Best Burgers in Valencia: Ruzafa to El Carmen

The best burgers in Valencia, Spain, are in Ruzafa, the dense grid south of the old town known for its restaurants, and in El Carmen, the old quarter’s bar district. Benimaclet, the student area to the north-east, and El Cabanyal, the former fishermen’s quarter by the sea, are the other districts to check.

Valencia has a sandwich ritual that shapes how it eats bread and meat. The almuerzo is a mid-morning break built around a large bocadillo, a drink, peanuts and olives, finished with a coffee or a cremaet, coffee flamed with rum and sugar. Paella valenciana, made with chicken, rabbit and green beans, still rules the Sunday lunch. A burger in Valencia has to earn its place next to those habits.

Burgers in Valencia: key facts

• Barrios: Ruzafa (Russafa in Valencian), El Carmen, Benimaclet and El Cabanyal.
• Markets: the Mercado Central, a modernista hall in the old town, and the Mercado de Colón in the Eixample, now home to cafés and food stalls.
• Local ritual: the almuerzo, a hearty bocadillo eaten mid-morning.
• Two languages: street signs and many menus use both Valencian and Spanish.
• Getting around: Metrovalencia and its tram lines link the centre to the beach.
• Currency: euro (EUR), cash still common in small bars.

Every guide we publish on Valencia is dated and lists only venues, addresses, prices and ratings we could verify. See our burger restaurant guides from other cities for the same approach.