Forastera - Valencia

Very informal setting. All rustic simplicity achieved by strenous attention to detail from the family owners tending to this small place. Not too many options on the menu but everything very well conceived and done aiming for fine and original cooking. Wonderful tastes. Extra original wine list with some intriguing choices and some too original by half. From my pick, satisfying results. Portions are cheap but not large so the place is as expensive as your appetite. As the food and wine keeps bringing in pleasant surprises and you bask in the overall friendliness of the place you feel happier and happier so that by bill time you don't pay attention to it. Sorry for the gap

We had the five-course menu for 25 euros. They don't tell you what the courses will be so it could be risky. It's not a good idea for those who hate surprises! But the truth is that we weren't dissapointed with any of them. Everything was excellent, full of flavors, some were completely new to us. Very nice presentation, beautiful plates. It's very different than what you could have in other restaurants. This place offers you an enjoyable experience not just a meal. The waiters were very nice. The place was clean. Would definitly go back. The only thing is that the waitress gave us the bill of another table (more expensive). So maybe just check that you're paying for what you had. Otherwise excellent experience and we would definitly go back if we ever visit Valencia again.

Why I 'll go back: An outstanding range of flavors in a four course meal at a price that is insanely affordable. You MUST order: It 's a tasting menu, but the wine and beer selection is excellent, so pick your poison or ask them to pair. Tony 's Tip: This spot can compete with any foodie restaurant in Valencia, but it feels like a better place for a low key lunch (vs. trendy dinner . But honestly, you can 't go wrong either way. This was one of those fortuitous discoveries that almost didn 't happen. In Valencia for two days last Summer, the wife and I were on our way to another highly regarded Valencian restaurant known for its paella prowess to make a reservation in person for that night. As we navigated our way through the maze of streets downtown, a waft of heavenly aroma hit us simultaneously. We exclaimed, where is that smell coming from? to each other, and we realized we were standing in front of Forastera a cute, minimalist space with no guests (1:30 p.m. and the hostess/owner rushing around placing the table settings. The menu looked intriguing, so we decided to head back after making the dinner reservation. Fast forward 15 minutes and we found ourselves seated at a comfortable table in a bright room just funky enough to be interesting, but not distracting. The meal was offered in long and short versions, with the short being a choice between two different first, main, and dessert courses (no choice on the second course and the long being all of the courses, but in slightly smaller portions. We did a double take when we saw the price: just E15 for the short, E20 for the long. If you consider the routine tip for a much pricier meal at a similar restaurant in the US, it 's almost like they were paying us to eat there! Given the late lunch and our pending dinner about six hours later, we each went with the short course and chose alternative dishes. I 'll let the pictures do most of the talking, but suffice it to say that from beginning to end, the meal was bursting with flavor and color. I particularly loved the appetizer of fresh, sweet onions accented with mackerel. The alternative ordered by my wife, a gently fried egg with a garlic paste, was equally flavorful. Following a second course of tender Spanish rice with broccoli, I was served what were some of the most succulent and rich meatballs I 've ever had, topped with a subtly sweet beef gravy and surrounded by a mashed potato puree. My wife 's sea bass, the lighter option, also hit the mark. Finally, we split the two dessert options, both of which melded complimentary flavors hers being fresh peach slices in a bed of whipped cream, while mine was a trio of coffee ice cream, light honey sorbet, and a beer flavored foam. Apologies we were so carried away with the meal by that point that I forgot to snap pics of the desserts! As for musical ambience, the playlist was a mixture of American throwback (70 's and 80 's and some alternative European rock, all of it audible enough to create a backdrop, but not so loud as to draw from your culinary focus. All in all, a fabulous find! The restaurant has been open for three years now, but still seems to be undiscovered by visitors from the U.S. Show 'em some love and stop by here for lunch or dinner, whether you 're a local or visitor. Forastera deserves to be discovered, if not by foodie reviewers, at least by you!

Cenamos hace unos días. Excelente, nunca falla, con texturas y sabores que sorprenden. Muy recomendable.

Un sitio que apuesta por el producto natural, de proximidad y, sobretodo, por la calidad. Calidad en cocina, en trato y en el lugar, propiamente dicho. Excepcionalmente cuidado todo. Hay que reconocer que su precio no es para todos los días, pero desde luego, responde a su calidad y es perfecto para celebrar algo o, simplemente, darse un homenaje. Volveremos en cuanto podamos.