Restaurante El Poblet

An incredible experience at El Poblet! I want to sincerely thank the entire staff for their warm welcome and impeccable service. Every detail was carefully thought out — from the table setting to the presentation of each dish. The atmosphere was elegant yet very comfortable. The cuisine is true artistry! Every dish was not only delicious but also visually stunning. It’s clear that real professionals work here, putting heart and soul into every element. El Poblet is a place you’ll want to return to. I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who values top-level gastronomy and exceptional service!

Great experience of a new interpreted classic valencian flavors. Great technique, good wine selection by Hernan, who even adequately changed the maridaje to the drinking pace of my girlfriend. The plates were intense in good flavors and also very balanced. My favourite dishes were the Sepia y Calabaza with the (most amazing) caldo that the service team was pouring onto the when served. Such an aromatic harmony of savouriness, aromatics, sweetness and acidity. Would go again only for that. Other favourites: Pato in two courses. The Guiso very earthy and innovative with the way the peanuts were altered through technique and also the esfericos made from rillete were contributing a lot to the depth of the dish. The Pato madurado was simplicity at its best for me. Texture and flavour altered by the Koji were simply working really well on the plate. Desserts: Cool idea with the torrija. Sacher was a cool balance of texture and flavors (ice cream simply delicious) Great experience, thank you!

Lovely experience all around! The courses (we went for 11—recommend!) and wines were presented with just the right amount of information to help understand and enhance the tasting. Beautiful mix of simple-yet-perfect courses and more complex, surprising preparations of very local, fresh ingredients. Professional and warm service. I don’t usually write reviews but felt compelled to give this dinner a stellar review. So glad we booked it for our finale in Valencia.

Very interesting menu, created almost exclusively with local products. Strong points on the revisited paella made out of pasta. The variations of local hams were also astonishing. Little less balanced was the rice, bearing a very thick texture despite overall refined flavored. The overall concentration of flavors and tastes per products' size was fantastically strong (pickles were incredible for example as well as the asparagus sauce and the fermented vegetables). Almost no mild dishes and only very expressive aliments all the way through. Very extensive wine card with lots of choice from Spain and France, excellent somellier giving tailored made recommendations respecting your wishes, without pushing toward over consumption or trying to direct you to different tastes. Exceptional service all the way through. Serving plates by the book with full synchronization and absolutely no waiting time. Water price was also a very nice surprise in comparison with similar restaurants.

While we had very much looked forward to our dinner at El Poblet beforehand, issues and annoyances kept building up during the course of our meal, causing us to leave with a bad taste in our mouth at the end of the night (unfortunately not only figuratively)! It started out so well though, thanks to the friendly waiters and amuse-bouches that immediately kept us wanting for more. Our seating was not ideal (close to the stairwell causing cold drafts) and my chair's arm was loose and splintered which caused a safety issue, but we were still able to laugh it off at that point. It's 2 star, right? Must be good! We ordered the Ciuatat Vella 11-course menu with wine pairing. The first disconnect happened when the sommelier didn't introduce himself or even greet us, he just appeared at our table and rambled off his spiel about the first wine. Okay. Speaking about the wine pairing: we had a sherry to start which was almost flavourless, while the next two wine pairings were very sweet, much better served with dessert rather than with starters! I also remember an orange wine we did not like very much and one fermented wine tasting like kombucha, it was so sour it brought tears to my eyes, not good at all! It felt like the sommelier was trying to show off the rare and weird stuff he had been able to source, rather than provide guests with an enjoyable experience. The only wines I could somewhat appreciate were a Chablis, a red wine with the duck main course, and the liqueurs paired with dessert. Getting to the main course of this review: the food, the most important part of the Michelin experience. It was... disappointing, to say the least. When thinking about the meal we had, the saying 'dress to impress' comes to mind, which is NOT something the chef should have focused on with his dishes in this case. Elaborate presentation, but little variety in ingredients and flavour profiles. Too much citrus, eel in several dishes, duck as several dishes, ... very basic. On the other hand, the most noteworthy (because unexpected) of all dishes was the red prawn, which was an extra course one could choose to pay an additional fee for and which turned out to be... just a 'sea water boiled' prawn. No seasoning. No condiments. No presentation. Just a prawn you have to pick out of a box yourself, put on your plate and clean with your hands. Interesting choice. We could barely contain our laughter, as if we had never had prawn before and these were not abundant at the market we had just visited that day, for a much lower price of course. Quite an upcharge for a simple seafood boil. Honorable mention for the slow-cooked duck, which I almost broke a tooth on because it contained an actual bullet. Rather than apologise, the waiter claimed this was impossible to prevent, due to the fact it was a wild duck that was shot, rather than a farmed duck. A warning would have been well in place! The other dishes are not even worth mentioning, because most of them were just bland, not special at all, like the boiled peanuts or the Korean rice paper (how is this dish 'taste of Valencia' when in your explanation at the table you call it Korean ??) The worst dish of all though, was the arroz, a 'typical' (?!) Valencian black rice dish. It had a musky funk with fishy aftertaste, so unpleasant. We are not picky eaters and willing to try anything, but we both had to send this dish back to the kitchen after two bites. Desserts were good. Hard to do wrong with chocolate and ice cream after all... We are experienced diners at a large variety of restaurants, from hole-in-the-wall establishments and street food stalls, to several-star Michelin restaurants. Not only were we expecting a lot more from what is supposed to be a 2-star Michelin dining experience, we actually had a lot better for a lot less at other restaurants in this beautiful city. The bill at the end makes the price-quality of this restaurant worth zero stars in any measurement possible.

