Motorcycle routes and vegan restaurants in Valencia (Spain)

We are launching a new section for all those vegan riders who are going on a route, and need to know where to have lunch or eat vegan.
This time it's the turn of the province of Valencia (Spain), and our colleague Álex Sánchez, rider, foodie and member of the band Traidor is going to tell us about a highly recommended route and places where to eat well ;)

We leave you with his article:

Greetings, vegan biker community, this is the first entry of a small guide that we can make grow together. My name is Álex and you can contact me through Instagram @huevalex.

As you will have already seen in your trips, in big cities it is much easier to eat well if you are vegan, but when we go out on the road or to much smaller towns or villages things tend to get complicated... So the purpose of this blog is to recommend you areas with good roads and landscapes as well as places that I have personally tried where you can stop for a snack, lunch or dinner. 

Circular route Valencia, Alcublas, Sacañet, Teresa, Viver, Altura, Sanctuary of the holy cave, Alcublas, Valencia.

Leaving Valencia on the CV-35 towards Llíria, after passing Llíria we take exit 27A and take the road that leads to Alcublas; this is a simple and wide road, and after crossing several roundabouts we start to climb the pass that will take us to Alcublas. This pass is fun: you can go up and down it happily, with a very open and wide landscape.

We cross Alcublas, and shortly after there is an exit that will take us to the top of a hill where there are a couple of restored mills that can be visited, from where we can enjoy some great views.

We continue towards Sacañet, Ríos de Abajo, Teresa, and shortly before reaching Viver we find the Bar Restaurante el Cristo, at the foot of the road, one of the best options for a bite to eat and also halfway along the route: I recommend a tosta or sandwich of homemade ratatouille with potatoes, very good.

We continue our route and pass Jérica until we reach Altura and then take the road to Cueva Santa, a recommended stop where we can visit the sanctuary.

It is worth noting that the road is newly asphalted and that the whole area burnt down this summer (2022), destroying a large part of the vegetation; even so, the landscapes are still worthy of admiration.

We continue on to Alcublas and from there we retrace our steps until we reach Valencia.

Dos Aguas route (and more): 

This route is a classic, it is not as long as the previous one, but it is very busy because the road, especially the ascent from Dos Aguas to the roundabout at the top towards Buñol, is a stretch that people really enjoy; it is a very fun route.

Leaving Valencia we can go either via Buñol or Montroy, at the end we will leave and return to Valencia, on this occasion we are going to do it via Montroy:
We leave Valencia CV-36 direction Torrente, then to the right by the CV-33 that continuing by it changes again to CV-36 until arriving to the AP-7, there we will take the exit direction Alicante and soon after the exit direction Monserrat CV-405 and we continue: Montroy, Real and we look for the CV-435 that will take us to Dos Aguas, spectacular climb until we reach Dos Aguas, and once in Dos Aguas, if we want to extend the route or change it, at the first roundabout we can take the second exit and go to Millares, Bicorp, Quesa, Navarrés, Anna, Enguera, Navalón and then take the A-35 towards Valencia back to the city or if you still feel like going around bends, take the turn-off towards Sumacárcer, Navarrés and undo the road to Dos Aguas, where you will reach the same roundabout as before.

From this roundabout we continue in the direction of Buñol, a very good climb with impressive views of the whole valley. When you reach the roundabout at the top you can stop for a bite to eat and in this area the place I like best is Venta Gaeta, in the only bar-restaurant there is. From there you can go to Cortes, which is very nice, very winding and well paved road and lush vegetation that accompanies you all the way to Cortes, road back and forth through the same place, unless your thing is the Trail, from a little before reaching Cortes there is a road that turns into a track and that would reach Cofrentes.

Returning to the roundabout at the top of Dos Aguas, we continue towards Buñol, until we get there where we can stretch out the curves a little more by going to Valencia via Godelleta or taking the A-3 motorway.

