Santa Marta, Valencia’s Taste of Home, Neighborhood Cooking Locals Truly Trust
Today we visited Santa Marta, an exceptional, rare, and unusual Local Secret, one of those essential places that should exist in every city and town.
A sanctuary to local cuisine where traditional Valencian recipes are preserved, cared for, and pampered.
Santa Marta is a very accessible place, both because of its proximity to the neighborhood and its prices. It is real food, made with care and love from 6 a.m. to be available from 9 a.m.
We are welcomed by Alvaro and Carmen, two professionals whose vision was to choose authenticity, quality, and good customer service.
Few places combine such a strong commitment to service and culinary excellence so well.
Santa Marta, a neighborhood kitchen in Valencia where time and craftsmanship are evident in every dish
Imagine living in a city and having a company like Santa Marta in your neighborhood. High-quality, locally sourced traditional food with 54 different recipes at really good prices.
A plate of Valencian paella, for example, made with natural products, using traditional methods, without any chemicals or additives, costs less than a Big Mac. Incredible, right?
We found out about this company through a recommendation from our ambassador in Valencia, Natalia Lairón, who is also the director of a rental agency for daily, weekly, or monthly rentals that welcomes more than 20,000 travelers a year. She certainly knows where to find all the best things in Valencia.
We were introduced to Carmen and Alvaro, two entrepreneurs who opened a business in 2020 with two things in mind: authenticity and quality. To achieve this, they did what they do best: COOK.
Below is a list of all the recipes and dishes that are prepared daily.
8 Valencian dishes you simply must try
- Paella Valenciana
Rice cooked in a wide pan with a rich base and balanced broth, finished with a slightly toasted edge. Best ordered at lunchtime, shared slowly, and judged by the rice texture, not the toppings. - Fideuà
A seafood-style dish made like paella, but with noodles instead of rice. Savory, lightly toasted, and often served with aioli on the side. A great choice if you want sea flavors. - Bunyols de carabassa
Pumpkin fritters fried to order, airy inside, crisp outside, and dusted with sugar. You’ll notice warm aromas and a light bite. Popular during local festivities, especially with a cup of hot chocolate. - Esgarraet
Roasted red peppers and salted cod dressed with garlic and good olive oil. It’s simple, briny, and fresh, with smoky notes from the peppers. Often served as a tapa with bread.
- All i pebre
A traditional stew from the Albufera area, built on garlic and paprika, usually made with eel. It’s hearty and deeply savory. Order it when you want comfort food, and keep bread ready. - Arròs amb fesols i naps
A spoonable, hearty rice dish with beans and turnip, sometimes with meat. The broth is rich and warming, and the texture is creamy. A classic winter plate, often enjoyed on weekends. - Clòtxina valenciana
Valencian seasonal mussels, smaller and very flavorful. Typically steamed and served simply with lemon, sometimes a little spice. Best enjoyed fresh, shared at the table, with a cold drink. - Titaina
A seaside-style stew from Cabanyal with tomato, peppers, pine nuts, and olive oil, sometimes with tuna or salted fish. Sweet-savory and comforting. Often eaten on toast, as a snack or lunch.
The story of a society behind its culinary recipes
You can learn about the history of a society through its culinary diversity. When you taste local dishes, you notice what people have grown, traded, and cooked for years, from simple stews to rice dishes, breads, and seasonal vegetables.
Food also tells you how life works day to day. You smell garlic in olive oil, fresh herbs, and broth on the stove, and you see what families share at the table. Different recipes often reflect different
Here is the incredible complete list of all the dishes they prepare every day, all freshly made and fresh.
Vegetables
- Eggplant stuffed with meat
- Eggplant stuffed with vegetables
- Oven-roasted vegetables
- Zucchini, walnut, cheese, and pesto parcels
- Peas with ham
- Green beans (sautéed with ham)
- Sautéed spinach (shrimp, chickpeas)
- Cauliflower au gratin
Snacks
- Cod fritters
- Russian salad
- Squid
- Spanish omelet
- Chicken bites
- Croquettes (chicken, cooked meat, Iberian ham)
- Morro
- Bravas
- Baby squid with onions
- Cuttlefish
- Titaina
- Esgarraet
Pasta
- Baked macaroni (chorizo and cheese)
- Chicken cannelloni
- Spinach cannelloni with goat cheese
- Gazpachos manchegos (Sundays)
- Spaghetti puttanesca
- Rigatoni pesto and tomato
Rice dishes
- Valencian paella
- Vegetable paella
- Arroz del senyoret
- Fideuà
- Baked rice
- Rossejat torrentí (in a clay pot)
- Arròs amb fesols i naps (Fridays)
- Black rice paella (Sundays)
- Paella with ribs, artichokes, and a touch of spice (Sundays)
- Cauliflower and cod paella (Sundays)
- White rice (peppers, omelet, chicken breast, and almonds)
- Rice (salmon, avocado, tomato, etc.)