I almost cancelled our reservation based on some recent reviews; really glad I didn’t. This is our best meal in Spain so far. The dishes were novel, creative, and overall quite good. The wine pairing was almost as good with only a few misses. Definitely worth a visit to try the full tasting menu and wine pairing. Keep an open mind and hopefully you’ll enjoy the culinary journey as much as we did. Cheers.

Malia our server was the best although all of the waiters were professional. She was very attentive and helpful with a great attitude! Food was exquisite and amazingly creative. Dessert out of this world.

This was our 4th Michelin star restaurant we have visited in Spain and unfortunately was the lowest on our list even though it has 2 stars. The food did not provide the wow factor as the dishes were either too simple, used the same ingredients/ techniques, the flavour profile was not appetizing or the main ingredient that was showcased was overpowered by another component on the dish. The restaurant has a vision to show their guests Valencia through the pallet but we felt that we did not experience the full potential of their vision during our visit. This isn’t to say that the tasting menu was not enjoyable as there was 2 great dishes (the starter canapé and “the time, territory and season” but the others were really nothing special and/or not good at all. We believe you can get better food or equivalent for a lower cost elsewhere. We would not return or recommend. Service was amazing. Could have more options for cocktails.

Wow, what a Michelin-starred restaurant! The staff was super friendly, knowledgeable, and welcoming. The presentation of the food was incredible, and the taste was amazing - each bite was a surprise! The ambiance was romantic and peaceful.

Looking forward to my Michelin experience! An absolutely amazing and memorable experience! We were apprehensive that we would not be able to get into this restaurant with its wonderful references. Fortunately, perseverance does win! Like most of the city, parking can be tight, the convenient central location of this restaurant allows for easy access in the downtown area. Upon arrival, we were met outside the restaurant at street level for our reservation. We were a little early, but this was no problem for the staff who pleasantly greeted us and quickly seated us. The dining room is very comfortable with table spacing that allows privacy yet enough room for some people watching! We noted private dining is available with appropriate reservations. The decor is a welcoming mix of fine dining and whimsy. We absolutely loved the team of servers who kindly walked us through the menu options, and all the details around each meticulously, extravagantly, and artistically made courses. Our well versed sommelier offered us a wonderful wine pairing with each course; we were provided a card at the end of our meal, that shared all the pairing information. Each dish was so special it's hard to describe. Many of the offerings were new experience for us, and we've tried food all over the world. From start to finish, the amuse bouche offered a specific nod towards environmentally friendly fishing and a finishing drink that included a combination of pine, sherry and citric juices that brought me back to camping days of my youth in the mountains, everything was sheer perfection. I can't say enough about this wonderful restaurant and hope to have the opportunity to come back here again. Highly recommended for anyone who can appreciate the fine art offered in the form of food and attention to detail in every form.

