Horchatería de Santa Catalina

Horchateria de Santa Catalina is a cafe in Valencia. It’s a very busy cafe with tons of drinks, both, hard and soft, coffee items and pastries. We wanted a local experience so ordered churros and cappuccinos. Excellent service and the coffee tasted great, so did the churros. Pricing is competitive. Enjoy an evening of fun at this very loud and chattery place with a vip of coffee and your favorite pastry.

Tasty fartons and an interesting horchata drink! 🙋🏽‍♀️Tourist Review 📍The Venue: A very traditional place. It’s quite spacious, spread over two floors, though there’s no outdoor seating. 🥛What we ordered: -Horchata: My first time trying this drink! It was nice, but definitely an acquired taste — kind of like coconut water, which not everyone enjoys. Still, as a tourist, I always appreciate tasting something new. - Fartons: So good! Thy are simple but soft and sweet. Loved them! 😋 💁🏻‍♀️The Service: I enjoy writing reviews because I rely on them myself to find good spots and get a sense of the atmosphere. The waiter told me I couldn’t take photos or videos inside, which I respected — but later I noticed plenty of people taking pictures and no one said a thing 🤣. A bit inconsistent, and it’s a shame because it’s such a lovely place to show on Google. 💭Final Thoughts: A little pricey, probably due to its tradition and popularity, but worth visiting at least once. It was nice to try something different, and I’d definitely come back if I get the chance! Five stars anyway — despite they didn’t let me take photos 😂!

The best churros in town! This place is always busy, which clearly shows how popular it is. We had their fresh churros and they were absolutely delicious and crispy. A perfect spot to enjoy traditional Spanish treats. Definitely a must-try when in Valencia!

Great little place with great history and ambience. We didn't really get a menu or seated and we it seemed like we should just know what was for sale. Luckily we came knowing what we wanted so it went fine. Prices were pretty fair in the area, but we'll work coming to a local establishment on the tradition of Valencian Horchata.

Located right in Plaça de Santa Caterina, this historic spot is perfect for a break while exploring the old town. The horchata is exceptional—fresh, creamy, and perfectly balanced, exactly how it should taste in Valencia. Pair it with fartons, and you’re set for a classic local experience. The interior is beautiful, with traditional tiles and a timeless atmosphere that makes you feel part of Valencia’s history. Service is efficient and friendly, even when the place is busy, which it often is—for good reason. Whether you’re a tourist discovering horchata for the first time or a local revisiting a favorite tradition, Santa Catalina never disappoints. A true Valencian icon and absolutely worth the stop.

I don’t get it why this place have so much good reviews. Let me explain. When I entered to cafeteria nobody said anything. No hi, no show where I can sit, NOTHING. So I just get my table and sit. After few minutes waitress come over. She took order and after few minutes my order was on the table. Reading all those „good” reviews I expected something special, yeah, it was. Chocolate was just ok, rich and creamy. Churros was cold and chewy. Farton was just a bland dough, no taste, no sweetness. Thats a fact. Horchata wasn’t my taste but it’s just my opinion, some people can like it. In the middle of my lunch waitress just brought a check? No questions how good lunch was, how you like that, nothing. Whoooo… Ok, so is this yours customer service? Got it. When I want to make some pics (for review)of food they sell, one of lady shouted on me: NO PHOTOSSS!!! Maybe in response they will explain, why can’t make photos of food? What do you have to hide? It could be a really nice spot for horchata and churros, because inside the cafeteria looks REALLY nice, with THAT mood. I like that. But besides that, nothing is right there. Maybe all those things happened because I’m a tourist and they don’t like tourists. (Spanish people spraying water on tourist in 🇪🇸- you can see that on news) Or maybe they are like they are. I don’t know 🤷 but that was my first and LAST time. Beware of that place, especially if your are TOURIST. NOT RECOMMEND THEM

A lovely lady in the cafe in the City of Arts & Sciences tipped us off to this place for a cup of real Spanish hot chocolate in Valencia. It took a bit of finding but what a beautiful venue! Extremely busy but it is no wonder. The hot chocolate was silky and ruch but the decor is the star attraction here.

🤢 It was a terrible experience. Those pumpkin donuts were dripping with grease; one bite and oil starts oozing out. And the 'famous' horchata? It tastes like dish soap. It’s absolutely foul and undrinkable. Avoid this place!

