Javea/Xábia- An idyllic setting for paella on a Sunday afternoon!

For most families in Spain, sunny Sundays involve that most famous of Spanish dishes- The Paella! Normally it is cooked outside, in a shady spot on a terrace with a table set to accommodate the whole family. Lots of Spanish families have a mountainside retreat (normally a basic building with no elctricity or running water), where they all gather to eat together, chew the fat and enjoy stunning mountain views.

The other alternative of course, is for the family to congregate in a local restaurant. As the weather is warming up now, this week, we had paella on our minds. So, after googling “the best paella in Javea", we booked a table for lunch in Xábia Old Town (don´t forget Javea and Xábia are the same town, the latter being the original Valencian name that was reinstated after the end of the Franco regime).

Javea is split into three distinct parts; the Arenal, which is the sandy beach and promenade, the Port, which is the original marina and promenade, and the Old Town. Most expats and holidaymakers tend to, more often, visit the Arenal, where you will find a selection of restaurants along a walkway behind the beautiful sandy beach. However, in our opinion, the Old Town is much more scenic with more choice in terms of eateries and, as it is only a seven minute drive from the Arenal to the centre of the Old Town, you can go to the beach in the morning and have lunch in town.

The historic Old Town is the perfect place to spend a Sunday afternoon, wandering through the beautiful, narrow streets with a multitude of excellent restaurants to choose from. This week, thanks to the warm sunny weather, there were lots of local people out.

Our google search persuaded us to book our table at “Malabrasa”, right in the heart of the Old Town. We chose to sit outside on the terrace as it was a lovely sunny day. There is a menu del día for just 25 euros but we decided to splash out on the second menu as the choice of entradas (starters) was so tempting. We decided on:

Alcachofas con salsa Romesco (Artichokes with Romesco sauce), 

mejillones a la brasa (mussels), croquetas de pera, gorgonzola y espinacas (croquettes with pear, gorgonzola and spinach). Everything was delicious and served individually so you have plenty of time to enjoy it. For main course we ordered the arroz de gamba roja as we love the famous Denia Red Prawn. The prawns are specific to the fishing grounds of Denia and Ibiza and they are caught at a depth of 600m, which means that the fishing boats only ever return with a small amount, making them an expensive treat. Around 60 euros a kilo is the going rate, so the extra 5 euros each for the paella seemed reasonable. It was worth every cent! 

Althought the menu included dessert, we ordered one to share. Torrija de brioche con tofee y helado. This is french toast with a toffee sauce and vanilla ice cream and it mattered not one bit that we were full- the plate was clean when it went back to the kitchen. YUM!

A very good bottle of chilled white wine (brought to the table in an ice bucket) helped to make the whole afternoon an absolute treat! The service was friendly but professional and the ambience was perfect. Most importantly for us, with so many restaurants rushing you along, we were encouraged to stay as long as we wanted and enjoy every plate. Families with kids, people dressed up for an occasion and some passers by, who wandered in, casually dressed, all welcome, even the four legged variety. The only complaint… we had to ask for the parasol to be moved, which was no problem at all. Although it was cool in the shade, the courtyard terrace is a sun trap and it is too hot in the sun. Next time we will ask to be seated under the pergola. By the way- the next time will be soon!

After our over indulgence, a stroll around the town (advice from our fabulous waiter) seemed a good idea. Xábia is just beautiful. Of course, there are tourists, but mostly local people, and that is a treat!

It seems more fitting to call the Old Town- Xábia, the original Valenciano name. The Arenal is lively, with some great, international cafés and restaurants. But the Old Town experience is about tradition, history and most of all Valencia (but that´s for another blog!). 

We highly recommend Malabrasa, but there are many more fantastic restaurants in Old Town Xábia. Our advice is to keep the Arenal for beach and café days and spend an afternoon immersed in a real Spanish way of life in Xábia Old Town!