Luxury Valencia: How to Experience the City Like a Very Sophisticated Bear

Valencia has a reputation for being affordable, which is true and which I have exploited shamelessly in other articles. But the city also has a luxury side — Michelin-starred restaurants, boutique hotels, high-end shopping, and experiences that cost serious money and are worth every euro.

This guide is for those occasions when you want to treat yourself, celebrate something, or simply experience Valencia at its most refined. I have done the research. It was difficult work.

Fine Dining: The Michelin Stars

Valencia has several Michelin-starred restaurants, and the quality of fine dining in the city is genuinely world-class.

Ricard Camarena Restaurant (two Michelin stars) is the finest restaurant in Valencia and one of the best in Spain. Chef Ricard Camarena's cooking is rooted in Valencian ingredients — rice, vegetables from the Huerta, seafood from the Mediterranean — but transformed by extraordinary technique and creativity. The tasting menu costs around €130-150 per person and is worth every cent.

Quique Dacosta (three Michelin stars) is technically in Dénia, 100km south of Valencia, but it is close enough to merit a day trip for serious food lovers. Dacosta is one of the most creative chefs in Spain, and his restaurant is one of the best in Europe. The tasting menu costs around €250 per person.

El Poblet (two Michelin stars) is in Valencia city and offers a more accessible entry point to fine dining — the tasting menu costs around €100 per person and the cooking is excellent.

Luxury Accommodation

Our apartments are excellent value, but for those who want hotel luxury, Valencia has several outstanding options.

The Westin Valencia is the city's grandest hotel — a belle époque building in the city centre with a rooftop pool and spa. The Caro Hotel, in a restored 19th-century palace in the old town, is more intimate and arguably more beautiful. The Palau de la Mar, in a converted 19th-century mansion, is another excellent option.

For those who want the best of both worlds — the space and privacy of an apartment with hotel-level service — our concierge service can provide everything a luxury hotel would offer, at a fraction of the price.

Luxury Experiences

A private paella cooking class with a professional chef, followed by lunch with wine pairing, costs around €150-200 per person and is one of the best experiences in Valencia. We can organise this through our concierge service.

A private boat trip along the Valencia coast, with swimming, snorkelling, and a catered lunch, costs around €200-300 per person for a half-day. The coastline north and south of Valencia is spectacular from the water.

A private guided tour of the City of Arts and Sciences with an architectural expert costs around €100-150 per person and provides context and insight that the standard audio guide cannot match.

Luxury Shopping

Valencia's luxury shopping is concentrated in the streets around Calle de Colón and the Paseo de la Alameda. The usual luxury brands are represented, but the more interesting shopping is at the independent Valencian designers and artisans.

Manises, a town 10km west of Valencia, is famous for its ceramics — a tradition going back to the Moorish period. The quality of the work is extraordinary, and the prices are reasonable compared to what the same pieces would cost in a gallery elsewhere.

Valencian silk is another luxury product worth seeking out. The city was the centre of Spain's silk trade for centuries, and there are still artisans producing traditional Valencian silk textiles. The Museo de la Seda (Silk Museum) can point you towards the best producers.