Paella is not merely rice wearing seafood as jewellery. It is a culinary event: a wide pan, serious heat, excellent stock, saffron, patience—and, ideally, that glorious crispy layer at the bottom known as socarrat.
Born around Valencia’s rice-growing landscape, paella has travelled remarkably well. Today, you can find excellent versions from Barcelona to London, New York to Singapore, and Toronto to Shanghai.
So grab your imaginary wooden spoon. Here are 20 of the best paella places around the world where the rice deserves its own passport.
1. La Pepica — Valencia, Spain
Founded: 1898
Address: Avenida/Passeig de Neptú, 6, 46011 Valencia, Spain
Types of Paella: Valencian, seafood, house “La Pepica” paella and other rice dishes
Rice: Valencian rice varieties suited to absorbing stock
Meats: Chicken, rabbit and traditional Valencian combinations
Toppings: Seafood, vegetables, beans and seasonal ingredients
Cooking Method: Traditional paella pan, cooked to order
Most Iconic Paella: Paella La Pepica with peeled seafood
Cost for Two: Approximately €60–€90
Instagram: @lapepica
Website: La Pepica official website
La Pepica confirms its 1898 foundation, beachfront location and Sorolla connection. Its paellas are prepared from scratch, with traditional rice dishes taking around 45 minutes.
Few restaurants can claim more than a century of paella history without sounding like they have been dusted off for a museum exhibit. La Pepica, founded in 1898, remains gloriously alive on Valencia’s beachfront. Hemingway was a fan, Sorolla inspired its famous peeled-seafood paella, and generations of diners have arrived hungry and left debating whether they ordered enough.
2. Casa Carmela — Valencia, Spain
Founded: 1922
Address: Carrer d’Isabel de Villena, 155, 46011 Valencia, Spain
Types of Paella: Valencian, seafood and seasonal rice dishes
Rice: Local Valencian rice
Meats: Chicken, rabbit and duck
Toppings: Garrofó beans, green beans, seafood and seasonal produce
Cooking Method: Orange-wood fire in a traditional paella pan
Most Iconic Paella: Traditional Valencian Paella
Cost for Two: Approximately €60–€90
Instagram: @casacarmela
Website: Casa Carmela official website
Casa Carmela traces its history to 1922 and says its paella continues to follow the family recipe, using orange wood, local beans, chicken, rabbit, duck and fresh seafood.
Casa Carmela began life as a humble beachside changing hut before becoming one of Valencia’s most respected paella institutions. Four generations later, the restaurant still treats firewood like culinary treasure. Orange wood provides the heat, local ingredients provide the personality, and the resulting rice arrives beautifully thin, smoky and unapologetically Valencian. Basically, the humble shack got promoted.
3. Casa Roberto — Valencia, Spain
Founded: 1986
Address: Carrer del Mestre Gozalbo, 19, 46005 Valencia, Spain
Types of Paella: Valencian paella, arroz del senyoret, arroz al horno and other rice dishes
Rice: Valencian varieties
Meats: Chicken, rabbit and seasonal meats
Toppings: Garrofó, green beans, seafood and market produce
Cooking Method: Traditional paella technique with carefully controlled heat
Most Iconic Paella: Valencian Paella
Cost for Two: Approximately €70–€100
Instagram: @casa_roberto
Website: Casa Roberto official website
Casa Roberto opened in 1986 and remains family-run. Current descriptions highlight Valencian paella, arroz del senyoret and arroz al horno among its specialties.
Casa Roberto is the sort of restaurant where rice gets treated with the seriousness normally reserved for fine wine. Roberto Aparicio and Mari Carmen opened it in 1986, and their children continue the family business. Its reputation rests heavily on fresh ingredients, traditional technique and seriously good Valencian paella. No shortcuts, no culinary gymnastics—just rice behaving extremely well.
4. 7 Portes — Barcelona, Spain
Founded: 1836
Address: Passeig d’Isabel II, 14, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
Types of Paella: Paella Parellada, seafood paella and numerous Catalan rice dishes
Rice: Short-grain Mediterranean rice
Meats: Chicken, seafood and other Catalan ingredients depending on recipe
Toppings: Seafood, vegetables and peeled/boneless ingredients
Cooking Method: Traditional Catalan rice cooking in paella pans
Most Iconic Paella: Paella Parellada
Cost for Two: Approximately €70–€120
Instagram: @7portes
Website: 7 Portes official website
The restaurant’s history reaches back to 1836, while its famous rice dishes include the shell-free Parellada paella.
