
La Pepica
A historic, family-run beachfront restaurant in Valencia, famous for its authentic paella and charming ambiance since 1898.

Highlights
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La Pepica

Highlights
Must-see attractions
A historic, family-run beachfront restaurant in Valencia, famous for its authentic paella and charming ambiance since 1898.
"Experience a century of tradition with authentic paella at this legendary beachfront spot."
Book Ahead for Prime Seating
Reservations are highly recommended, especially for outdoor seating with sea views.
Lunch Over Dinner
Opt for lunch to potentially avoid crowds and enjoy a more relaxed dining experience.

Quick Facts
Cuisine
Spanish / Seafood
Price
$$$
Phone
+34 963 71 03 66
Address
Passeig de Neptú, 6, BAJO;DUP 6-8, Poblados Marítimos, 46011 Valencia, Spain
Website
lapepica.com/Highlights
Discover the most iconic attractions and experiences

Authentic Paella by the Beach
Experience a century-old family tradition with delicious seafood and vegetable paellas right on Valencia's promenade.

Historic Ambiance & Celebrity Sightings
Dine amidst photos of famous visitors like Hemingway in a charming, family-run restaurant established in 1898.

Generous Seafood Starters
Indulge in shareable starters like crispy fried calamari, mussels, and garlic prawns, perfect for whetting your appetite.
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Insider Tips
from TikTok, Instagram & Reddit
Book Ahead for Prime Seating
Reservations are highly recommended, especially for outdoor seating with sea views.
Lunch Over Dinner
Opt for lunch to potentially avoid crowds and enjoy a more relaxed dining experience.
Explore the Surroundings
Enhance your visit by exploring the nearby beach and charming coffee shops.
Vegan Paella Option
Accommodating staff offer a delicious traditional vegan paella, great for vegetarians too.
Tips
from all over the internet
Book Ahead for Prime Seating
Reservations are highly recommended, especially for outdoor seating with sea views.
Lunch Over Dinner
Opt for lunch to potentially avoid crowds and enjoy a more relaxed dining experience.
Explore the Surroundings
Enhance your visit by exploring the nearby beach and charming coffee shops.
Vegan Paella Option
Accommodating staff offer a delicious traditional vegan paella, great for vegetarians too.
What Travellers Say
Reviews Summary
La Pepica is celebrated for its authentic paella and historic beachfront location, offering a taste of tradition and stunning sea views. While many praise the flavorful dishes and friendly service, some find the portions a bit small for the price, and occasionally note that certain seafood dishes could have more abundance of ingredients.
"Amazing traditional vegan paella in a historical restaurant! Yes please. This is a great spot for both gluten free and vegetarian eaters that still want a traditional foodie experience. The staff were accommodating and friendly and the food was great! Such a pretty beach front option. Make a reservation for outdoors if you want to sit on the patio."
Susanna Shankar
"My first time in València to finally try the original paella, and it couldn’t have been anywhere else but the historic La Pepica. I went with high expectations and was not disappointed. Everything was amazing, and I have nothing negative to point out. I’ll definitely go back, even if it’s just a day trip from Madrid on some random weekend."
G. G.
"There’s something special about dining in a restaurant that has stood the test of time for well over a century, and this seaside establishment certainly carries that charm. The setting is beautiful—just steps from the beach, with a timeless atmosphere that makes you appreciate its long history.
The meal itself was a mix of highlights and lighter notes. The calamari leaned a touch over-fried, and while the squid ink paella carried good flavor, we found ourselves wishing for a bit more of the seafood that usually makes this dish shine. On the other hand, the steak was excellent—perfectly prepared and enjoyed by both adults and kids alike.
Overall, it was a memorable experience to step into a place with so much heritage, enjoy the views, and savor a meal where the setting plays as much a role as the food. A lovely spot to try at least once, especially for its history and location."
Rita S
What People Like
What People Dislike
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, reservations are highly recommended, especially if you wish to secure a table on the outdoor terrace with sea views.
La Pepica is renowned for its authentic Valencian paellas, both seafood and vegetable variations, and its historic beachfront location.
Yes, the restaurant is accommodating and offers a delicious traditional vegan paella, which is also suitable for vegetarians.
Visiting for lunch is suggested to potentially avoid crowds and enjoy more timely service, though dinner also offers a pleasant experience.
