Ricard Camarena Restaurant

The setting was very neat and impeccable. There’s a hint of Japanese influence in both the dishes and the decor. Flavours were very innovative and gear towards the strong side. chef was very personable and I can see the passion in his work.

First time I press five stars in all aspects in a restaurant; this deserves it. The place is breathtaking, placed inside the Bombas Gen building, the decoration, the furniture and the space among the tables make feel you easy and comfortable. The staff, including Ricard, is extremely friendly and professional, one point more to comfortability; and when you start to taste the dishes offered, you really feel the sensation that the money you have to pay (not a few €) is totally fair. The textures, the presentation, and mainly, the originality in aromas and flavours is inexpectedly good. I'm not gonna describe each plate of the menu, because the surprise is another pleasant element of the enjoyable experience. To finish, undoubtedly expensive, though you have to make this trip at least once in your life.

For us it was an amazing experience from start to finish. A beautiful location with an after-dinner bar on one side. The wine cellar is right near the entrance in full display for all guests. On the day of the reservation I received a phone call in my native language asking me once again about any potential food allergies. It was unexpected and impressive. We were greeted at our table by Chef Camarena who explained to us his vision for his restaurant and he talked about the ingredients that would be used throughout the night, from growing and harvesting, to preparation methods. The service during dinner was very attentive, with explanations for each dish, its ingredients, and why the combinations were chosen. The wine pairing was excellent. Our sommelier explained the location, the qualities, and the flavor. We would have liked to hear more about why each wine was paired with each dish. After dinner we were invited to the bar for a cocktail, which was pleasant and relaxing.

Excellent experience up to expectations. Tasting menu complied from local ingredients paired with great choice of both local and international wines. If you like food tasting it is a must have on your list.

Wonderful experience, from entering until leaving the restaurant, every moment was well taken care of. The service is top notch, staff were friendly and knowledgeable. The whole night felt like I was being invited to Chef Ricard’s home and shown how ingredients can be fully utilized and prepared creatively. Highly recommend to those who care about sustainability while enjoying a delightful tour of Mediterranean cuisine

Really like this experience. Perfect service and atmosphere. Interesting menu, some positions are not for everyone tastes, but definitely unusual and worth to try. Recommend to visit this and other places this Chef

A perfect experience, thank you to the team. I traveled from Ireland, and was excited for months to visit, and it didn't disappoint in any way! I usually take loads of photos of great meals, but this experience felt too important to have my phone out (I took one photo, with permission from the staff). I did the wine pairing, and my partner got a gorgeous bottle of local Xarel-lo. Both were delicious, but if you love wine, just do the pairing, it was so meticulously considered, and I really enjoyed it. I actually found the pairing very generous. I definitely didn't expect a separate pairing for every single course. We did the full proposal, and I think it's a must if you visit. I'd hate to have missed out on a single plate or pairing that we enjoyed. Beautiful setting, and the front of house staff were absolutely amazing. I felt embarrassed arriving with poor Spanish, but their whole team spoke perfect English, so I didn't miss a single detail of what we were served, and they made me feel so welcome! This was my first 2 star experience, and I was nervous that the service and atmosphere would be stuffy/unfriendly, but the team were all SO sweet and fun in a professional manner. The Sommelier even let us join him briefly in their wine cellar, which I thought was a very kind gesture. Outstanding. The chefs table with the house cured tuna and beautifully umami fermented tomato drink. I could have stayed there forever. Stunning hospitality, I came away feeling like I learned a lot, and we really were treated like royalty. It was my partner's 50th, and the staff made it so special. Thank you to everyone, and sorry for the essay, but so many details were worth mentioning.

6th stop in our Spanish East coast Michelin tour. You can read the other reviews on my profile and follow. A universe at the cutting edge, yet made accessible. As usual, I’ll focus on what’s interesting in my reviews. But here, there’s way to many things to say. So let me start by the end, the 3 stars in Spain should be worried, because the competition from the 2 stars is serious, especially this one. I’ll just take two angles, just to attempt to explain the incredible level your in. Interestingly, when you enter, you’ll see plenty of books about gastronomy, and you ll find more later on. There are not there just for display. There are there because there’s a true thinking about gastronomy and its evolution. For instance, the work around fermentation, is at the cutting edge in Michelin stars (it’s growing but plenty are not even there). Or the fact that some dishes have an entry note and then evolve like a great wine. Another interesting point is that they have their vegetable garden, and use every part of their products. This naturally creates links between dishes which create a constancy, almost like every dish is from the same universe. And that’s my main point. You feel that you’re entering in an universe, Ricardo Camarena universe, and a very welcoming one thanks to the brigade de salle. But this universe makes sense, you can feel it’s strong coherence. From the deep knowledge of the gastronomic world and history, the attention to taste and its mechanisms, the respect of the nature and the creativity to use every part of nature’s gift, it all makes sense. I could stop there, but I have to thank the team for their work, with a special one to Salvatore. Passard and Piège are the two names that came to my mind there, if you want references. It’s clearly a top tiers 2 stars and a very strong contender to a 3rd one. And I’ve tried many (more reviews are coming, I promise!). Judging by the level is bringing on the table, the 3 stars have serious competition!