I'm not a rabbit-eating person. So given that we started from a deficit. The mud-fish , tasted like - well - it had a muddy taste. Lovely ambiance and service but the food didn't do it for me. Also , Valencia has tons of amazing restaurants at a fraction of the cost of this place.

Ignore any bad review - this meal was exceptional. I'm not sure how anyone said they left not full - I have a very hearty American appetite- ordered the smaller of the 2 menus and felt delightfully full. The menu was creative, highlighted local techniques and flavors and service was outstanding! Highly recommend the Valencia Giro wine the Sommelier turned me on to. Run don't walk to this gem.

Still smiling after dinner at Quique Dacosta Restaurante in Denia, the former "El Poblet" at which a teenage Quique began his culinary career now a Michelin 3* Restaurant that defines "exceptional cuisine that is worth a special journey," it was just thirteen hours later that a seat was taken at the new El Poblet in Valencia, itself a Michelin Star recipient as a retrospective look at some of the Chef's classic dishes. Opened in 2012, his eponymous restaurant at that time holding two stars and a Top-40 rating on the "World's 50 Best" list, El Poblet was originally intended to offer guests a refined but laid back experience focused on Chef Dacosta's cuisine without fully committing to a full-tasting, but with more Restaurants opened since to focus on casual plates as well as Tapas the idea has since evolved, the current "Menu Ciutat Vella" a sixteen course experience offered at a cost of €120. Featuring high ceilings, white linens and elegant plating, not exactly the sort of thing that says casual though the camouflaged floral pillar and jovial service certainly help to lighten the mood, it is almost immediately after seating that guests are presented with Food and Beverage menus plus a briny rice-cracker amuse with Mayonnaise described as a Kelp Forest. Playing soft music overhead, diners trickling in over the course of the first hour to fill the space about 3/4 at lunch on a Monday, it was after confirming a lack of allergies or intolerances that the menu officially got underway, the €2.50 Bread Service well worth its cost as a hot loaf of Sourdough was served along with good Olive Oil before delving into "Stages of the Almond" featuring raw and toasted Nuts plus an Ice Cream Bon-Bon made from a distillation of the un-ripened green version. Continuing to show a propensity for playing with textures, a theme frequently seen throughout dinner in Denia the night prior, course two featured crispy Almond 'paper' flavored like Turrón atop tender Clams perfumed by Cumin, the four-part follow-up not dissimilar to the second act at Quique Dacosta Restaurante as it offered flavors of Earth and Sea highlighted by Pea and Curry Ice Cream plus the Pod used as a sort of Taco-shell around Lemon Fish Ceviche. Rounding out Canapés with another trio, the focus prominently on brine with Caviar atop creamy Mozzarella followed by dehydrated Watermelon doing a fairly credible riff on Tuna Belly and a black Tempura Fritter of liquefied Sea Urchin, course 'one' of the menu came almost thirty minutes after taking a seat, the Green Tomato Gazpacho expectedly sour but balanced by a creamy crowd, Meringue clusters and Prawns that were served raw and shockingly sweet. Intentionally going back and forth between sea and land, three plump Oysters intense with Iodine beneath a creamy blanket of Liqueur, Roe and Lettuce served next, course three and four were two of Quique's most famous plates, the Prawns from Denia seen one day prior in an even more elaborate presentation while the Rum & Coke Foie Gras ranks amongst the top five cold preparations of the dish experienced to date. Featuring only line-caught Fish, four thin cuts of lean Tuna Belly lightly seared along the rim of warm White Asparagus Soup with light heat, it was here that the kitchen sent out an alternative form of All I Pebre, the flavors of Onions, Peppers and Garlic here lending themselves to a Swordfish Filet beneath a crispy black net. Stating that "about 15%" of El Poblet's dishes were created at the restaurant, the entirety of that group served close to the meal's start, it was with two rich plates from Quique Dacosta Restaurante's history that savories concluded, the Sweetbreads a very different presentation from the night before that paired the caramelized Thymus with Carrots and Onions while "Rice Ashes" was as much a visual experience as it was a taste to behold as earthy flavors mingled with aged Fowl on the palate. Refreshing the mouth with Truffle-steeped Horchata, a pleasant blend of sweet and savory that also served to bridge diners from entrees to dessert, it was much like Dacosta's "From the Muscat" that sweets started off with a study of Fruit in textures, the Vineyard Peach Snow appearing quite similar to insulation and intensely flavored like over-ripe Fruit while the "Fig Tree" follow-up dialed up the textures even further with sugary shards embedded in creamy Mousse. Taking a Double Espresso with Mignardises, the price included in the menu and very necessary prior to a 3.5 hour drive up the coast to Barcelona, it was with Thanks from the Chef de Cuisine that seven tiny treats were enjoyed, the Chocolates particularly memorable as was the rounded Cake described as a Financier that rested in Apricot Preserves.