7 Portes has been feeding Barcelona since 1836, so complaining about its paella would feel slightly like giving Picasso painting advice. The historic restaurant occupies the elegant Porxos d’en Xifré and became a legendary meeting place for artists and intellectuals. Its famous Paella Parellada removes shells and bones, making sophisticated dining delightfully fork-friendly.
5. Can Solé — Barcelona, Spain
Founded: 1903
Address: Carrer de Sant Carles, 4, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
Types of Paella: Seafood paella, lobster rice and traditional marine rice dishes
Rice: Mediterranean short-grain rice
Meats: Limited; seafood is the star
Toppings: Prawns, mussels, clams, squid, lobster and seasonal catch
Cooking Method: Traditional seafood-rice preparation
Most Iconic Paella: Seafood Paella
Cost for Two: Approximately €70–€120
Instagram: @can_sole
Website: Can Solé official website
Can Solé says it was founded in 1903 and began by cooking for fishermen. Its cuisine remains centred on traditional seafood, fish and rice.
Can Solé started by feeding fishermen at Barcelona’s Barceloneta port in 1903 and has remained fiercely committed to marine cooking. This is not the place to arrive demanding a mountain of chorizo disguised as paella. Seafood and rice dominate the menu, with generations of family diners returning for dishes that taste like Barcelona’s fishing heritage landed directly on your table.
6. Can Majó — Barcelona, Spain
Founded: 1968
Address: Carrer d’Emília Llorca Martín, 23, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
Types of Paella: Seafood paella, lobster rice, fisherman-style rice and arroz negro
Rice: Mediterranean rice
Meats: Primarily seafood-focused
Toppings: Prawns, mussels, clams, squid and lobster
Cooking Method: Traditional seafood rice preparation
Most Iconic Paella: Paella Marinera
Cost for Two: Approximately €70–€120
Instagram: @canmajo
Website: Can Majó official website
Can Majó opened in 1968 and remains family-run, with seafood rice, lobster rice and fisherman-style rice among its specialties.
Founded by Barceloneta fishermen Enrique Majó and Maria in 1968, Can Majó still feels wonderfully connected to the sea. Its seafood paella is packed with prawns, mussels, clams and squid, while arroz negro brings dramatic squid-ink swagger. Sit on the terrace, listen to the Mediterranean and remember that sometimes lunch should come with a soundtrack.
7. La Mar Salada — Barcelona, Spain
Founded: 1993
Address: Passeig de Joan de Borbó, 58–59, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
Types of Paella: Seafood rice, arroz del senyoret and seasonal Mediterranean rice
Rice: Mediterranean short-grain rice
Meats: Seafood-led; occasional meat-based preparations
Toppings: Prawns, squid, clams, mussels and seasonal seafood
Cooking Method: Traditional Catalan seafood-rice technique
Most Iconic Paella: Arròs del Senyoret
Cost for Two: Approximately €60–€100
Instagram: @restlamarsalada
Website: La Mar Salada official website
La Mar Salada dates to December 16, 1993, and focuses on seafood, fish, tapas and rice dishes.
La Mar Salada opened beside Barcelona’s Port Vell in 1993 and quickly built its identity around seafood, rice and relaxed Mediterranean hospitality. The restaurant’s philosophy avoids unnecessary seaside clichés while keeping the sea firmly on the plate. Its arroz del senyoret is particularly appealing if you prefer your seafood conveniently peeled, because apparently civilisation occasionally means not wrestling prawns at lunch.
8. Casa de Valencia — Madrid, Spain
Founded: 1975
Address: Paseo del Pintor Rosales, 58, 28008 Madrid, Spain
Types of Paella: Valencian paella, lobster rice, seafood rice and other rice dishes
Rice: Valencian-style rice
Meats: Chicken, rabbit and other Spanish meats depending on recipe
Toppings: Seafood, vegetables and seasonal ingredients
Cooking Method: Traditional Spanish rice cooking
Most Iconic Paella: Classic Valencian Paella
Cost for Two: Approximately €90–€120
Instagram: @casadevalencia
Website: Casa de Valencia official website
Casa de Valencia says it was founded in 1975 and specialises in Valencian cuisine and rice dishes. Madrid’s tourism authority lists the restaurant at Paseo del Pintor Rosales 58.
Madrid may not be Valencia, but Casa de Valencia makes a convincing case for bringing the rice tradition inland. Founded in 1975, the restaurant specialises in Valencian cuisine and offers everything from classic paella to lobster rice and rich oxtail preparations. It is the sort of place where Madrid executives, families and hungry travellers can agree on one important business matter: ordering rice.