Dan Bagby

This is one of the best culinary experiences I have had. The food is amazing. I am still thinking about the Roasted onions… also fascinated by the oyster and hake with artichokes and blue lobster. Loved the open kitchen, especially as a chef.

Wouter Keers

Ricard blows you away! Camarena keeps improving. Quite expensive, particularly for Spain, but Ricard and his equipe present quite surprising dishes with a great winepairing. Very fun and quite different ways of tuna tasting

Anna Yelkina

My first fine-dining experience. Stunning place, thoughtful dishes packed with flavour and spotless service. I’m honestly impressed and can’t even put it into proper words!

Peter Levchenko

This restaurant is no secret. But take my word for it - I’ve eaten at over few hundred different 1-3 star restaurants all over the world and this was my top 3-5 experience. There’s 2/3 stars and then there’s Ricard Camarena. Easily one of the best restaurants in the world and the best in Valencia if you’re looking to be impressed. This is what 3 Michelin experience should be! Forget just technique, there’s insane flavour in every part of the menu. The food philosophy is extremely clean and with great attention to QUALITY of ingredients especially the veg. Everyone throws “farm to table” and “locally sourced” buzzwords around but few actually deliver that via flavour and love in preparation to the plate. Ricard Camarena does. Their cured tuna station is one of the most impressive taste experiences I’ve ever had in my life. MUST visit! Also we found it more than than reasonably priced for the standard of food. The desserts strike a balance between not to sweet and perfection. Petit fours were not as sensational but lovely none the less to finish the meal. The dining room is stunning, service is knowledgeable and attentive. My only advice to the restaurant would be to never forget the love that inspired Ricard Camarena and maintain that throughout the evolution of the menu in the future. Must visit for any seasoned foodie!

Ethan Asner

I don’t know if there is anything that I can say that hasn’t been said before. I have dined at many Michelin star restaurants and this is amongst the very very best. Exquisite. Very close to perfection.

Daniel Enrique Mamat

Excellent food, service and atmosphere. The attention to detail is as expected from a 2-Star-Michelin cuisine. It was an excellent mix between meats/fish and vegetables. For me the highlight however (apart from the food) was the non-alcoholic/non-wine accompaniment. This mix of drinks of their own produce was an excellent pairing to their food and rounded up this immersive local culinary experience. Kudos to the chef, kitchen and service staff! We had a great experience and are looking forward to our next visit!

S E

Warning 😊 You either will like this place or you won’t! Vegetarian oriented cuisine but will add seafood creations into it. Gets a 5 star for presentation! If you like beef this place most likely will not get you excited. I gave all 5 for creativeness and presentation. As for taste buds satisfaction it gets a much less stars.

Venkat Balasubramanian

A true farm-to-fork experience! This culinary experience will walk you through how they grow, preserve and cook their food to perfection. After traveling around in Spain for a few days, I come across a place that gives importance to fresh produce and presenting them well in each course. Also one of the few Michelin star restaurants that have a vegetarian tasting menu. Service was excellent and they made sure that we enjoy every bite. The staff was also able to answer all our questions. The sommelier was very knowledgeable and brought us some good selection. We were also taken to a chefs table where the chef was able to talk about using Carob for preserving tuna, etc. The croissant-sourdough hybrid was unbelievable! Some of the dishes were quite adventurous pushing you out of your comfort zone, but isn’t that the point of a chefs tasting menu? It was very fun.

Jason Siefferman

What an amazing experience, thank you! This is a restaurant that is at the top of its game. The chef is still in house and directly serving patrons. (He's not off cashing in on his stars and leaving the restaurant to stagnate like so many others have). Each dish was a surprise of innovation in flavor, construction, and presentation. Even the silverware style changed for each course. (And there were 16 or 17 courses.) The wine selection was also good. Valencia was thoroughly and appropriately represented, and we had a customized btg tasting experience (thank you!). Bottle and glass prices are about retail - they clearly want you to enjoy your experience. The water actually cost us more than wine, but we had 6 bottles of water and only 4 glasses of wine. Overall, prepare to be happily satiated before the meal ends, and know that there is cream with nearly every course. We were gifted with a signed letter from the chef and a customized menu that contained our exact wines. One of our best fine dining experiences. 3 star deserving. Thank you!!

Jasmin Pang

The setting was very neat and impeccable. There’s a hint of Japanese influence in both the dishes and the decor. Flavours were very innovative and gear towards the strong side. chef was very personable and I can see the passion in his work.

Manuel

First time I press five stars in all aspects in a restaurant; this deserves it. The place is breathtaking, placed inside the Bombas Gen building, the decoration, the furniture and the space among the tables make feel you easy and comfortable. The staff, including Ricard, is extremely friendly and professional, one point more to comfortability; and when you start to taste the dishes offered, you really feel the sensation that the money you have to pay (not a few €) is totally fair. The textures, the presentation, and mainly, the originality in aromas and flavours is inexpectedly good. I'm not gonna describe each plate of the menu, because the surprise is another pleasant element of the enjoyable experience. To finish, undoubtedly expensive, though you have to make this trip at least once in your life.

