Alex P.
Yelp
Typically when one arrives to the birthplace of a dish, it is a struggle to find a bad variation of it. New York style pizza in the streets of Manhattan, lechon in mountain alleys of Puerto Rico, Mofongo within the hustle of Mexico City and the list goes on. But, how wrong was I about paella and Valencia.
If there is one dish I've been eating daily in Valencia, it is undoubtedly paella, which was invented here. Rice was introduced to Valencia by the Moors over 1200 years ago and it is still today the main rice producing region in Spain. It started as farmers food and was mixed with whatever was around (like rabbits), cooked over open fire. Stories suggests that the dish was first prepared by a man for his fiancée and that the word is a corruption of 'para ella' (meaning 'for her' in Spanish).
Stories aside, after dining at several restaurants in Valencia and ordering paella, Navarro was the only one where I could comfortably say: this is delicious paella. The variant with snails and chicken, in traditional Valencian style was the group favorite. The cod paella was good, but for an acquired taste, as it is very salty and fishy (which does seem to be a popular method of preparation of many foods in Valencia). The other dishes were stellar, such as the grilled vegetables loaded with their natural flavor, the calamari, fried prawns and unexpectedly, the house made chips. Best chips in the world.
The environment of the restaurant is wonderful, nicely decorated, but not overly formal or casual. Thus, it can be flexibly used to celebrate an occasion or as a simple meal. Reservations are needed well ahead here. The people working are extremely kind, accommodating and attentive. All around, outside Michelin starred establishments for gastronomy, Navarro was a clear favorite from the restaurant scene of Valencia and a highly satisfying meal.