Almuerzo is Valencia's traditional second breakfast: snacks, a big sandwich and coffee. Here is what it consists of, what to order and where to try it.
A second breakfast as a cultural phenomenon
Forget the word “brunch” in Valencia. Here almuerzo reigns — a second breakfast served in bars and restaurants from about 10:00 to 12:00. In Valencian this meal is called esmorzaret, and it matters so much here that it is no longer just food but a social and cultural phenomenon. Books are written about it, bars put together special almuerzo menus, and people in all kinds of jobs — from farming to the civil service — consider a break for second breakfast their rightful due.
Such a substantial meal in the middle of the morning has its roots in the past: people used to start work in the fields early and were hungry again by ten. Today almuerzo is not only a meal but also a reason to meet friends or sit down with colleagues.
What almuerzo consists of
A classic almuerzo has three parts: snacks, a sandwich and coffee. When you walk into a bar and say the magic word almuerzo, olives appear on the table, always with peanuts and often altramuces — yellow lupini beans in brine. They are usually eaten without the skin: bite gently and squeeze out the bean.
Then the waiter will ask what you'd like to drink. It can be water, any soft drink, beer or tinto de verano (“summer red wine”) — wine mixed with soda, often lemon soda.
The king of second breakfast is the sandwich, the bocadillo. It is made from crusty bread cut lengthwise and generously filled. There are countless variations, but four main types turn up in many bars: almussafes, “white and black”, chivito and brascada.
The main kinds of sandwich
Almussafes
The almussafes is a bocadillo with sobrasada, cheese and caramelised onion. Sobrasada is a soft pork sausage with paprika that spreads easily on bread. The original version used brie; today other good melting cheeses are often used.
The name comes from the town of Almussafes, where a Ford factory opened in 1976. According to the restaurateur Ramón Martínez Arolas, the factory's engineers stayed at the Astoria hotel and took a liking to his place, Nederland, in central Valencia. The cook there, Manolo, made them bread with sobrasada and brie. The guests liked the combination, kept ordering it, and the sandwich was named after the town where the factory stood.
“White and black”
The filling of the “white and black” sandwich (blanco y negro) is two kinds of sausage: a pale pork one and a black blood sausage. To make it juicier, allioli — garlic sauce — is often added. Sometimes there is fried pepper in it too.
Chivito
The chivito is one of the most filling sandwiches, almost a lunch. Its arrival in Valencia is linked to emigrants from Uruguay. Here it usually contains fried pork, bacon, cheese, a fried egg, lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise.
Brascada
The brascada is another meat bocadillo: a thin slice of fried beef, serrano ham and onion cooked until soft.
Bear in mind that in many bars you can ask for your sandwich al plato: the filling comes on a plate and the bread separately. This is handy if you want to control what and how much you eat. And if a whole bocadillo seems too big, ask whether you can order half — medio bocadillo.
A special coffee for almuerzo
As for coffee, you can of course ask for any kind, but the classic is cremaet (“burnt”): coffee with a special rum preparation. For cremaet, rum is mixed with sugar, lemon zest, cinnamon sticks and coffee beans. All of this is set alight, giving a sweet, spiced addition to the coffee.
Cremaet is usually served in a clear glass where you can see the layers: sweet rum at the bottom, coffee and its creamy foam on top. Stir before drinking.
If you don't feel like a sandwich, there are other options — for example cocas (coques in Valencian), which are also eaten at almuerzo. Essentially they are filled flatbreads, similar to open pies.
What else to eat at almuerzo besides sandwiches
One of the most common options is a coca with tomatoes and peppers, sometimes with tuna and pine nuts. There are cocas with sardines, anchovies, sobrasada or sausages. You'll find them in bakeries as well as on bar and restaurant menus.
There are local varieties too. Around Gandia, for example, they make coques de dacsa — small thin cornmeal flatbreads topped with tuna, boiled egg, roasted pepper or other fillings.
Where to try almuerzo
My recommendations for almuerzo are Alenar, Pelayo Gastro Trinquet and La Chata. At Alenar (Carrer de Martínez Cubells, 6), near the City Hall square, you can choose between a bocadillo and a coca — with vegetables, sobrasada, or roasted pepper and anchovy, for example.
Pelayo Gastro Trinquet (Carrer de Pelai, 6) is also interesting for its setting: the restaurant sits next to a historic court for Valencian pilota, the local ball game. The dining room's design deserves attention too.
La Chata (Carrer del Literat Azorín, 4) in Ruzafa makes bocadillos with fillings based on home-style Valencian dishes and offers a new one every month. Almuerzo is served here on Fridays and Saturdays, so it's best to book a table.
And if you want to try different cocas, I recommend Zalamero Coquería Ruzafa (Carrer de Sevilla, 20), where they are the heart of the menu — for example a coca with sobrasada, cheese and honey, or with sausages and pepper sauce.