Yes, La Pepica provides menus for groups and children, and its relaxed atmosphere is family-friendly. Hemingway even mentioned enjoying meals here.
The restaurant has QR code menus available at the tables, and a website where you can find booking information and potentially view menu details.
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The 9 Best Restaurants In Valencia, Spain
If you’re looking for an authentic paella experience in Valencia, look no further than La Pepica – the restaurant offers this Valencia famous food and is conveniently located across the road from Cabanyal Beach. This restaurant has been a local institution since the late-19th century. The food experience begins on entry: you must pass the bar and open kitchen to reach the dining space, which allows time to observe the chefs manoeuvring huge paella dishes around on the large cooker.
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Locals regard this bustling, informal restaurant, on the promenade at El Cabanyal beach, as the best in town for seafood paella. Founded in 1898, the walls of the establishment are covered with signed pictures of appreciative visitors, from Ernest Hemingway to King Juan Carlos and the royal family. Try the paella marinera (seafood) topped with shrimp and mussels, or hearty platters of calamares (squid) and langostinos (prawns).
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Hemingway loved La Pépica when it was just a beach shack, and the dining room is now covered in photos of celebrity visitors. But this cheerful, traditional restaurant hasn’t rested on its laurels, and the authentic paellas and other Mediterranean rice dishes are delicious.
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Con más de 120 años de historia, el restaurante La Pepica es conocido por sus exquisitas paellas y fideuás degustadas en un atractivo entorno con vistas al mar Mediterráneo: la playa de Malvarrosa. Por sus mesas han pasado ilustres personalidades como Ernest Hemingway, Ava Gardner, Orson Welles o Manolete; pero para La Pepica todos sus clientes son como familia y así lo desprenden con su cálido trato. Actualmente, el restaurante está regentado por la tercera generación de una familia que curiosamente empezó su andadura vendiendo bocadillos y bebidas en un carro ambulante que, al poco tiempo, se instaló en unos barracones a orillas de la playa para servir a los bañistas.
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Just because it’s Valencia’s most famous restaurant doesn’t necessarily mean it’s bad. La Pepica was established in 1898 on the promenade of the city beach, and has welcomed guests such as Orson Welles, Ernest Hemingway and the Spanish Royals. But despite its illustrious history, there’s nothing pretentious or intimidating about La Pepica, and the prices are reasonable considering the setting, with its classic interior adorned in Valencian tiles, suited waiters zipping about as though they were on roller-skates, and views of the Mediterranean from the terrace.
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It comes to life especially in summer with beautiful outdoor places, an elegant area completely renovated close to Les Arenas and Malvarrosa city beaches where there are famous fish restaurants such as La Pepica along Paseo Neptuno and lounge bars such as Vivir Sin Dormir, Destino 56, the elegant and refined Neptuno hotel Omega terrace. The most popular discos are La3club, High Cube, Akuarela and Umbracle with a spectacular location overlooking Calatrava Arts and Sciences City and by many considered to be the best discotheque in Valencia.
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Within spitting distance from the beach, this vast restaurant terrace sprawls its way out towards the sands and simmers in the shade of swaying palm trees. A troop of paunchy waiters with salt and pepper moustaches patrol the tables, chatting jovially as they deliver giant paella pans and giant jugs of crimson sangria to the happiest diners in town. An expansive menu offers everything from garlic prawns and mussels to sirloin steaks and seasonal salads, but it’s the paella that plays the role of protagonist at this culinary institution.
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When you say seafood paella in Valencia, foodies and non-foodies alike will probably point to La Pepica. Opened in 1898, this beachside restaurant has long been Valencia’s paella institution, serving celebrities from matadors, artists, to film stars, all seated throughout the vast, open dining room alongside locals. The most notable regular here was Ernest Hemingway who even wrote about the restaurant in his bullfighting memoir, The Dangerous Summer, citing “Dinner at Pepica’s was wonderful.
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Located along Valencia’s Malvarrosa beachfront, this iconic family-run restaurant has been serving up delicious paella since 1893. La Pepica’s signature dish is Pepica’s Paella, a classic combination of ingredients that includes peeled shrimp, mussel meat, and squid. It owes its name to a story that happened to the great Valencian painter Joaquin Sorolla while dining at La Pepica: “He came one night for dinner and he couldn’t carve prawns and crayfish.
