El Coso — Restaurant in Valencia

We rented the attic flat / penthouse for 4 nights this summer. It was pretty pricey, but seeing the location, we thought it was worth making the effort. And the location is nice indeed, right on the beach, with a huge terrasse overlooking the sea.|But the state of the flat was so very disappointing, especially seeing the cost of the night.|In the living room, both armchairs were so old and disgusting (full of sweat marks) that we had to cover them with towels so we could use them. The sofa was also in a pitiful state. All in all, the whole flat is furnished with unmatching cheap furniture, which absolutely raises to the standard expected by paying such a high price.|On the terrasse, 3 sun loungers (the flat is for 4 people), 2 of them matching and the 3rd one, not a all. It all looks like cheap plastic. An ombrella would also be nice. Upon arrival, there were plenty of pistachio shells on the floor of the terrasse. The light outside wasn't working. We did mention it to the reception but it was not fixed. And neither was fixed the handrail of the terrasse that came loose and could really hurt a child.|The kitchen was under-equiped, and we only had 3 spoons, 2 water glasses (and then plenty of none matching wine glasses), not enough pans, no toaster, a dirty hove. As for the coffee machine, we were only given 4 coffee capsules, and you can't buy them in any shop, so you have to buy them at the hotel, for 1€ each. In that case, because we complained about the state of the flat, we were offered a whole box. It's nice, but that's really poor a compensation for such a bad flat.|In the kids bedroom, the bed is so broken that it make excrutiating squeaquing noises. The rooms open on a second terrasse (not even a chair to sit on) with a ladder that, upon arrival, was put straight against the window and aimed straight at the roof, not to mention bits of metal just in front of the glass door. It is a real safety hasard for children.|The master bedroom is ok, and so is the bed. However, the ensuite bathroom is old and not that clean.|All over the flat, you can see that mosquitoes have been smashed against the walls, that would really need a good wash and some fresh paint. The wall-paper would also need changing.|And although there is air-con, the system is so old and crap (excuse my French) that every 10 minutes, when the machine expells the water, it makes a huge noise (a bit like a very loud expresso machine) that prevents you from sleeping. We therefore had to switch it off to try to sleep, despite the high temperatures.|On the 2d day, we staid stuck on the elevator (the staff was very quick to help), and after that there was no light in it. We didn't dare using it any longer.|I must precise that the women working at the reception were all very friendly and helpful, but the place is really a rip...

We rented the attic flat / penthouse for 4 nights this summer. It was pretty pricey, but seeing the location, we thought it was worth making the effort. And the location is nice indeed, right on the beach, with a huge terrasse overlooking the sea.|But the state of the flat was so very disappointing, especially seeing the cost of the night.|In the living room, both armchairs were so old and disgusting (full of sweat marks) that we had to cover them with towels so we could use them. The sofa was also in a pitiful state. All in all, the whole flat is furnished with unmatching cheap furniture, which absolutely raises to the standard expected by paying such a high price.|On the terrasse, 3 sun loungers (the flat is for 4 people), 2 of them matching and the 3rd one, not a all. It all looks like cheap plastic. An ombrella would also be nice. Upon arrival, there were plenty of pistachio shells on the floor of the terrasse. The light outside wasn't working. We did mention it to the reception but it was not fixed. And neither was fixed the handrail of the terrasse that came loose and could really hurt a child.|The kitchen was under-equiped, and we only had 3 spoons, 2 water glasses (and then plenty of none matching wine glasses), not enough pans, no toaster, a dirty hove. As for the coffee machine, we were only given 4 coffee capsules, and you can't buy them in any shop, so you have to buy them at the hotel, for 1€ each. In that case, because we complained about the state of the flat, we were offered a whole box. It's nice, but that's really poor a compensation for such a bad flat.|In the kids bedroom, the bed is so broken that it make excrutiating squeaquing noises. The rooms open on a second terrasse (not even a chair to sit on) with a ladder that, upon arrival, was put straight against the window and aimed straight at the roof, not to mention bits of metal just in front of the glass door. It is a real safety hasard for children.|The master bedroom is ok, and so is the bed. However, the ensuite bathroom is old and not that clean.|All over the flat, you can see that mosquitoes have been smashed against the walls, that would really need a good wash and some fresh paint. The wall-paper would also need changing.|And although there is air-con, the system is so old and crap (excuse my French) that every 10 minutes, when the machine expells the water, it makes a huge noise (a bit like a very loud expresso machine) that prevents you from sleeping. We therefore had to switch it off to try to sleep, despite the high temperatures.|On the 2d day, we staid stuck on the elevator (the staff was very quick to help), and after that there was no light in it. We didn't dare using it any longer.|I must precise that the women working at the reception were all very friendly and helpful, but the place is really a rip...

We visited El Coso Restaurant this past week while vacationing in Valencia. The restaurant is located just a few step from the beach. It had a nice ocean breeze flowing through the restaurant and we were so excited to try our first Paella beachside.

We ordered several appetizers including chicken croquettes, clams, mussels and calamari. The appetizers tasted decent although I do not recommend the non-fried calamari. It was too rubbery. We ordered 2 paellas to share between 4 people - the Valencian and Vegetarian. Given that I have no other paellas in Valencia to compare these to, I would say the taste was not as exciting as I expected. The rice was hard in certain portions but overall, it was an OK experience for the first Paella tasting in Valencia. The seafood Paella certainly did not have enough seafood. I was told that with authentic Paella, one should never see the rice when it's first serviced - As you can see by the photo, the paella presentation was not very impressive and you can count how many pieces of seafood are atop the rice. The food was reasonably priced and we did not go in expecting a Michelin Star food tasting experience.

One item that was a hit at our table was the Aqua de Valencia. At first, the champagne taste was strong, but after giving it a good mix, the taste of the fresh squeezed orange juice completely balanced the drink and it was the most delicious and refreshing beverage to enjoy on a very hot Valencian evening.

The highlight of our entire visit was our server Esther. She was an absolute delight to be around. She was very attentive, had a great sense of humor, and although there was a slight language barrier between us, you would never be able to tell because she was so efficient in communicating with us. She is the sole reason I am giving the restaurant 5 stars. The food, at best, would be rated 3.5 stars but I believe that ambiance and excellent service can always enhance an experience and Esther and the ambiance of the restaurant certainly did that for our party. We will definitely visit again but I would definitely call ahead and only visit on a day Esther was working and I would be guaranteed she would be our server. Muchas...