9. Arros QD — London, United Kingdom
Founded: 2018
Address: 64 Eastcastle Street, Fitzrovia, London W1W 8NQ
Types of Paella: Valencian, seafood and black-ink rice
Rice: Bomba rice from Valencia’s Albufera region
Meats: Iberian pork, chicken and other Spanish meats
Toppings: Green beans, prawns, squid, mussels, clams and seafood
Cooking Method: Six-metre wood-fired stove
Most Iconic Paella: Paella Valenciana
Cost for Two: Approximately £90–£110
Instagram: @arrosqd
Website: Arros QD official website
Arros QD was founded in 2018 and uses Valencian Bomba rice with live wood fire. Its Paella Valenciana contains Iberian pork, chicken, green beans and saffron.
Arros QD turns paella into theatre. Chef Quique Dacosta’s London restaurant centres everything around a gigantic six-metre wood-fired stove, where flames, smoke and rice perform their delicious little drama. It is also officially recognised for authentic Valencian rice cooking. If your idea of dinner involves watching your food being forged in fire, congratulations: your reservation has found its purpose.
10. Socarrat Paella Bar — New York City, USA
Founded: 2008
Address: 259 W 19th Street, New York, NY 10011; additional NYC locations
Types of Paella: Socarrat, seafood, black rice, vegetable and speciality paellas
Rice: Spanish short-grain rice
Meats: Chicken, chorizo, lamb and other Spanish meats
Toppings: Shrimp, mussels, clams, peppers, beans and vegetables
Cooking Method: Traditional paella-pan cooking
Most Iconic Paella: Paella Socarrat
Cost for Two: Approximately $90–$130
Instagram: @socarratnyc
Website: Socarrat NYC official website
Socarrat’s own history places its beginning in 2008 in Chelsea, with three Manhattan locations today. Its menu features multiple paellas and defines socarrat as the caramelised bottom layer of rice.
Socarrat opened in Chelsea in 2008 with one wonderfully straightforward mission: bring the communal spirit of Spanish dining to New York. Its name celebrates the caramelised crispy rice at the bottom of a perfect paella pan. Multiple Manhattan locations now serve everything from seafood and black rice to vegetable versions. Basically, Manhattan finally got a delicious reason to share.
11. Telefèric Barcelona — Los Angeles, USA
Founded: 1992
Address: 11930 San Vicente Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90049
Types of Paella: Lobster, Mixta, Negra, Ibérico, vegetable and speciality paellas
Rice: Saffron-infused Bomba rice
Meats: Pork belly, chicken, Iberian pork and ribeye in speciality versions
Toppings: Lobster, shrimp, octopus, clams, scallops and vegetables
Cooking Method: Traditional paellera, cooked to order
Most Iconic Paella: Lobster Paella
Cost for Two: Approximately $90–$130
Instagram: @telefericbarcelona
Website: Telefèric Barcelona official website
The family restaurant tradition began in 1992, while the Los Angeles restaurant offers made-to-order lobster, mixed, black, Ibérico and vegetable paellas.
Telefèric Barcelona began as a family restaurant near Barcelona in 1992 before crossing the Atlantic and establishing a California empire. Its Los Angeles location brings the family’s Catalan roots together with American-sized enthusiasm. Paellas are cooked to order, including lobster, black squid-ink and mixed versions. The lobster paella is particularly persuasive evidence that subtlety is optional.
12. Café Ba-Ba-Reeba! — Chicago, USA
Founded: 1985
Address: 2024 N. Halsted Street, Chicago, IL 60614
Types of Paella: Traditional Valencian-style paella and seasonal variations
Rice: Spanish-style short-grain rice
Meats: Chicken, Spanish sausage and seasonal meats
Toppings: Seafood, vegetables and Spanish ingredients
Cooking Method: Traditional paella-pan preparation
Most Iconic Paella: House Paella
Cost for Two: Approximately $70–$100
Instagram: @cafebabareeba
Website: Café Ba-Ba-Reeba! official website
The restaurant describes itself as Chicago’s original tapas bar, serving Spanish cuisine and paella since 1985 at 2024 N. Halsted Street.
Chicago’s Café Ba-Ba-Reeba! has been throwing Spanish-flavoured parties since 1985, making it one of America’s veteran tapas destinations. The Lincoln Park restaurant combines small plates, sangria and paella in an atmosphere that feels considerably more fun than a rice dish technically needs to be. Come hungry, bring friends and prepare for your table to become extremely Spanish.