We read about this restaurant in the book "Where Chefs Eat" as a place worthy of a trip. We made a reservation and upon arrival learned that they also have a Michelin star. I am not going to describe every single dish we got during our 8 Historic dinner course, but I will share with you my experience. Get a wine tasting - it's a must! Sommelier did fantastic job and you will experience the region through the oak aged liquid gold. The presentation is outstanding. Some dishes looked like a pebble served among real stones. Some were disguised as a rose petals in the heart of the rose. The flavors and the texture were paired up miraculously and creatively. This restaurant absolutely worth a trip! We loved it and after we were done we got a recommendation from a staff to visit the Down in the Market Colon for a gin cocktail. Which was also an amazing destination. For €300 with tip, wine pairing and 8 course meal for 2 people I think this place offers fantastic value and will take you on the culinary journey that is worth a trip

Had a great night here on our first trip to Valencia. Food was unusual but delicious. My wife and I went for the Menu Paisatages Transformats. This comprised som of the Chef's classics such as Pétalos de rosa and Cubalibre de foie. Service very good and good value for money. VISIT

The strongest impression I had from El Poblet was one of artifice. The grass outside was astroturf, some of the somewhat intricate artwork inside was made of plastic, food that look like a leaf was made of toasted rice. El Poblet is a fun place to eat. The quality is probably not on par with other restaurants of the same price point, but it isn't far behind. The most enjoyable dish for me had four components: a real rose filled with petals of beet (I think), a gin and tonic, parmesan rocks (amidst real rocks) and a "living garden" if I remember correctly. Fun and tasty.

I've wanted to go to El Poblet since 2008 when I learned about it through the great Spanish cooking ambassador Jose Andres. That was when it was in Denia, an hour south. Recently, El Poblet became Restaurante Quique Dacosta after it's much lauded chef's namesake. Then he opened a tapas bar and a noveau more casual eatery called Vuelve Carolina. In the latter's upstairs space is the new El Poblet. Vuelve carrying much success in the town center and not having to take the hour drive south, Quique Dacosta has re-opened to look into his past cuisine and also present a place that doesnt require the 3 Michelin star onus. Dishes like the Cuba Libre Foie Gras, Suquet de pescadoes de roca, and Gambas rojas can be had either a la carte or in small tasting menus. It's an interesting retrospective look from one of the most creative chefs in Spain without having to break the bank at his flagship venue.

Really impressive meal. The entire meal relayed a story of Valencia. The staff was excellent and welcoming. I felt as though they were hosting me in their house. Food was delicious. Wine pairing was even better. Highly recommend and they deserve another Michelin star.

This restaurant serves the greatest hits from Quique Dacosta's 3 Michelin star restaurant. It's about half the price of eating at the 3 star and a terrific value. Great wine list. Great service. Pretty casual and fun. Highly recommended.

We were warmly welcomed by delightful staff and then gently escorted through the degustation we had chosen. The presentation was outstanding, the food inventive and mostly delicious. My husband enjoyed everything. There were a couple of dishes I personally did not love but that was down to my taste. We had paired wines and our maitre d was extremely knowledgable and charming in her explanations. All in all it was a delightful and relaxing evening.