"If you want to understand why Valencians treat a bodega like a second living room, go to Casa Montaña. Open since 1836, this Cabanyal institution has the feel of an old, wood-lined wine bar where you’d picture a few regulars reminiscing over cigars and business deals thanks to giant barrels, marble counters, chalkboard prices, house vermouth, and a winding layout that feels half speakeasy, half family home. The wine list runs thousands of bottles deep, with a rotating by-the-glass selection that leans local but stretches global. And the food has a swagger too: anchovies from Santoña, Valencian clóchinas (wild mussels), salt-cod croquettes with pine nuts, and patatas bravas made with dry-farmed mountain potatoes lined up like little soldiers between aioli and actual spicy sauce. You’ll want to linger all night or afternoon—just be smart and book ahead, because everyone else does too. RESERVE A TABLE" - David Neimanis