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Another long-running venue that boasts tonnes of traditional Spanish charm is the wonderful La Pepica Valencia. Situated on the doorstep of the wonderful Playa de las Arenas beach, this Valencia restaurant is most famous for its seafood dishes as well as its vegetable paella. Of course, if you’re looking to catch the stunning views of the sea, this is a brilliant location to sit out to enjoy a bite to eat, a glass of wine and a sunset if you’re lucky!
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In El Cabanyal neighbourhood, La Pepica is one of these large, seaside-y places whose décor doesn’t look like it’s changed much since the ’80s and whose clientele have clearly been coming here for decades as well. Their paella Valenciana is a specialty, and comes according to the traditional recipe with garrofó (a large variety of butter bean), their green bean counterparts (like runner beans but larger), and plenty of aromatic rosemary and saffron.
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Just a few minutes from Malvarrosa Beach, you’ll find the iconic La Pepica, one of the best places to Paella in the city it came from!. While the inside of La Pepica is more formal, it has a beautiful terrace with a gorgeous view, making it the perfect lunch spot for your beach day. While the seafood paella is the star here, they also offer a vegetarian paella that was once made for the Queen of Spain if your kids are less adventurous.
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Het restaurant werd beroemd dankzij Ernest Hemingway, de Amerikaans schrijver (1899-1961) die ooit de Nobelprijs voor de Literatuur won en in zijn roman The Sun Also Rises uitgebreid schreef over het strand van Valencia (Malvarossa) en zijn favoriete restaurant aan dit strand; La Pepica. Hemingway bracht veel uren schrijvend, pratend en etend door in La Pepica. De foto’s aan de muren van het restaurant bewijzen zijn aanwezigheid.
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Paella at this beach restaurant is a tradition that goes back over 120 years, so they’re definitely doing something right. If you’re already familiar with Valencian paella, come try their specialty — seafood paella. And if you’re not big on seafood but would still like to enjoy a paella by the beach, they offer several other types of rice entrees and traditional Valencian dishes, including a vegetable paella option, too.
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Call me a turista loca, but I dig La Pepica, an eatery on the Playa de la Malvarrosa. Now run by the founder’s grandson (the restaurant opened in 1898, with its habitués including Ernest Hemingway and Orson Welles), the paella, definitely me gusta. Sit outside, gaze at the broad expanse of sandy beach and muse on the notion that Visigoths, Arabs and Romans also left their cultural imprint on this intriguing city.
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Not only does La Pepica have some of the most delicious paellas in Valencia, but it also has the most breathtaking views. Sitting on the beach strip, surrounded by swaying palm trees and golden sand, you can sit out on their terrace and watch the glistening waves crash on the shore. With surroundings like this, its no wonder why La Pepica was one of Ernest Hemingway’s favorite spots to eat paella.
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You’ll find their seafood paella (paella de marisco) exemplifies traditional Valencian techniques while enjoying Mediterranean views from their charming beachside terrace. They’ve even created special dishes for distinguished guests, including a vegetarian paella originally prepared for Queen Sofia. Las Fallas Festival is an annual celebration in Valencia that features traditional Spanish cuisine.
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LA PEPICA (Avenida de Neptuno, 6, Valencia) – This said, if you do want to try paella on Valencia city’s beach, you could do far worse than La Pepica, which specialises in rice and seafood. Founded over 100 years ago, this restaurant has fed everyone from Ernest Hemingway to the kings of Spain. The perfect place to feel the sea breeze while you try one of the restaurant’s famed paellas.
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Open since 1898, La Pepica is one of the oldest and most famous paella restaurants in Valencia. Over the decades, many famous people have dined here, including Spanish painter Joaquin Sorolla, former Queen of Spain Sofia, and celebrated American novelist Ernest Hemingway. Hemingway was said to have come to La Pepica so often that he’d occasionally be spotted helping out in the kitchen.
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Sitting pretty on the shores of Playa de la Malvarrosa, La Pepica brings about a highly desirable Spanish paella experience. This well-known restaurant is perfect for enjoying paella with friends and family while enjoying a view of the lively Mediterranean coastline, swaying palm trees, and Valencian sun. Unsurprisingly, many paella dishes at La Pepica feature delicious seafood.
