Restaurant in València, Spain
OAD Top 200 Europe. Easier to book than rivals.
Ranked #174 in OAD Classical Europe 2025 and holding a Michelin Plate, Apicius delivers seasonal, produce-led modern cooking at the €€€ tier in a calm El Pla del Real dining room. It is one of the most credentialed tables in València that does not require months of advance planning — book one to two weeks out and ask about the plant-based EM Green menu when you reserve.
The common misconception about Apicius is that it sits in the shadow of València's more celebrated fine dining rooms. It does not. Ranked #174 among Classical restaurants in Europe by Opinionated About Dining in 2025, holding a Michelin Plate, and earning four Radishes from We're Smart, Apicius has built a credentialed track record that puts it ahead of most tasting-menu destinations in the city at the €€€ price tier. If you are planning your first serious dinner in València and wondering where to spend it, Apicius makes a strong case — particularly if you care about seasonal, regionally grounded cooking at a price point below the city's €€€€ rooms.
Apicius occupies a single, spacious, contemporary dining room on Carrer d'Èol in El Pla del Real — a residential neighbourhood north of the old city that most visitors pass through rather than stop in. That is exactly what makes this restaurant interesting from a neighbourhood perspective. El Pla del Real is not a dining district in the way that Ruzafa is; it is where locals eat, and Apicius functions as the area's anchor for serious cooking. Walking in for the first time, you will find a room that reads as polished without being stiff: contemporary in style, with the proportions of a proper dining room rather than a cramped tasting counter. There is nothing theatrical about the setup, which is a deliberate signal. The food is the focus.
For a first visit, the set menus are the sensible entry point. The kitchen offers a good choice of them, and they are the clearest way to understand what Chef Enrique Medina is doing with Valencian produce across the seasons. If you have plant-based preferences or are dining with someone who does, ask specifically about the EM Green menu , a dedicated pure plant tasting menu that Medina offers upon request. We're Smart has noted it directly, calling it a genuine expression of the chef's engagement with plant-forward cooking, not a concession to dietary restriction. Request it when you book, not on the night.
The kitchen's guiding principle is seasonal Valencian ingredients, which in practical terms means the menu shifts with what the region produces. Themed days built around ingredients such as truffles and wild mushrooms appear across the year, giving return visitors a reason to come back and giving first-timers a useful way to time a visit if a particular ingredient matters to them.
Apicius sits at the easier end of the booking spectrum for a restaurant with its credential level. The Opinionated About Dining #174 ranking in Europe (2025) and the Michelin Plate do attract attention, but the El Pla del Real location keeps it below the tourist radar that drives reservation pressure at the most talked-about tables in València's centre. Book one to two weeks ahead for most dates; if you are targeting a weekend, two weeks is the safer margin. Themed ingredient evenings , truffle nights in particular , tend to fill faster, so if you are planning around one of those, move sooner. There is no evidence of a difficult booking window comparable to the city's most competitive rooms.
Apicius is one of relatively few restaurants in València operating at this credential level outside the established dining corridors. For the city's fine dining scene, that is actually useful information. If you are staying north of the old town, near the Jardines del Real or the university district, Apicius is the serious dinner option you do not have to cross the city for. If you are building a multi-day itinerary across València, it gives you a high-quality anchor in a part of the city that otherwise lacks one at this tier. Compare it to [Fierro](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/fierro-valncia-restaurant) or [Blanqueries](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/blanqueries-valncia-restaurant), both of which operate in tighter, more central footprints , Apicius gives you more room and a more relaxed pace in a different part of the city.
For context on where Apicius sits in the wider Spanish fine dining conversation, the OAD Leading Restaurants in Japan ranking (#266 in 2025, #224 in 2024) is an unusual credential that signals international recognition beyond the domestic circuit , worth noting if you are comparing against restaurants that have stayed local in their reputation. Spain's highest-profile modern cooking comes from rooms like [Quique Dacosta in Dénia](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/quique-dacosta-dnia-restaurant), [El Celler de Can Roca in Girona](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/el-celler-de-can-roca-girona-restaurant), or [Arzak in San Sebastián](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/arzak-san-sebastin-restaurant), but at the €€€ price point and with this level of recognition, Apicius is a strong alternative for those who do not want to build a trip around a single destination restaurant.
A 4.5 across 518 Google reviews is a meaningful signal at a restaurant of this type. It reflects consistent execution rather than the occasional spike that inflates smaller review counts. For reference, this puts Apicius in the same confidence band as other reliably performing modern Spanish rooms in the city. See [our full València restaurants guide](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/valencia) for the broader picture, and if you are planning around accommodation or bars, the [hotels guide](https://www.joinpearl.co/hotels/valencia) and [bars guide](https://www.joinpearl.co/bars/valencia) cover the rest of the city's relevant options.
