Valencia is once again in the European gastronomic map with a new edition of Valencia Open KitchenThe culinary festival that, for eleven days, will transform the city into a giant open dining room for locals and visitors. 9 al 19 AprilBars, eateries, and fine dining restaurants coordinate to offer special menus and activities designed for those who want to get to know the city through its food.
This year, the competition reaches record numbers with 75 restaurants registered, entre ellos eight restaurants awarded Michelin stars y 12 new premises who are joining the proposal for the first time. The event, with reservations already open, reinforces Valencia as a gastronomic landmark of the Mediterranean and consolidates a model that combines local product, creativity and more adjusted prices to facilitate the.
A record-breaking edition with eight Michelin stars
This year's lineup brings together some of the city's most renowned names, with the participation of Rare Flowers, La Salita, Fraula, Riff, Lienzo, Fierro, Arrels and SymposiumThese eight Michelin-starred establishments represent the greater presence of haute cuisine in València Cuina Oberta since the competition began, something that reinforces the city's importance in the national culinary scene.
Alongside these gastronomic temples, the festival adds 12 additions which broaden the range of styles, prices, and offerings. Among the new faces are Al Grano, Maestro Bar, Maravella, Noble, Trencabeach and Vlue Salamanca, joining an increasingly diverse network where market cuisine, more informal concepts and creative projects that look to both tradition and international trends coexist.
In the words of the Councillor for Tourism, Innovation and Investment Attraction, Paula LlobetThe festival involves “An opportunity to enjoy excellent cuisine at more affordable prices”bringing the work of renowned chefs closer to the general public. This philosophy allows tasting menus designed by Michelin-starred chefs to cease being something reserved for a select few and become an accessible option for a much wider audience for a few days.
The initiative also serves as a barometer of the current state of local gastronomy. Each edition of València Cuina Oberta shows how The city strengthens its position as a culinary destination, both for those who travel solely for pleasure and for those who incorporate gastronomy as a key element in their urban visit.
Reservations, which are already operational through the official website of the event, allow organize in advance Both the menus and the parallel activities are especially useful on days of high demand, when many restaurants fill up several days in advance.
The “Mediterranean Pantry” as a common thread
Beyond the figures, the focus of this edition is on the product. Under the umbrella of the “Pantry of the Mediterranean”Participating restaurants commit to working with proximity ingredients and locally sourced ingredients, highlighting the orchards, the sea, and the markets of Valencia. This approach aims to make each menu a miniature tour of the region.
As Paula Llobet has pointed out, the aim is to highlight that gastronomy “It is born in the earth, in the garden and in the sea” And the diner's experience depends directly on those who grow, fish, and produce the food. That's why many menus include seasonal products, vegetables from the Valencian orchards, fresh fish from the market, and nods to traditional dishes that are part of the local culinary repertoire.
Dishes as iconic as rice dishes and paellas They maintain their prominence, but coexist with offerings that update classic recipes or incorporate contemporary techniques. The idea is for Valencian cuisine to be recognizable in its flavor, but also to showcase its diversity. its capacity to evolve through new presentations, fermented products, lighter stocks, or combinations of less common ingredients.
This approach, connecting origin and dish, also fits with European priorities regarding food sustainabilityreducing the transportation footprint and strengthening the economy of small producers. At the same time, many restaurants take advantage of the festival to explain where their products come from, what varieties they use, or how they work with local suppliers, adding an educational component to the experience.
For the public, this look at the Mediterranean pantry represents an opportunity to rediscover everyday ingredients Under a new light, from garden vegetables to citrus fruits or locally sourced fish, integrated into menus that seek a balance between creativity, memory and respect for the environment.
17 experiences to live the kitchen from the inside
València Cuina Oberta is not limited to sitting at the table. This edition incorporates 17 gastronomic experiences designed by 14 restaurantsThese are designed for those who want to go a step further and participate actively. It's not just about eating, but about understanding, practicing, and experiencing.
Among the proposals are: wine tastings Guided by professionals, these sessions delve into local varieties and national references, and include... cocktail format masterclass These activities allow participants to learn techniques and combinations that can then be replicated at home. They often combine an educational component with tastings, making them highly popular with both enthusiasts and the simply curious.
