we didn’t like those on the menu. The waitress looked at us as if she wouldn’t take our order if we wouldn’t add the unwanted appetizers. Waitress said paella would take 45 minutes and we said oke that is fine! After 10 minutes the waitress came with paella and said she switched our order with someone elses so we would not have to wait long. She said steaks (ordered medium-well done) would come in 2 minutes. Steaks took another 10-15 minutes and paella was practically cold by then. We ordered paella with solely prawns and got paella with a lot of other stuff (snails, octopus and stuff we dont eat or like) and just 4 meazly prawns… . Steaks came without any sauce or gravy, were not salted, peppered and basically tasteless throughout. Also, the steak was prepared rare instead of the ordered medium-well done. The served potatoes and fries and didnt ask if we wanted any sauce and just served it plain without even salt. They charged 8 euro for bread we didnt order or request or eat and was stale. During all of this the service was slow, and basically very poor.

This place is just some hype on tiktok and a fave spot for superficial people acting very snobbish.

If you like good food, service or just a pleasant experience please do yourself a favor and skip this restaurant!

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