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One of the most romantic things you can do in Valencia is to enjoy a dinner at La Pepica. This beachfront restaurant is located right on Malvarrosa Beach and has been a favourite among locals and tourists alike for over a century. With its stunning views of the Mediterranean Sea and delicious seafood dishes, it's the perfect place for a romantic dinner with your partner.
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If you’re craving for a delicious paella while enjoying the stunning view of Malvarrosa beach, La Pepica is the perfect destination for you. With over a century of experience, La Pepica has been serving traditional Valencian dishes, specializing in seafood and rice dishes. La Pepica’s menu offers a wide variety of seafood, including fresh calamari, shrimp, and clams.
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120 años de historia y éxito acompañan a uno de los restaurantes donde comer buena fideuà en Valencia. El restaurante la Pepica ofrece a sus comensales una carta en la que degustar tan rico plato, así como todo tipo de arroces y paellas típicas de la tierra mediterránea. La Pepica es un lugar al que le gusta recibir a sus clientes como si fuesen de la familia.
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Not quite on the beach like El Trompo is, La Pepica does have a terrace that offers views over the beach. The specialty of the house is the Paella Pepica which, as the story goes, was originally made for the famous painter Joaquin Sorolla. He didn’t want to peel the prawns or crayfish and asked instead if they could be removed from their shells before serving.
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One of the most classic paella establishments is La Pepica, situated on the beachfront. This restaurant is known as one of Valencia’s iconic paella sites, partially for its famous former clientele. Not only did the kings of Valencia used to enjoy their paella here, but it is also known as one of Ernest Hemingway’s favorite spots during his time in Valencia!
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Founded in 1898, La Pepica allows us to taste the most traditional version of Valencian paellas while admiring the beauty of the Mediterranean. In fact, it even has its own paella, which is characterised by having peeled seafood. Throughout its long career, this restaurant has had such distinguished clients as Ernest Hemingway and Joaquín Sorolla.
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La Pepica might just be the best paella experience in Valencia. Located a stone’s throw from Playa la Malvarrosa, this iconic establishment is perfect for sharing paella with friends and family on a terrace overlooking the Mediterranean. They specialize in seafood paella, a favorite despite not being the traditional Valencian style of the dish.
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We also recommend visiting such inexpensive restaurants in Valencia as La Riua, where they cook as many as 20 kinds of paella, and the oldest restaurant on the city's waterfront - La Pepica. In the latter, Spanish kings, Ernest Hemingway and other celebrities have tasted paella, whose photos the owner has carefully hung on the wall.
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Valencia is the birthplace of paella and since 1898 La Pepica is where everyone goes to dine on this classic rice dish. A genuine Valencia dining experience on the promenade at Malvorossa Beach, frequented by Hemingway and countless more celebrities throughout the decades. If you aren’t famous, booking is essential!
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Here, you’ll find establishments like Casa Carmela and La Pepica, which have been serving paella for generations. These restaurants often use wood-fired ovens to cook their paella, imparting a smoky flavor to the dish. Be sure to try the classic paella valenciana, featuring chicken, rabbit, snails, and green beans.
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Located next to the beach, La Pepica is said to be where Ernest Hemmingway first tried Valencia’s most famous dish. This place is large and sprawling and great for a long afternoon meal. If you’re looking for paella with a view of the Mediterranean, then this is the best restaurant in Valencia Spain for you.
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Founded in 1898, La Pepica is an icon of Valencian gastronomy. Its long history and proximity to Malvarrosa beach make it a special place to enjoy a traditional paella. The restaurant has maintained its essence over the years, and its paella recipe remains faithful to Valencia’s traditional roots.
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Valencia is the birthplace of paella, and no visit is complete without indulging in this iconic dish. La Pepica, located on the beachfront, has been serving authentic Valencian paella since 1898. Enjoy the classic version made with rabbit, chicken, and local beans while soaking in the sea views.
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La Pepica has been wowing patrons with their stunning Mediterranean views and drool-worthy paellas since 1898. It’s so good in fact, that Spanish painter Joaquin Sorolla and American novelist Hemmingway ate here. We recommend the seafood paella and of course, outdoor seating right on the beach.
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La Pepita, with a terrace and seating overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, has lulled diners with its sea views since 1898. Steeped in a rich and long history, royals, writers, artists, tourists, and locals have all enjoyed dining here. La Pepita is known for serving a perfect paella.