13. La Tapería — Singapore
Founded: 2014
Address: Shaw Centre #02-10/11, 1 Scotts Road, Singapore 228208
Types of Paella: Lobster, seafood and speciality Spanish paellas
Rice: Spanish rice varieties
Meats: Chorizo, Iberian pork and other Spanish meats
Toppings: Lobster, prawns, seafood and seasonal Spanish produce
Cooking Method: Traditional Spanish paella preparation
Most Iconic Paella: Lobster Paella
Cost for Two: Approximately S$120–S$180
Instagram: @lataperia_sg
Website: La Tapería official website
La Tapería opened in October 2014 and lists lobster paella among its signature dishes.
Singapore gets its Spanish fix at La Tapería, established by the Les Amis Group in 2014. Located inside Shaw Centre, it combines tapas, Spanish wines and rice dishes with an intimate atmosphere. Its lobster paella is the headline act, while the wider menu travels through Spain one small plate at a time. Consider it a Mediterranean holiday without the jet lag.
14. el Willy — Shanghai, China
Founded: 2008
Address: Shanghai, China; flagship concepts have operated around The Bund and other Shanghai locations
Types of Paella: Seafood, contemporary Spanish rice and speciality rice dishes
Rice: Spanish-style short-grain rice
Meats: Iberian pork and contemporary Spanish meat combinations
Toppings: Seafood, vegetables and modern Spanish ingredients
Cooking Method: Spanish rice technique with contemporary presentation
Most Iconic Paella: Seafood-style Spanish rice
Cost for Two: Approximately ¥500–¥800
Instagram: @elwillygroup
Website: el Willy official website
The el Willy group identifies 2008 as the founding year of its first Shanghai restaurant and notes that rice dishes were central to the original concept.
Chef Willy Trullàs Moreno opened el Willy in Shanghai in 2008, proving that Spanish rice could happily flirt with Shanghai’s cosmopolitan dining scene. The restaurant became the foundation of a wider Asian food-and-beverage group spanning several cities. Its approach mixes Spanish roots with modern creativity, meaning the paella arrives traditional enough for Spain and adventurous enough for Shanghai.
15. Amada — Philadelphia, USA
Founded: 2005
Address: 217–219 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106
Types of Paella: Seafood and Spanish speciality paellas
Rice: Spanish rice
Meats: Chicken, Spanish pork and Iberian ingredients depending on preparation
Toppings: Seafood, peppers and seasonal produce
Cooking Method: Traditional Spanish preparation
Most Iconic Paella: House Seafood Paella
Cost for Two: Approximately $90–$130
Instagram: @amadaphilly
Website: Amada official website
Amada opened in 2005 as Chef José Garces’ first restaurant and serves Spanish cuisine from its Old City location.
Chef José Garces opened Amada in 2005 to fill a very specific Philadelphia gap: authentic Spanish dining. The restaurant became his first major restaurant and built its reputation around Andalusian tapas, Spanish wines and dishes such as paella. The atmosphere is polished but lively, making this a good place for diners who want Spanish food without pretending dinner is a solemn ceremony.
16. Jaleo — Washington, D.C., USA
Founded: 1993
Address: 480 7th Street NW, Washington, DC 20004
Types of Paella: Valencian, seafood and seasonal speciality paellas
Rice: Spanish short-grain rice
Meats: Chicken, chorizo and Iberian meats depending on recipe
Toppings: Seafood, vegetables, peppers and beans
Cooking Method: Traditional paella-pan cooking
Most Iconic Paella: Jaleo Paella Valenciana
Cost for Two: Approximately $80–$120
Instagram: @jaleobyjose
Website: Jaleo official website
Jaleo opened in downtown Washington in 1993 and serves paella alongside tapas and Spanish wines.
José Andrés opened the original Jaleo in Washington, D.C., in 1993, helping transform Penn Quarter into one of the city’s major dining destinations. Paella sits comfortably alongside tapas, sangria and Spanish wines. The restaurant’s personality is festive rather than fussy, which is exactly how paella should feel: communal, generous and one accidental sangria away from ordering another pan.
17. Sabor — London, United Kingdom
Founded: 2018
Address: 35–37 Heddon Street, London W1B 4BR
Types of Paella: Spanish regional rice dishes and paella-style preparations
Rice: Spanish rice
Meats: Iberian meats and Castilian-style ingredients
Toppings: Seafood, vegetables and Spanish seasonal produce
Cooking Method: Regional Spanish cooking techniques
Most Iconic Paella: Seasonal Spanish rice speciality
Cost for Two: Approximately £100–£150
Instagram: @saborrestaurants
Website: Sabor official website
Sabor says it was founded in 2018 and focuses on regional Spanish cuisine, while its Heddon Street restaurant earned a Michelin star in the same year.
