Home of the grill, one of the oldest cooking traditions in the world, Gran Azul offers a luxurious dining experience in the family-friendly neighbourhood of Mestalla. With a focus on local seafood in Valencia and paella expertise, this gourmet grill restaurant was mentioned in the Michelin Guide 2023, confirming what local food critics have said since this restaurant first opened in 2014.
Gran Azul celebrates locally sourced ingredients and top-quality flavours with an immersive dining experience from cuttlefish to Denia prawns, grilled aubergine, to roasted beef tenderloin. For anyone looking for a seafood dream, it’s one of the best places to eat in Valencia.
Welcome to Mestalla
Set on the northern side of the city, just moments from where the old Turia River once meandered its way to the sea, Mestalla is an authentically Valencian neighbourhood off-the-beaten-track. Home too to the fabulous Valencia Football Stadium, the neighbourhood has a quiet charm when it’s not a match day.
Before your meal, why not visit the vivid Puente de las Flores, take a browse through the exhibitions at the Museum of Military History, or stroll through the unique Turia Gardens?
Contemporary meets classic style
Step through the grand glass doors and be greeted by white tiles, natural wood lines and open brickwork, offering the comfortable interiors a modernist appeal. The calm decor offers a simple elegance, allowing the food to take centre stage.
While small wooden tables are dotted around the room at spacious intervals, a further selection of seats at the bar enjoys a prime view of the chefs at work. Outside, a covered terrace hosting more elegant tables offers a delightful al fresco experience during the warmer months.
Besides the bar, the day's catches are on display to help inspire your appetite with fresh sea bream, langoustines, and other sea bounties.
A sizzling seafood feast
Gran Azul describes their gourmet Mediterranean food as a new way of understanding cooking, combined with our oldest cooking technique — the grill. Their lovingly crafted dishes utilise the freshest produce from Valencia’s vibrant markets and grill them to order in front of diners.
Following the great Valencian tradition of paella, many of Gran Azul’s dishes are based on the bomba rice so popular in the region. From the classic Valencian paella featuring chicken, rabbit and Albufera snails, available only on prior request, to the senyoret rice with cuttlefish, monkfish and red prawns, there’s the perfect combination for all.
Among the wide selection of rich sharing plates on offer, the wealth of local seafood is certainly impressive. Think bluefin tuna tartare, grilled cuttlefish with sweet chilli mayonnaise, and succulent spider crab croquettes. And don’t miss the titaina, a Valencian speciality of a tomato and pepper ratatouille with pine nuts and tuna.
For a truly Mediterranean experience, a selection of exquisite local seafood priced by weight is among the most popular picks on the menu. From sea bass to grouper, roasted scorpion fish to Norwegian lobster grilled to perfection, your server will let you know the sizes available and how many people they would serve.
For the vegetarians, roasted leeks, grilled Valencian peppers and cauliflower tempura promise to please, while a generous selection of delectable desserts help the dinner end in style. Whether it’s the caramelised cream coffee with meringues milk or the flaky apple pastry pie that catches your eye, it’s always worth saving room.
First-class service
A visit to Gran Azul is an experience you won’t soon forget, with a service that makes the high-ticket price of this Mediterranean restaurant more forgivable with every moment.
The attentive and knowledgeable staff will talk you through the wines on offer, give recommendations, and debone your chosen fish at the table, helping to make each moment of the night as pleasurable as possible-
Our recommendations
While we’d happily recommend any dish on the menu, one can’t miss out on their selection of paellas while in Valencia. Among the Mediterranean food on offer in this elegant eatery, the freshly caught fish, deliciously prepared and then grilled to perfection, will transport you to another world. Speak to the staff for the day's recommendation, and the perfect wine pairing to bring out the intense flavours of your chosen dish.
An authentic Valencian experience
Head to Gran Azul if you’re looking for an authentic Mediterranean kitchen that knocks it out of the park every time. Whether you’re a seafood fanatic or a die-hard paella fan, this is one of the best restaurants for Valencia if you want elevated Mediterranean cuisine.
Looking for another restaurant to enjoy but not so keen on Mediterranean food? Yoshikazu Yanome brings Asian aromas to Valencia at Kaido Michelin-starred sushi restaurant.
And If you’re looking for a great place to stay nearby, the five-star hotel The Westin offers a dash of old-world luxury and class just around the corner, moments from the fragrant Turia Gardens.