El Pederniz — Restaurant in Valencia

Close to the Joaquin train station in Valencia, you’ll find a unique little restaurant called El Pederniz, specializing in Mediterranean tapas and fresh seafood from northern Spain. El Pederniz has their own wine cellar, which houses approximately one hundred different types of wine, both regional and foreign, as well as a variety of whiskey and gin. This is one restaurant that really raises the bar as far as hospitality goes, as the staff is professional and accommodating, speaking five different languages and operating for large groups any day of the week.

I met up with a good friend at El Pederniz for lunch, and we were immediately impressed with the restaurant’s atmosphere. We were instantly welcomed, which made a great first impression to see smiling, friendly faces. The restaurant’s design takes inspiration from the wine cellar, with earthy, natural hues and antique wine crates and vintage labels as decorations. The brick walls highlight by curtains, and the shades of chocolate, sienna, and cream are relaxing.

We ordered croquettes to start, and they were some of the best I’ve ever had. Made from prawn, spinach, rice, and sausage, they were fried to just the right crispiness. We also shared fresh grilled baby squid, which had been charred on the grill just long enough. Opting for something completely different, we tried morteruelo, which is a pate-like stew of different game, including partridge quail, wild rabbit, wild chicken, acorn ham, and foie mixed with breadcrumbs, olive oil and spices. Our next tapas was onions stuffed with tuna in cider and tomato sauce. Perfect balance of acidity and freshness, with just the right amount of sweetness from the onions.

I loved the warm legume dish of cooked white beans with sausage stew. It was spicy and creamy, and hit the spot on a cooler afternoon. This is pure comfort food, Spanish style. My friend kept commenting on how delicious the seafood paella was, and said she’d come back just for that alone. Dessert was a Manchego cheese flan, the great international dessert with a Spanish twist, and it lived up to...

The 2 stars are really for the host and his efforts. The food however, was a disappointment and not only due to the high price for what it was. We started with croquetas, one of chorizo and one of arroz negro and Aioli (a competition winner among 40 restaurants that entered we were told) and whilst neither were by any means bad, they weren't anything amazing. We then got an Ensaladilla Valenciana which is basically tomatoes, tuna, shavings of carrot, beetroot and mache and a tinned asparagus spear.........1 plate, 14 euros! Way too expensive. 6 -7 would have been more appropriate.

To follow we got chipirones and fried baby squids, which were fresh and tasty but the former were not well cleaned in my opinion. One even still had the hard quill in it. We cleaned the others out ourselves and left the bits on the plate hoping that a hint might be taken and although these bits may have been acceptable standards, to me it was not what I expect.

We finished with an Arroz al Horno which wasn't bad, but wasn't really that good either. The potato was overdone and unappetizing, the tomato seemed a bit sad, and one piece of pork was literally just fat and no meat. The morcilla rescued it, but that is something a morcilla can do for many dishes. In this case it saved the dish a star I would say - 3 instead of 2. All in all, I was disappointed especially having read so many good reviews which were the primary reason...

My girlfriend and I had the pleasure of having dinner at El Pederniz last night, and it was by far the best meal we've had in Valencia. The atmosphere was pleasant and we loved seeing the old photos of the city. The owner was extremely welcoming, and provided numerous recommendations (TIP: Listen to the man! His recommended dishes were fantastic and the wine pairing he suggested paired perfectly with our meal).

We only ordered a few tapas (mainly due to our American mistake of having a small meal around our usual 6 PM dinner time), but they were all superb. The gazpacho was bold and flavorful. The red peppers filled with mushrooms and black truffle were excellent. And the quail stuffed with foie and grape sauce was decadent. To top it off we had slices of chocolate cake and cheesecake with toffee (which we were informed are homemade by the owners wife...PS you should order dessert or else the owner sleeps on the couch). The desserts were amazing and were a well deserved finale to an excellent meal.

If you are looking for a welcoming and delicious meal, definitely stop by El Pederniz. It is certainly a meal my girlfriend and I will remember for a...