Chera, Chulilla, Titaguas, La Yesa:

This would be the third essential route in the Valencia area; on this occasion we will leave Valencia on the A-3 towards Madrid:

We will leave through Buñol towards Madrid on the old N-III until we pass Siete Aguas and return to the A-3, a few KM later we will take the Requena-Chera exit and go towards Chera, where we will enjoy this stretch of curves which is fantastic; once past Chera we will continue towards Sot de Chera on a narrow but well asphalted road with views of a small reservoir; this area is very green, it is well worth it.

Once we get to Sot de Chera we continue along the pass to Chulilla, here we can stop for a bite to eat, there are several bars in the square and we have always had a good lunch in all of them.

We continue towards Calles, Chelva, Tuéjar, from here we could go to the Benagéber reservoir which is more than recommendable to return to Requena, but on this occasion we continue to Titaguas, Alpuente (a small village that can be visited in a short time and is quite pretty), La Yesa and then down towards Higueruelas, on the CV-345, this road is very well asphalted and is a pleasure to ride on.

Soon we will arrive at Villar del Arzobispo, from there to Casinos and then we take the CV-35 towards Valencia or if we prefer the national road, we can go to Valencia via Pedralba, Ribarroja del Turia, Manises and Valencia.

Vegan restaurants in Valencia, Spain

In Valencia there are many options to eat, vegan restaurants directly, vegetarian ones with options and omnivorous ones with very good vegan options: I am going to highlight some that I know and like a lot, but there are more, although these are undoubtedly my favourites.

First of all, I recommend Café Madrigal, vegan, in the Ruzafa neighbourhood, a central and touristic area of Valencia, open every day from breakfast to dinner without interruptions, which makes it a very good option on the way back from the route, which as always we are sure to extend and then we have trouble finding somewhere open for lunch at any time... They have a daily menu during the week and a simple but delicious menu, homemade food and also cakes, biscuits, shakes... to treat yourself (Calle Puerto Rico 41, Valencia)

If you're looking for good tapas and dinner, I recommend Tavernaire, especially their bravas, cocas de dacsa and any dish they have on the menu that day with seitan, as the homemade seitan they make is delicious (Calle Denia 18).

Without leaving Ruzafa, you will find Casa Viva, a vegetarian restaurant where almost all the dishes have a vegan option. Very varied menu, with breakfasts/lunches, lunches and dinners, with some reinterpretations of Italian cuisine. Very nice place with a terrace. Open every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner (Calle Cádiz 76).

And to finish, and without leaving Calle Cádiz, a Mexican restaurant could not be missing, and although there are now many in Valencia, I would like to highlight the restaurant Demasiado Corazón, as it has a part of the menu differentiated as vegan, with "cheese" and Heura which gives its dishes another dimension, careful presentation and homemade corn tortillas. Open for dinner every day except Tuesdays and also for lunch on Saturdays and Sundays (Calle Cádiz 90).

If fast food is your thing, the vegan Khambú, in the Carmen neighbourhood, an area of historical and tourist interest with lots of monuments and buildings to visit, is open from Tuesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner and has hamburgers, wraps, sandwiches, nachos, nuggets, etc. and desserts... really good (Calle Quart 41, Valencia)

In the same neighbourhood and also fast food, although with a more careful presentation and a very particular style, we have Guakame Street food, a vegan restaurant open every day for lunch and dinner. The place, especially at night, will not leave you indifferent (Calle Muro de Santa Ana 3).

Continuing in the Carmen neighbourhood, La Mandrágora, a vegan restaurant, but it is really a gastronomic association and works in a different way to a restaurant, the price of the food is at will, it is always a menu, both for lunch and dinner; they are open every day (Calle Mare Vella 15).

Nearby is the Oslo Restaurant, a vegetarian restaurant with many vegan dishes on its menu; the well-kept premises in the heart of the Carmen neighbourhood are committed to slightly more elaborate dishes, which is something I'm grateful for. Open from Tuesday to Saturday for lunch and dinner and Sunday lunch only (Calle dels Catalans 8).

