Another massive recommendation from from our trip to Valencia – not Michelin recommended, but exactly my idea of fun fine dining, with great local ingredients and a healthy dash of the freedom to play around and create fun dishes.
I'll be honest, we knew that we were going to like this place as soon as we walked past it, fresh off the plane on our way to our apartment in Cabanyal. The area is full of old, colourful houses, against which the full matte black exterior of Gallina Negra stood out like a sore thumb. Anyone willing to make such a bold design choice with the exterior of their restaurant probably isn't going to shy away from doing whatever the fuck they want in the kitchen, too.
And that very much proved to be the case! From the simple varieties of local tomatoes on the first dish, to a fairly explicit looking fig and brandade combo, the flavours were always exciting, with a heavy leaning on fruit and seafood pairings, giving way later to richer use of fish in the jet black squid 'lasagna' and the ridiculously meaty tuna cheek dish that followed. And then a dessert featuring mushroom, black garlic and liquorice. Obviously.
I didn't really know how to present this place on here, but we had such an incredible time here, and they've clearly got such a passion for the place, that I figured I'd post some pics, ramble a bit, and then finish with this – if you're ever in Valencia, go to this restaurant. For the price, the vibe, you can't go wrong. Highly recommended.
by jamesb2319