We stopped in to try out their famous horchata, fartons, and churro & hot chocolate. When you walk in, depending on the size of your party, one of the waitresses will point you to certain tables to sit at. When we went it was busy, but we were able to get a table right away. Since they are known for their horchata and fartons, it was easy to know what to order. The horchata was refreshing, not overly sweet and not heavy on the cinnamon like it is back in the US. The farton we dipped in the horchata. It was light, airy, warm and fresh. It doesn't have a ton of flavor but it's still tasty. On our second visit, we got the churros and chocolate. We only tried a couple different ones on our trip but the churros here were my favorite. Crunchy outside, soft on the inside, and the chocolate was the perfect level of sweetness for me. Overall, a great spot for a quick dessert, and would definitely eat here again if I was back in Valencia

So we walked by this place many times while we stayed in Valencia. Finally we tried it our first time having churros and hot coco in Spain. While it was good it was expensive and there is no prices listed. Service is seriously lacking the girls who were bringing food out seemed to have no clue what was going on. The ambiance is also lacking we were rushed off the table after paying for over priced churros and hot coco! We saw others that sat for a while and were still sitting there eating and drinking long after we left. Only reason I am giving it 4 stars is that the hot coco was really good. But I am guessing you could have gotten the same thing else where for a fraction of the price.

I was going to another recommended Horchata spot and our Hotel changed my mind and insisted Catalina was the best one to visit. As I approached, it was clear this was the spot. They were busy with multiple people taking pictures of the entrance. They have two levels but only the 1st level was being used. I was seated immediately close to the entrance. I didn't see any outdoor seating. Beautifully decorated with Valencia/Spanish tiles throughout. I ordered the specialty Horchata and Bunuelos. Horchata is served cold and is dairy free (although it seems like it has Dairy) and was a bit too sweet for me but definitely one to try. Bunuelos was tasty and had more of a donut texture. They also had Churros and a few other pastries along with Hot Chocolate and Ice Cream. Service was quick and friendly. A good mix of Locals and Tourists. Definitely a must Valencia stop!

This place is a must visit for churros in Valencia. The inside is beautiful and historic. The service was amazing and quick.

Beautiful tile work adorned this famous establishment. As usual, we got the Horchata with Fartons. We got chocolate Fartons and I wish I didn't because the whole ensemble when you dip into the milk becomes too sweet. The service was prompt and attentive! Would come back again on our next visit.

Located in the heart of Barrio El Carmen, next to the tower of the Church of Santa Catalina, Horchateria de Santa Catalina is a must stop in Valencia if you want to try authentic Horchatas and Fartons. Inside you can see the ornate ceramic tiles throughout. Recommendations: Order one horchata to share since it's a flavor you either love or hate. And definitely order fartons, churros, and hot chocolate for dipping.

Churros y chocolate on a chilly Valencian day....Santa Catalina is a must! Centrally located near La Plaza de la Reina, if you love churros & chocolate, do not skip out on Santa Catalina. A true cozy, antique place covered in ceramic tiles, Santa Catalina almost takes you back to another time and place. Although you can choose from a selection of pastries and other goodies, we came here for the classic: churros and chocolate. We ordered a dozen for four of us, with an individual hot chocolate for each. We got amazingly fresh, crispy yet soft churros covered in the perfect amount sugar. Our little hot chocolate were very very warm, perfect for the chilly weather outside. The incredibly thick and rich hot chocolate is technically not for drinking, but rather for "eating" with your churros (dipping your churros in the chocolate is the way to go!). Such a delightful treat. Service was so friendly and helpful, smiles all around. Again, the place itself feels like a cultural experience. I can't wait to try Santa Catalina again!

You can get horchata, churros, hot chocolate and ice cream all over Valencia. And that includes grungy neighborhoods that you probably won't be visiting. But for first rate horchata and churros in a beautiful place - Santa Catalina is a fine choice. The interior is decorated with traditional Catalan tilework. (The tiles are obviously 20th century knock-offs. But the effect is as charming as it can possibly be.) The desserts here are absolutely excellent. * * * Americans: Horchata in Spain is made with chofa nuts. You are used to Mexican horchata which is basically rice milk. In my humble opinion, I like the Mexican rice version better than the Spanish tiger nut version. But they are both pretty wonderful. * * * Americans: Spanish churros look identical to Mexican churros. They do NOT taste identical to Mexican churros. Spanish churros are much much better. If I never see another Mexican churro again, I will feel no sense of loss whatsoever. The Spanish version is absolutely yummy. * * * So on the Spain versus Mexico dessert competition - The score is Spain 1 Mexico 1. However, Santa Catalina ALSO has Spanish hot chocolate. This is the kind you make by melting a chocolate bar in milk. In theory, this is one of the greatest chocolate drinks on the planet. I have not had the local ice cream either. I suspect that if I eat my way through Santa Catalina, The Spanish are about to score a whole bunch of goals. But then to be fair ... I would really need to take a trip to Mexico City as well Before passing final judgement.

