Restaurante El Encuentro — Restaurant in Valencia

El Encuentro is a stone's throw away from the Plaça de l'Ajuntament (the main square in Old Town that is now closed to traffic for pedestrians.) Don't judge it from the simple exterior. It's more of a traditional restaurant with some variations from a standard menu you'll find across Valencia that cater to tourists.

We began with the meatballs (a must). I had the beef tail, which was one of the most delicious oxtail stews I've ever had. Full of depth and flavor, the oxtail sits in a delectable gravy which you'll be able to sop up with some bread. My other half had the veal sirloin, but it was a bit too gamey for him.

Reservations are highly recommended. Keep in mind that many places in Spain close after lunch and reopen for dinner around 8pm, so make that reservation earlier in the day if you plan on having dinner. The food and service here were wonderful. Well worth a visit.

Takes...

two days ago we ateat this restaurant, and what can I say? It was a wonderful experience! The menu had many choices and various language versions, which really helped us. The food was very good, the prices weren't high and we didn't had to wait much to eat. Even we didn't spoke the local language the waiters made us comfortable and tried their best to understand us. I even asked for a different version of a plate that wasn't in the menu, and the waiter accepted it without hesitations. The place was pretty too, clean and elegant. So yeah I raccomend it, especially if you want to eat good dishes with...

Fantastic little place. A hidden gem, don't judge by the outside although as soon as you peek inside you can tell it's going to be a lovely space to enjoy a meal. Really friendly staff, excellent food and wine and overall a wonderful way to spend a couple of hours enjoying lunch. We sat outside but when I popped in to use the ladies I loved the atmosphere inside - one guy sat having a beer and tapas in his lunch break, a few business lunches and some tourists and some locals enjoying a special meal out. Will definitely come back next time we're in Valencia....