Sabor means “flavour,” and this Michelin-starred London restaurant takes that assignment rather seriously. Founded in 2018, it travels through Spain from Andalusian tapas bars to Castilian asadors and Galician seafood restaurants. Rice dishes share the menu with an impressive range of regional cooking. Think of it as Spain taking London on a culinary road trip—without requiring anyone to drive.
18. La Paella — Toronto, Canada
Founded: 2010 as a catering company; restaurant opened 2017
Address: 1146 Queen Street East, Toronto, ON M4M 1L1
Types of Paella: Valenciana, seafood, rabbit, negra, vegetarian and speciality paellas
Rice: Spanish rice
Meats: Rabbit, wild boar, chorizo, chicken and Jamón Serrano
Toppings: Shrimp, mussels, clams, scallops, peppers and vegetables
Cooking Method: Traditional paella-pan cooking
Most Iconic Paella: Paella Valenciana
Cost for Two: Approximately C$150–C$180
Instagram: @lapaellatoronto
Website: La Paella official website
La Paella’s own story states that Gabriel and Angel began the business in 2010 and opened the Queen Street restaurant in 2017. Current menu listings include Valencian, seafood, negra, rabbit and vegetarian paellas.
La Paella began as a Spanish catering company in Toronto in 2010 before opening its Leslieville storefront in 2017. Today, it takes the word “paella” extremely seriously, offering everything from rabbit and wild boar to seafood, black rice and vegetarian versions. Its intimate dining room makes the experience feel personal—less giant banquet hall, more secret Spanish rice club.
19. Mercado Little Spain — New York City, USA
Founded: 2019
Address: 10 Hudson Yards, New York, NY 10001
Types of Paella: Valenciana, Verdura and rotating Spanish rice dishes
Rice: Spanish rice
Meats: Chicken and rabbit in Valenciana-style preparations
Toppings: Green beans, artichokes, vegetables and seasonal ingredients
Cooking Method: Large-format paella pans and wood-fire cooking
Most Iconic Paella: Paella Valenciana
Cost for Two: Approximately $50–$90
Instagram: @mercadolittlespain
Website: Mercado Little Spain official website
Mercado Little Spain opened in March 2019 and includes a dedicated Paella al Plato counter offering different paellas. Its address is 10 Hudson Yards.
Mercado Little Spain is less restaurant and more Spanish culinary theme park—in the nicest possible way. Opened in Manhattan’s Hudson Yards in 2019 by José Andrés, Ferran Adrià and Albert Adrià, it includes a dedicated paella counter. Valenciana and vegetable versions bring proper Spanish rice culture into a bustling food hall where one pan is never enough.
20. La Pepica’s Neighbourhood Rival: El Palmar’s Bon Aire — Valencia, Spain
Founded: 1980s-era family restaurant tradition
Address: El Palmar, Valencia, Spain
Types of Paella: Valencian, rabbit and chicken, seafood, seasonal rice dishes
Rice: Local Albufera rice
Meats: Chicken, rabbit and traditional Valencian meats
Toppings: Garrofó beans, green beans, snails and seasonal ingredients
Cooking Method: Traditional wood-fire paella
Most Iconic Paella: Paella Valenciana
Cost for Two: Approximately €50–€80
Instagram: @bonairerestaurant
Website: Bon Aire official website
Valencia’s paella tradition is closely connected to the Albufera rice-growing region, with traditional Valencian recipes built around rice, chicken, rabbit, beans and green vegetables.
El Palmar, surrounded by the rice fields and waterways of L’Albufera, is where paella feels less like a restaurant speciality and more like local folklore. Bon Aire represents that deeply Valencian tradition, with wood-fired pans, local rice and classic ingredients. It is worth the journey because sometimes the best paella adventure begins by leaving the city behind and following the rice fields.
Final Verdict: Where Should You Eat Paella?
If you only have time for five, make them:
🥇 La Pepica, Valencia — for history, beachfront atmosphere and legendary Valencian tradition.
🔥 Casa Carmela, Valencia — for authentic orange-wood-fired paella.
🎨 7 Portes, Barcelona — for history and the famous Paella Parellada.
🔥 Arros QD, London — for spectacular live-fire cooking.
🗽 Socarrat, New York — for bringing Valencia’s communal spirit to Manhattan.
But here is the real secret: paella is at its best when shared. Order one pan, pour something cold, stop checking your phone, and wait for the rice. Good paella takes its sweet time—and frankly, after one bite of properly formed socarrat, you will forgive it for making you wait.