A local institution and for a good reason! Scrumptious churros, light and airy fartons, and decadent chocolate. Great prices, efficient service, and spotless!

Loved the ambiance and of course churros are incredible. Loved the Horchata as well. A must visit when in Valencia

This place oozes authenticity. Our friend who lives in Valencia, took us here and was excited to show us one of the staples of Valencian culture - Horchata and Fartons. He said traditionally this type of meal would be eaten at tea time, around 5pm. He coached us to dip the fartons in the horchata and it was a match made in heaven. The establishment has been around since 1901 and we were excited to find out that this was the same place my mother-in-law went during her semester abroad in the 1970's to enjoy the same traditions. The servers are quite welcoming and many know some English which helped us out and made us feel welcome. We came back a couple times during our trip because we just couldn't get enough!

I should've read these reviews before coming here! I had high expectations for this place.. mainly because I came across a blog who rated so highly of their food! Mucho disappointment. I can't say anything negative about the decór -- its traditional, beautifully patterned tiles cover the ground and walls of the restaurant. I walked in, ready to be amazed, and saw about 4 waitresses just standing idly in the middle. One approached me and asked what I'd like to order. 4 CHURROS (2,20€) and CHOCOLATE A LA FRANCESA (3,20€). She brought out a plate of 4 churros and mini cup of hot chocolate within 2 minutes. "Hot" chocolate did not live up to its name -- it was mildly warm and its taste left me in a puzzled state. It was thick, but not rich in true chocolate flavor. The churros tasted like it was perhaps fried a few hours ago in the morning and just slightly warmed up before served to me. The texture was good, but by no means did it leave me in a "Wow. Now THIS is the best piece of churro I ever had in my life."

Santa Catalina is one of the two shops specializing in Spanish horchata--a sweet, milky, refreshing drink made with water, tiger nuts, and sugar in Valencia. Just as a custom, fartons was ordered to accompany horchata which is a confectionery sweets typical of the Valencian town of Alboraya, Spain. Farton is make of sugar, flour, milk and egg was made to dipped in horchata. I guess my Yelp friend must have done his research as he knew exactly what he wanted when we arrived at Santa Catalina for an afternoon snack. As usual, I want my hot chocolate with churros. Here the hot chocolate is not for you to drink but just to dip the churros and made it into some serious sugary goodness! The decoration at Santa Catalina is as classic as it can get. Love the ceramic tiles and every little details.

Heavily decorated in antique tiles and located near Mercat Central in Valencia's cultural corridor there is little doubt that Horchateria de Santa Catalina has been committed to its craft for quite some time, and although Horchata in Spain is quite different from that found in the United States and Mexico the Chufa (or Tiger Nut) based beverage should undoubtedly be on the to-taste list of travelers visiting the city where many claim it was created. No question a bit touristy in the current era, centuries of history having seen the small shop change hands several times while recipes reportedly remain true to those originally created at the shop's inception, Horchateria de Santa Catalina opens at 08h15 daily and remains open until at least 21h30, the sizeable seating area and quick service rare to see a wait while staff is pleasant and multi-lingual. In many ways a "do one thing and do it well" concept, though sipping Chocolate and Coffee are available in addition to the sweet and creamy drink served cold in tall glasses for €2.80, those entering the Horchateria are quickly invited to take a seat after first perusing a case of leavened Pastries focused on elongated Fartons, both the shape and their characteristic wispiness/dryness intended for dunking and costs ranging €0.90 for one dusted with Confectioner's Sugar to €1.40 for those that are filled.

This was on my list of must tries as this was my first visit to the lovely city of Valencia. It is Located near the plaza de la Reign. The shop is said to be the oldest in the area. Lots of seating inside and helps when you need to cool off from the hot sun. As much as I wanted to like this drink, I couldn't bring myself to enjoy it. I am a big fan of the mexican version so my palette was yearning for something more. We ordered the Farton as well to dip in the horchata, but it made no difference in taste to me. They also have it available in slushie type form. If i had never tried the mexican version, then i probably would have enjoyed this. They also offer other goodies such as churros and hot chocolate, but we wanted to focus on the horchata.