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La Pepica is a legendary beachfront restaurant in Valencia, famous for its authentic paella and seafood dishes. Founded in 1898, it has hosted celebrities and royalty, including Ernest Hemingway. The restaurant offers stunning views of Malvarrosa Beach and the Mediterranean Sea.
Paella eten in Valencia
Het volgende paella restaurant ligt direct aan het brede zandstrand van Valencia en is restaurant La Pepica. La Pepica is een restaurant met een zeer rijke historie. Het restaurant is meer dan 120 jaar oud en een uitstekende keuze om een authentieke paella te eten in Valencia.
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The Picassos of paella are the cooks in La Pepica’s sprawling kitchens. The restaurant faces onto Playa Malvarrosa, but if you approach from the town side, you can walk through those kitchens to the dining room. La Pepica has wowed royalty, movie stars, and—yes, even Ernest…
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By the Restaurante La Pepica they have spent countless famous people. King Philip VI, Don Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia, Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith and even Ernest Hemingway mentions in one of his books. A restaurant with history that deserves to be in a must list.
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On the promenade, the legendary La Pepica (25) (lapepica.com) is where Ernest Hemingway used to hang out when it was simply a shack on the beach (paella from €14.40/£12.40pp). For something more low-key, keep walking to the family-run Casa Ripoll (26) (casaripoll.com).
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La Pepica, located on the Malvarrosa beach, serves up some of the best paella in the city well into the night. For a more casual bite, stop by Horchatería Santa Catalina for some churros and chocolate, a traditional Spanish treat perfect for a late-night snack.
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La Pepica (Passeig de Neptú, 6): This place has a history of more than 120 years, and played host to Ernest Hemingway himself, as well as Joaquín Sorolla. Its speciality is rice dishes, and the star of the show is the arroz Pepica, a shelled seafood paella.
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Located closely to Las Arenas Beach in Valencia is La Pepica. A restaurant with more than hundreds of years of history and probably one of the most emblematic restaurants in Valencia. The specialist in typical Valencian cuisine and rice.
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Last but not least, you cannot leave Valencia without trying one of the famous paellas. The best one you can eat at the beach, at restaurant La Pepica. The interior looks like it hasn’t changed in the past 25 years, but the food is good.
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Located on the beachfront, La Pepica is a classic Valencian restaurant that specializes in paella and seafood. The restaurant’s stunning views of the Mediterranean Sea and traditional decor create a relaxed and inviting atmosphere.
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In this beach tent next to our hotel, they have served paella since 1898. Hemingway, the Spanish royal couple, and many celebrities have eaten here. The grilled squid at La Pepica is divine and the paella’s are nice too.
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La Pepica is one of the most famous and longstanding restaurants on Valencia’s beachfront. It has been serving up delicious seafood since 1898, attracting not only locals but also celebrities like Ernest Hemingway.
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Before I ate in this famous restaurant on Malvarrosa beach in Valencia, I was naive enough to believe that no paella could ever be better than my mum's, but after eating here, I realised I was wrong (though my...
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Newly opened Boa Beach serves up boho style alongside breakfast, brunch and dinner, or La Pepica is considered one of the oldest and best spots in the city to eat paella, and was frequented by Hemingway himself.
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Neptuno,6 Tel:96 371 03 66 Open every day 13 to 16h and 20.30 to 23h (closed festival evenings). Rices and seafoods are the main ingredients, with paella Valenciana at 7 euros.Hemingway did eat here.
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A historic establishment, La Pepica has been serving traditional paellas since 1898. Located along the Malvarrosa Beach promenade, it’s famous for its extensive rice menu and fresh seafood platters.
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For a taste of the sea, head to La Pepica, a beachside restaurant that has been serving up fresh seafood since 1898. Their specialties include paella, grilled sardines, and seafood fideuá.
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If you can’t make it to El Palmar, Restaurante La Maritima in the Veles e Vents building in Valencia Marina, and La Pepica, on the beachfront, are two of the best in the city.
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A favorite spot of mine is La Pepica, a restaurant that has been around forever and is located next to the beach that offers good artisan paella, Valencian style.
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Wood-fired paellas and a restaurant with space for more than two hundred diners. Undoubtedly the ideal place to celebrate an event or a big celebration.
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Casa Carmela, La Paz, and La Pepica are wonderful locations to grab some seafood if you’ve been eating too much paella.
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