Marisquería L'Odisea — Restaurant in Valencia

Yearning for the sea whilst staying dry. 🐟

Upon arrival, I found myself at the epicenter of getting a right table right. The first was with my table inconveniently at the kitchen door. . Yet, in the classic style of a Jane Austen plot twist, my evening was swiftly elevated to a corner seat with picturesque views of the establishment's finest fish around the corner. Yes you can pick and mix fish as you choose. Marvelous to say the least. Excellent service with a smile.

The menu? Ah, well, nothing screams modern angst like having to QR code one's way to the culinary offerings. A dread to be honest. The proprietor, sensing my nostalgic yearning for tangible menus, gave a ladies and gentleman's🙏😁 promise of improvements. My faith in humanity was restored as, well as in the culinary perspective that lies ahead. Really nice fresh fish ❤️❤️❤️

The pièce de résistance, however, was the maritime spectacle! Choosing one's fish, as if engaged in an intimate tango with a fishmonger, Yes in this case a dance worth anticipating. Not forgetting the incredible fishmonger in question 👍❤️. And added a delightful theatricality. Every bite was an ode to Neptune's bounty - fresh, flavorful, and fairly priced with a great pairing of local wines.

The team radiated a spirit as effervescent as a fine champagne, though I must express a slight lament at the wine selection's modesty. But one comprehends the challenges of curating an oceanic symphony and diverse wine cellar in this setting.

In summation, I enjoyed a tantalizing aquatic soiree, punctuated by some areas of opportunity. I left, full of seafood and sincere appreciation for the passionate crew steering this ship. I dare say, improvements on those minor quibbles, and they'd be the talk of the town! 🍷🍤🐠 Go strong and look forward to continue ❤️❤️❤️❤️🎉🙏 excellent...

Overrated and Disappointing!!!!’n

I visited this restaurant with high expectations, given its No. 1 ranking on TripAdvisor. However, the experience left me extremely disappointed, and I feel compelled to share my honest feedback.

The only redeeming feature of the meal was the oysters, which were fresh and enjoyable. Unfortunately, the rest of the seafood was far below standard. The clams were gritty, and I could taste sand in them. The seafood overall had a strong "fishy" smell, which is a clear sign it wasn’t fresh.

I also tried the carabineros, priced at an exorbitant 200€/kg. For such a premium price, I expected top-quality shrimp. Instead, 1 out of 4 were in bad shape, which was a shocking disappointment. For a restaurant of this reputation, serving seafood like this is unacceptable.

I’ve been to many cities across Spain and Europe, and the seafood I’ve had elsewhere—often at much more reasonable prices—has been far superior. This was by far the most disappointing seafood meal I’ve had in Spain.

When the waiter asked if the meal was good, I honestly said I had expected better. His response me he’d worked there for a year and I was the first to say that. This dismissive and defensive attitude was unprofessional and showed little regard for customer feedback. If they truly cared about improving, such a response wouldn’t have been given.

Despite the restaurant’s high ranking, there were only a few tables occupied, and it wasn’t even close to full. Perhaps this explains why—it just doesn’t live up to the hype.

In summary, this restaurant is overrated and overpriced. There are far better options in Spain for fresh seafood and authentic experiences. I wouldn’t recommend this...

As the majority of restaurants in Valencia offer seafood on their menu, this had an extra edge where you go up to the counter and pick your meal. The restaurant is no frills but decorated cutely like you are under the water. The service is really good, food came out very quickly, the guy who I presume is the owner that weighs the seafood is super chatty and is very honest about the prices letting you know if things are quite expensive. It was a nice touch to have a complimentary bowl of peanuts when you arrived. Also booking was super easy over WhatsApp. They answer very promptly. The seafood is also cooked in a no frills way but shows the freshness of the produce. I got the fried whitebait, crab, barnacles, sweet prawns - which were all boiled and given with a slice of lemon and croquettes (1 crayfish & 1 octopus - go for crayfish). Everything was delicious but the crab I got has been living in the tank a little bit too long as it wasn’t very meaty even though it was still quite sweet. I got the house wine which was perfect with the seafood, nice & dry. They gave me a digestif on the house which finished off the meal nicely. It wasn’t the cheapest meal I had for basically getting the opportunity to choose your own seafood and a few extra choices you might not get in other restaurants. It’s good & worth a visit but...