I had great expectations of this place. Since it's the oldest horchateria there must be a reason why they managed to stay open all these years. Unfortunately, my expectations were not met. I got a glass of horchata (they're an horchateria in the first place) fartons. My sister (yes, she uses chuff beans) makes better horchata than this place. The fartons was nothing to write home about - it's like a long ensaimada without the buttery and sugary topping - but with powdered sugar on top instead. I wanted to get an ensaimada too but my server looked like either she was having a terrible day or she was constipated. I'm willing to give them another try though.

We came here because we heard the horchata was beyond. The atmosphere was beautiful - seemingly vintage and authentic, tiled floors and walls, a spirally staircase with so much room upstairs - delightful! However, the horchata kind of tasted like the cleaning fluid that strongly permeated the room. Four of the six in our party got the horchata, and all four of us only imbibed about two sips. The churros and chocolate are delightful though! Just skip the horchata...

We entered very happy in this beautiful and special establishment. Unfortunately, the waitresses were very strange, to speak in a polite way about them. One of them stopped my passing to the place were the products were exposed and spoke in spanish, in an aggresive way. I tried to explain that I have to see first what is there just to be able to order, but it was in vain; she was determined to make me turn around. So, I sat down at a table. Another waitress came and we said we want some fartons, but she never came back. After a while, a spanish guy entered and sat down at a table near ours and the waitress came to him imediately with the same fartons that we have ordered 10 minutes earlier......it's a pity their behaviour spoils such an establishment. Everybody has bad days, but it is not so hard to be nice and normal, there is no need to behave like this with the others, dear waitresses. I hope this comment will improve your behaviour and life, in general.

Stumbled around and found this restaurant place that I have seen reviews on YouTube. Did not disappoint. Horchata was very good, not too sweet and overwhelming with cinnamon like one I have tried in Texas. Farton was outstanding.

I do not recommend this place we ordered horchata, it was bad and they refused a refund or another beverage. I would recommend tasting all food before you pay. But they are so busy with all the tourism they don't care about individual persons. I'd recommend trying another place.

Yummy horchata and great chocolate. The churros were soft and crispy. Very busy but great service, our waitress recommended couple of pastries and we were not disappointed

We had the churros with hot chocolate, it was amazing! A must try when in Valencia. We also shared the horchata and the fortons. Please note it is cash only!

This is the horchata I've been searching for. Served in a traditional manner and ice cold. Nothing in the United States will ever taste the same again.

It's crazy to think that a place has been around for a couple hundred years. Santa Catalina sits across the Plaza De La Rejna from the Valencia Cathedral. It's a small cafeteria, ice cream shop and vendor of horchata de chufa which i was here for. For a few euros you get a slightly sweet, really refreshing drink. Totally hit the spot consider the warm sunny day it was, fighting through the tourist ridden plaza.

Hot chocolate is watery, very light on chocolate. Very good horchata. Good churros. Pleasant service.

Hocharta is a local drink which people used to enjoy in the summer. Our tour guide introduced us to this store. The drink is cheap compared to the price in the States.

I have tried churros from Madrid, Seville,Malaga and Valencia on my trip to Spain. This is by far the worst Hot Chocolate I have tasted. It was too dark and had a powdery taste. The churros were ok. I love Chocolate con churros and have had it almost every day of my trip and I was very disappointed. Obviously it is loved by lots of others but it was not my cup of tea.

This place is absolutely terrible. Basic horchata, terrible service. SKIP! We payed almost 7 euros for small little cups of horchata. The lady offered us fartons, we said yes, and she never gave them to us. She put out a plate of dessert on counter in front of us and we took it, then she came to our table saying "this is mine" and took it away. At first we were confused thinking we might have confused what a farton was but we looked it up and we were right. They have no menu so you don't see prices only to realize how expensive and overpriced it is. Then you realize that you're paying for the nice designs on the building bcs the horchata is basic and bland and I've tasted better from the 25 cent powder packs back home. Y que se les quite la cara de perro con rabia a las que trabajan en este lugar.

Our Gap tour guide took us here so we could sample Spanish horchata. It was pretty good (creamy with strong bean flavor). My only prior reference to horchata has been Mexican horchata so the Spanish version seemed kind of bland. Spanish horchata doesn't come with the spices. ;( Other people in the group who had been in country slightly longer than the rest of us had better horchata in other parts of Spain. I think it's worth a try to have the original drink in the birth place of the drink. It was a unique experience and I would recommend this place to other travelers who want to try Spanish horchata.