Book Apicius if you want a seasonal, produce-led modern menu at the €€€ tier with European-level credentials and a more relaxed booking window than the city's leading tables. It is the right choice for first-time visitors to València who want one proper tasting-menu dinner without the pressure of chasing a reservation months in advance. If you have more days in the city, pair it with [Xanglot](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/xanglot-valncia-restaurant) for something more casual, or look at [El Poblet](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/el-poblet-valncia-restaurant) and [Ricard Camarena](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/ricard-camarena-valncia-restaurant) if you want to move up a tier. For the broader regional and international context, [Cocina Hermanos Torres in Barcelona](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/cocina-hermanos-torres-barcelona-restaurant), [Azurmendi in Larrabetzu](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/azurmendi-larrabetzu-restaurant), and [Martin Berasategui in Lasarte - Oria](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/martin-berasategui-lasarte-oria-restaurant) represent the next level of commitment , but Apicius earns its place without requiring that level of planning.
Smart casual is the practical standard for a restaurant at this tier in València. The room is contemporary and polished, not formal , you will not be out of place in well-cut trousers and a shirt or a smart dress. Full black-tie is unnecessary. Think along the lines of what you would wear to a serious dinner in any European city at the €€€ price point: presentable but not stiff.
The venue is described as a single dining room rather than a bar-and-dining hybrid, so a dedicated bar counter for walk-in eating is unlikely. If you want a more casual entry point into Valencian cooking before committing to a full tasting menu, [Vuelve Carolina](https://www.joinpearl.co/restaurants/vuelve-carolina) at the €€ tier is the more practical option for counter or drop-in dining.
The set menus are the strongest way to experience what the kitchen is doing , the à la carte, where available, is secondary here. If you are visiting during a themed ingredient event (truffles or wild mushrooms are the documented examples), that is when the kitchen is most focused on a single thread and worth planning around. For plant-based diners, the EM Green menu is the standout option and has been specifically recognised by We're Smart for its quality; request it when booking. Chef Enrique Medina's cooking is anchored in Valencian produce and seasonal logic, so the menu you encounter will reflect what the region is producing at the time of your visit.
Yes, and with more structure than most. The EM Green pure plant menu is available upon request and is a deliberate part of the kitchen's offer, not an afterthought. We're Smart's recognition of it specifically notes that Chef Medina engages with plant-forward cooking as a genuine priority. For other dietary needs, contact the restaurant directly in advance of your visit , no phone number is listed publicly, so use email or the booking platform you use to reserve. Give as much notice as possible; tasting-menu kitchens need lead time to adapt.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Booking Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apicius | Modern Cuisine | €€€ | Easy |
| Ricard Camarena | Modern Spanish, Creative | €€€€ | Unknown |
| Riff | Mediterranean, Creative | €€€€ | Unknown |
| Vuelve Carolina | Tapas Bar, Modern Cuisine | €€ | Unknown |
| Llisa Negra | Spanish, Farm to table | €€€ | Unknown |
| Toshi | Chinese, Mediterranean Cuisine | €€€ | Unknown |
Key differences to consider before you reserve.
Apicius operates a single contemporary dining room at the €€€ tier with European-level credentials, so dress accordingly — neat, considered clothing is appropriate. There is no indication of a formal dress code, but the OAD #174 ranking and Michelin Plate recognition set a tone that rules out casual beachwear or sportswear. Think the kind of outfit you would wear to a serious dinner with people you want to impress.
Apicius comprises a single spacious dining room rather than a multi-format space with a bar counter, so a standalone bar-seat experience is unlikely. If an informal or drop-in option matters to you, Vuelve Carolina offers a more accessible format in València at a lower price point. For the full Apicius experience, a reserved table is the right approach.
The kitchen runs modern, seasonal menus with a strong emphasis on Valencian regional produce, and there are themed days built around ingredients such as truffles and wild mushrooms — worth timing your visit around if that appeals. Chef Enrique Medina's plant-forward EM Green menu is available on request and has been recognised specifically by We're Smart with a four-Radish rating, making it the standout choice for anyone open to a vegetable-led format. Stick with a set menu rather than treating this as an à la carte stop.
Yes, and notably well. The EM Green menu — a dedicated plant-based tasting menu available on request — signals that the kitchen is genuinely equipped to work around non-meat diets rather than simply removing components. If you have specific requirements beyond plant-based, check the venue's official channels before booking; at the €€€ tier with this level of culinary intentionality, advance notice is standard practice and almost always accommodated.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