Walking through the picturesque streets of El Carmen you will find Kukla, fantastic Middle Eastern food, vegetarian, but very easy to eat vegan, cosy place with a small terrace hidden among the streets, very pleasant. Open from Tuesday to Saturday for lunch and dinner (Calle Palomino 8).

And finally in the Carmen neighbourhood Almalibre Açaí House, totally vegan, open from Tuesday to Sunday from breakfast to dinner, basically fast food, but homemade and made with great taste, perfect for breakfast or lunch in the area. (Calle Roteros 16).

Very close to the Carmen neighbourhood we have a place called Lo de Ponxe in Kinto Pino, open for lunch from Tuesday to Saturday, always menu, homemade, tasty, macrobiotic, small and cosy, better to book in advance (Plaza Rojas Clementente, 5).

We change area, and we are now in the vicinity of the train station, after having visited the Town Hall square and the city centre:

If you like authentic Chinese food, is Frenazo, omnivorous but with good vegan options, very close to the North Station in the Convento Jerusalén neighbourhood, also known as "chinatown". I recommend several dishes from here as a must-try: the sautéed bamboo, the fried corn with pepper and salt, the house tofu or the grilled vegetable dumplings... and if you like spicy food, they have a sauce that you can order on the side, which is insane. Lunch and dinner except Wednesdays (Calle Pelayo 23).

Without leaving the same neighbourhood we have Min Dou, similar to Frenazo but each one with its own style, as if you ask for the same dish in both restaurants, each one prepares it in a totally different way; the menu is very extensive so I recommend several dishes, specifying to the waiter that they prepare it without meat: fried bamboo and sautéed bamboo, rice with vegetables, Yu Xiang style aubergines, and the exquisite golden tofu. Open every day for lunch and dinner (Calle Pelayo 31).

Next door is Pato Beikin, Chinese food, omnivorous, but this time with a separate menu of 76 vegetarian and vegan dishes, any dish on the menu just ask them to make it vegan in case it contains eggs and that's it. A very good option. Open every day for lunch and dinner (Calle Matemático Marzal, 17).

And to finish off our visit to Chinatown, Yummy Ramen, another very popular place in the neighbourhood, and no wonder: the noodles are totally homemade, they make them right there and you can see them live; they have a couple of vegan tapas and three types of very tasty vegan ramen (Calle Convento Jerusalén, 3).

Other Asian options, but of a different kind, can be found at Saigon Delice, Thai Mongkut and Kathmandu, Vietnamese, Thai and Indian restaurants respectively:

Saigon Delice, omnivorous, Vietnamese, open from Wednesday to Sunday lunch and dinner. In the centre of town, but this time between Ensanche and Gran Vía, it has a separate Vegan section on the menu, which helps a lot and makes you think that they know what we are talking about when we order. Tasty, aromatic and spicy food, with varying levels of spiciness to suit our tastes. Really tasty curries and delicious desserts (Calle Gregorio Mayans 5).

Another Asian I love is Thai Mongkut, Thai omnivore. They are open from Wednesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner; many of their dishes can be veganised just by telling them so; the Pad thai and the Currys are incredible, as well as the mango sticky rice for dessert to finish off a great meal. (Calle Corona, 8).

And to finish, there is a good Indian restaurant, there are quite a few and some are very good for my taste, but I want to talk about Kathmandu, very tasty food, typical dishes well prepared and spiced, vegan options available and also if you tell them that you are vegan they take special care and bother to recommend dishes that can be veganised and that are very good. Open from Tuesday to Sunday for lunch and dinner (Calle Salamanca 18).

And if you fancy pizza? Pizzeria KM0, Italian omnivore, in the Benimaclet neighbourhood, makes spectacular Neapolitan pizzas, with local produce, and on the menu there is a section of vegan pizzas with some very good cheeses, especially the blue cheese, which is out of this world. They are open every day for dinner and on Saturdays and Sundays for lunch (Calle Emilio Baró 82).

So, if you are in the area, this is a good morning trip, to end up eating in any of these places and even then for dinner, a very complete day.

Good route, full throttle and enjoy!