The best paella of my life: Restaurant La Ruiá (12. October 2018)
The La Ruiá is mentioned in a book called “1001 restaurants you must experience before you die” and I must say, the book has proven to be a true gem. Frankly, I would never have entered the La Ruiá by just looking at it from outside – the place looks closed and really not appealing.
But once you enter, the picture changes completely …
… and you realize that it would have been smart to book a table in advance. We were super lucky because a group of 6 which had booked a table didn’t show up on time so we got the table. Still, we had to wait like 20 minutes at the counter until that happened. And it was worth the wait.
As a starter we went for the “pulpitos guisados” (EUR 10.00) with a strong garlic sauce. The pulpo was fine but not smooth enough for my personal gusto.
The “albóndigas de pollo” (EUR 2.00 / piece) were good and the garlic sauce was even more intense. So, we had something to start with and to keep our palates busy before the main event happened.
The La Ruiá is famous for its Paella. So, it was time to try the typical dish of this place and obviously ideally in its signature version “Paella Valenciana (arroz, pollo, conejo y verduras)” (EUR 11.00 / portion; this is a portion for two). The meat paella was very good but a tiny bit too dry for my personal gusto.
The “paella de marisco (arroz, calamar, cigala, gambón, mejillón)” (EUR 19.00 / portion; this is a portion for two) on the other hand was just perfect. Smooth, intense, not too dry. Just as you wish a perfect paella to be. Absolutely mouth-watering!
Despite the fact that the place was fully booked and absolutely crowded and despite the fact that we had the last table in the corner, the service was always there, friendly, relatively swift. A logistic miracle if you ask me. Once you got out again, you would see the tradition of the place with its old street sign.
And if you pass by and see how they start cleaning up the place again for the next day, you see that this place is full of tradition and they are really, really good at making a delicious paella. If you make it to Valencia, you should definitely book a table in the La Ruia and go for the Paella – and preferably the seafood paella.
And the best thing about it all are the prices. We ended up paying ~EUR 35.00 per person for all this plus two bottles of red wine (EUR 32.00), a jar of sangria (EUR 15.00), a lot of water (EUR 2.00) and coffee (EUR 2.00). Truly a bargain with a pleasant experience in your mouth!
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Contact Details:
Restaurant La Ruiá
Carrer del Mar 27
46003 València (E)
Tel.: +34 963 91 45 71
Tel.: +34 96 391 71 72
Fax: +34 96 391 91 83
E-Mail: lariua@lariua.com
Homepage: http://www.lariua.com
About the Author: Sven
I started the blog in October 2009, while living in Milan which I definitely consider to be one of the food capitals of the world. I was in touch with food since my early childhood (as my father is a former chef). Whenever I can, I travel the world to discover new places, to meet people but mostly to try local dishes and to find hidden gems! If you know a place worth going, please drop a line to: info@thediningexperience.org.
Currently, I am a member of the following food-related associations: Chevalier @Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Zurich-Ville; Membre Gourmet Dégustateur @Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs [OMGD]; Gesellschafter @Goldener Fisch and Member @Slowfood Convivium Zurich City. 