Fish
- Salmon
- Cod à la vizcaína
- Cod al pil pil
- Hake with roasted vegetables
Meats
- Roast chicken (served with potatoes)
- Roast chicken with apple
- Meatballs
- Sirloin steak in white wine sauce
- Stuffed chicken breast
- Sirloin steak in puff pastry (serves two)
- Roast beef
- Oxtail
- Pig’s trotters
- Beef stew
- Beef cheeks
Spoon dishes
- Lentils
- Beans
- Broth
- Valencian stew (every Thursday)
- Arròs amb fesols i naps (every Friday)
Salads
- Caesar
- Quinoa
- Couscous tabbouleh
- Valencian tomato
- Pasta with pesto
- Chickpeas (chopped onion, olives, peppers, tomato)
- Murciana
- Spinach, pear, and apple salad
- Spinach, grape, strawberry, and buffalo mozzarella salad
- Salmon tartare, Valencian tomato, avocado, capers, and onion
- Whole wheat farfalle
Rice dishes to go
- Valencian paella
- Senyoret paella
- Fideuà
- Baked rice casserole
- Rossejat torrentí casserole
Homemade desserts
- Cheesecake
- Mini cheesecake
- Apple puff pastry
- Pumpkin cake
- Pumpkin cake with Belgian chocolate
- Orange cake with Belgian chocolate
- Tarte Tatin
- Butter croissants with Belgian chocolate coating
Arròs en fesols i naps
Arròs en fesols i naps is a traditional Valencian rice dish, closely linked to country cooking. It originated as a hearty winter dish, designed to provide energy using humble ingredients from the vegetable garden and the slaughter.
It is mainly eaten in the province of Valencia, particularly in l’Horta, la Ribera, and inland regions. It is typical in homes and lunch bars, as well as at family gatherings when the cold weather sets in.
The most classic season is autumn and winter, especially on rainy days or local holidays. It is a spoon dish, to be eaten slowly, and is usually served piping hot, freshly made, because the broth is part of its charm.
The basic ingredients are rice, beans, turnips, pork, blood sausage, and sometimes bacon or ribs. It also contains chickpeas, saffron or food coloring, paprika, tomato, garlic, salt, and broth, and in many recipes, cardoons or chard.
How is it made? First, the vegetables and meat are cooked to make a strong broth. Then garlic and tomato are sautéed, paprika and broth are added, followed by turnips, and finally rice, which is cooked until it is soupy.
Difficulty level: medium. It is not complicated, but it requires precise cooking, long cooking times, and control of the broth so that the rice is loose and creamy, not overcooked or dry.
Valencian Paella, from A to Z - Time, patience, and knowing when to add the next ingredient
Today Alvaro Gave us a Master Class on how to make Valencian paella.
It all starts with a high heat, olive oil, a paella pan, and very simple ingredients.
- Chicken & Rabbit
- Green beans & Garrafó beans
- Sweet paprika & Grated tomato
- Rice & rosemary.
NOTHING ELSE – Valencian paella has no other ingredients. Everyone can add whatever they want at home, but then it’s no longer paella, it may be rice with stuff.
A story that is about to begin
During our meeting, we learned that something new and extraordinary is about to be born.
Carmen and Alvaro are two enthusiasts in their field, with an extraordinary vocation and commitment to Valencian cuisine. That is why they will soon be offering the possibility of taking a Paella Master Class for anyone who wants to learn or at least know how to prepare paella according to the traditional Valencian recipe.
It seems easy, but it is not. The chefs at Santa Marta undergo an average of one year of training before they can make paella on their own. The quality controls are so strict that if the paella is not 100% within Carmen’s quality standards, it is “withdrawn” and not sold to the public.
Soon it will be possible to attend Santa Marta’s Master Classes to learn how to make Valencian paella, vegetable rice, and other recipes that will be announced as the program progresses.
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