Liviu-Cristian Mihon

For us it was an amazing experience from start to finish. A beautiful location with an after-dinner bar on one side. The wine cellar is right near the entrance in full display for all guests. On the day of the reservation I received a phone call in my native language asking me once again about any potential food allergies. It was unexpected and impressive. We were greeted at our table by Chef Camarena who explained to us his vision for his restaurant and he talked about the ingredients that would be used throughout the night, from growing and harvesting, to preparation methods. The service during dinner was very attentive, with explanations for each dish, its ingredients, and why the combinations were chosen. The wine pairing was excellent. Our sommelier explained the location, the qualities, and the flavor. We would have liked to hear more about why each wine was paired with each dish. After dinner we were invited to the bar for a cocktail, which was pleasant and relaxing.

Nargiz Safarova

Really like this experience. Perfect service and atmosphere. Interesting menu, some positions are not for everyone tastes, but definitely unusual and worth to try. Recommend to visit this and other places this Chef

Ivan Weiss

Excellent experience up to expectations. Tasting menu complied from local ingredients paired with great choice of both local and international wines. If you like food tasting it is a must have on your list.

simon choong

Wonderful experience, from entering until leaving the restaurant, every moment was well taken care of. The service is top notch, staff were friendly and knowledgeable. The whole night felt like I was being invited to Chef Ricard’s home and shown how ingredients can be fully utilized and prepared creatively. Highly recommend to those who care about sustainability while enjoying a delightful tour of Mediterranean cuisine

Laura Creedon

A perfect experience, thank you to the team. I traveled from Ireland, and was excited for months to visit, and it didn't disappoint in any way! I usually take loads of photos of great meals, but this experience felt too important to have my phone out (I took one photo, with permission from the staff). I did the wine pairing, and my partner got a gorgeous bottle of local Xarel-lo. Both were delicious, but if you love wine, just do the pairing, it was so meticulously considered, and I really enjoyed it. I actually found the pairing very generous. I definitely didn't expect a separate pairing for every single course. We did the full proposal, and I think it's a must if you visit. I'd hate to have missed out on a single plate or pairing that we enjoyed. Beautiful setting, and the front of house staff were absolutely amazing. I felt embarrassed arriving with poor Spanish, but their whole team spoke perfect English, so I didn't miss a single detail of what we were served, and they made me feel so welcome! This was my first 2 star experience, and I was nervous that the service and atmosphere would be stuffy/unfriendly, but the team were all SO sweet and fun in a professional manner. The Sommelier even let us join him briefly in their wine cellar, which I thought was a very kind gesture. Outstanding. The chefs table with the house cured tuna and beautifully umami fermented tomato drink. I could have stayed there forever. Stunning hospitality, I came away feeling like I learned a lot, and we really were treated like royalty. It was my partner's 50th, and the staff made it so special. Thank you to everyone, and sorry for the essay, but so many details were worth mentioning.

Nicolas Carvajal

Lives up to its renown. The food, service, and ambience were all impeccable. Highly recommend.

What a treat! Tha food is beyond interesting, cleverly put together ingredients, and presented in a picture-perfect form. But this was expected. However, the star of the show was the service. Professional, caring, with an eye on every detail. Yet fun, friendly and engaging. Thank you all team for making our night an affair to remember forever.

Krzysztof Tatarek

What a treat! Tha food is beyond interesting, cleverly put together ingredients, and presented in a picture-perfect form. But this was expected. However, the star of the show was the service. Professional, caring, with an eye on every detail. Yet fun, friendly and engaging. Thank you all team for making our night an affair to remember forever.

Really unique dining experience from beginning to end. We had the main tasting menu with a wine pairing. The food was generally quite good and the story they tell with each course is worth your time, but some of the dishes were either being tested or just didn’t belong on the menu. The wine pairing started off strong, but the last half was barely palatable and didn’t enhance the food. I’d skip the pairing and go with a light wine to pair more consistently with the largely vegetable and fish based meal. Overall, I’d recommend a visit and would return once the menu has been updated.

Rob Francis

Really unique dining experience from beginning to end. We had the main tasting menu with a wine pairing. The food was generally quite good and the story they tell with each course is worth your time, but some of the dishes were either being tested or just didn’t belong on the menu. The wine pairing started off strong, but the last half was barely palatable and didn’t enhance the food. I’d skip the pairing and go with a light wine to pair more consistently with the largely vegetable and fish based meal. Overall, I’d recommend a visit and would return once the menu has been updated.

The Cat Herder (Cat Herder)

We came here for my birthday. Not every combination tasted good, but everything was interesting, and certainly a fun experience. I appreciated the experimenting and risk taking. For people who don't drink alcohol, I definitely recommend the non-alcoholic drink menu to accompany. Learning about the local vegetables and the fermentation processes was a lot of fun. I got two glasses of Ruinart champagne and a letter from Richard Camarena as part of the birthday package, which was a little unfortunate because I don't drink alcohol. Our server was incredibly observant, and one of the best parts of the whole experience! The food leaned towards sour and the textures weren't so thought out. All in all, I don't think it was worth flying out to Valencia though, but if you're in the area, definitely try it!