There will also be workshops focused on products deeply rooted in Valencian culture, such as horchata, where the process from the tiger nut to the glass is explained, or sessions for making sourdough breadsThese workshops cover topics such as fermentation, flours, and resting times. These formats allow the public to engage with cooking in a more tangible way, literally getting their hands dirty.
There is no shortage of proposals aimed at kebabs and grilled chopsdesigned for lovers of grilling and more straightforward preparations, nor activities that even hint at international cuisinesreflecting the diversity that is already part of the city's daily life. Together, these experiences offer a wide range of options for those looking for more than a set menu.
The organization insists that the objective is “Expanding the gastronomic experience beyond the plate”It's about connecting with the product, the processes, and the people who make a restaurant work, from the supplier to the sommelier or the front-of-house team, so that the public can appreciate everything that goes into every bite.
A boost to tourism and the international projection of Valencia
For the regional government, València Cuina Oberta is much more than a culinary event. The regional secretary for Tourism, José Manuel Camarero, has defined the competition as “a benchmark event” This aligns with the Valencian Community's strategy to diversify and reduce the seasonality of tourism. The goal is for the city to offer reasons to visit year-round, beyond the peak summer and beach seasons.
The tourism sector already represents a very significant part of the Valencian economy, and gastronomy has become established as one of its great enginesEvents like Cuina Oberta function as showcase for local projectsThey encourage consumption in restaurants for several consecutive days and provide visibility to chefs, front-of-house teams and producers.
Waiter emphasizes that gastronomy is “culture, tradition, innovation and experience”And that initiatives of this kind allow us to "bring excellence closer to all citizens and visitors." The combination of set menus, participatory activities, and joint communication from all restaurants helps to strengthen Valencia's image as a gastronomic destination within the national and European context.
Another element that stands out is the public-private partnership which sustains the festival. The coordination between institutions, industry associations, and the restaurants themselves is highlighted as one of the keys to the event's longevity and continued growth, both in the number of participants and the quality of the offerings.
For many businesses, Cuina Oberta also represents an opportunity to attract a audience different from the usualwho is encouraged to book by the format of the competition and who, if the experience is satisfactory, may become a recurring customer beyond these special dates.
A city project based on local identity and talent
Beyond the immediate economic impact, the festival is conceived as a city projectCouncilwoman Paula Llobet has emphasized that the intention is for participating establishments to recognize themselves in a Valencia with unique gastronomic identityBased on talent, innovation, and tradition, the idea is for the Cuina Oberta brand to serve as a common umbrella for a very diverse community of restaurants.
In this sense, the focus is on the fact that gastronomy is not only a tourist attraction, but also a social meeting place“Around the table is where Valencians feel most comfortable,” the councilwoman pointed out, highlighting the importance of meals and dinners as places where bonds are strengthened, agreements are made, or simply time is shared.
The festival also helps to raise awareness the enormous talent of the chefs and professionals who work in the city, many of them with careers that combine international experience and local roots. Valencia thus projects itself as a laboratory where established projects, new openings, and smaller proposals coexist, finding in Cuina Oberta a showcase from which to make themselves known.
Each menu and each experience tells a different story: some restaurants rely on the most recognizable market cuisine, others reinterpret traditional recipes with contemporary techniques, and still others dare to create fusions that cross the Mediterranean with other latitudes. This mosaic of approaches contributes to the visitor's perception a city diverse in gastronomybut consistent in its respect for the product and the environment.
With all this, València Cuina Oberta is consolidating itself as an event that not only celebrates cuisine, but also articulates a city model where culinary culture, responsible tourism and pride in one's own heritage go hand in hand.
With bookings now available, eleven days of activity and 75 restaurants involvedThe new edition of València Cuina Oberta is shaping up to be one of the key moments on the city's gastronomic calendar: a festival that combines Michelin-starred chefs and emerging talents, and that champions the Mediterranean Pantry and which invites both locals and visitors to get to know Valencia through its menus, workshops and tastings, enjoying cuisine as an experience, a meeting point and a shared identity.