Meh. The place is super cute and charming and it is nice and cool inside if it's a hot day, but the Horchata and the fartons were all pretty mediocre. One of our fartons was super stale and pretty gross, the other was alright. I suggest the central market or the Mon carts around town for Horchata, and if you want a great farton, look around at the local bakeries and find someone that looks like your grandma and order from her.

Beautiful old coffee house in Valencia. We ordered the churros with hot chocolate - very decadent.

Best horchata and fartons! A must try at this place when in Valencia. Had some at the market and it can not compare to the ones we had here! Simply delish, churros was great too!

We stopped in to have an order of churros with chocolate and it was pretty good. The service was quick, the curros were a little greasy, and the chocolate was fine. I found the prices to be a touch on the touristy side of things. I did not try any other food, so my experience was quite limited to be fair. I would have no problems going back for churros or possibly to even try some other menu items.

Absolute worst service I have received in my 5 months in Spain. The food was sub par but I am appalled by how rude one waitress was to us. She gave us dirty looks as we asked for a table, told us that we didn't need that much time to order since they "didn't have much", and continued to sneer at other customers as they walked out. The young white-blonde waitress who works at nights absolutely needs to have a review in decent customer service because talking rudely about your customers is NOT acceptable. For this reason, I refuse to recommend it and will not be returning

I don't know Spanish so all I said was churros and chocolate, lol. The waiter knew exactly what I wanted. The churros were fresh and crunchy! The hot chocolate was thick and oh so tasty! I felt like every fiber of my being stood at attention after the first sip. I dipped my churros in that chocolate and savored every last bite. Sadly, I couldn't finish the hot chocolate with all it's richness.

Great little place to get out of the sun and dive into some sugar. The staff was extremely friendly and eager to help. The horchata was delicious (could have been a little colder), the fartons were yummy and we ordered a churro and hot chocolate. The churro and hot chocolate was perfect. We enjoyed it very much.

An old horchateria in Central Valencia. Horchata is a refreshing drink typical of the Valencia area, made by a root (Chufa) that grows in the area around the city. While you can drink it in almost every bar, and find some trolley around the city selling the drink and the beans to make it by yourself, Santa Catalina is one of those typical places where you can combine the flavor of the old Valencian lifestyle with some sip of this special beverage. They also have a good selection of churros, another local product, like a fried pastry. Locals use to deep one end of a churro into a glass of horchata and eat it. Same in the Winter, but deeping it in a hot chocolate. Something that needs to be tried!

This cafe served the best Horchata I've had throughout my trip in Spain! The drink itself originated from Valencia and if it wasn't for the slow and inefficient service, I would give this place a 4.5. The Horchata was served with just the right amount of sweetness and nutty flavor. The interior of the cafe was also well maintained and ornamented.

Old-school purveyor of horchata, fartons and churros con chocolate. It's like stepping into a time machine. Horchata here is different from the Mexican/Central American one; it's made from tigernuts (chufa) rather than rice, which makes it milkier and sweeter. Speaking of sweet, how 'bout the chocolate served with churros! It's a thick sauce meant for dipping but definitely saw a few adventurous diners sipping it at the end. Prompt, professional staff and table service. Portions are larger than expected to great to share. Prices are very reasonable. Ambiance is like an upscale cafeteria, with colorful mosaics on the call, checkered black and white floors, and the steady hum of folks flowing in and out. Great for groups and couples alike. Highly recommended.

Very bad service and pricy for size of drink. There is no written menu, we asked her if there was one but she said they didn't have one, so we had to ask waitress what they offered other than the horchata, churros, and chocolate. She was not very informative and had a nasty attitude like we should already know; first timers with no idea of sizes and prices. Since she wasn't very helpful and seemed to be in a bitchy mood we just ordered two "large" cups of horchata. They were very small cups for a very pricey amount; toddler sized cup. I moved on to just letting it go, I went on to take my sip, very sweet with a sour aftertaste. I have tasted better Horchata than this. Not worth it for the attitude we received, btw we later found the menu outside. Like I said before horrible and apparently lying waitresses. Better off buying a powdered version at a store.

My family and I visited this place for breakfast and had churros and chocolate. They were great! We also got fartons and horchata. They were delicious!