La Drova and Puigmola


La Drova and Puigmola can  boast that they have  two excellent paella restaurants - Bar Parpallo in La Drova is reputed to be one of the best in Valencia and Restaurant Puigmola cooks their paellas in the traditional way - over an open wood fire.

The first of the two I visited with my partner was Puigmola. We had not booked so we could not have paella, but they have other dishes on their menu and we enjoyed a very good conejo al ajillo - rabbit in garlic. Expensive compared to our usual haunt, Bar La Font in Barx - see 16th September - it was very good, but my favourite remains Bar la Font. However, the paella is excellent. With an unmistakeable smokiness that comes from it being cooked over wood, the Valencian Paella is well worth the visit. The albondigas - meatballs in the paella are outstanding, in my opinion. The restaurant is set slightly up a hill  and has views out over Puigmola to Barx and beyond. In summer the restaurant also has a swimming pool where you can swim before having your lunch. You are welcomed into the kitchen to see your paella being cooked and they also cook their meat dishes over the wood fire. Puigmola is my partner's favourite of the two restaurants - and I do really like it too. Starter - usually a salad but there is a choice -, paella, dessert, coffee, water and wine will be around €120 for four.

Bar Parpallo, although it does not cook the paella over an open wood fire, is however reputed to serve the better Valencian paella. From the outside the restaurant is very modest and unprepossessing but inside is a traditional bright and airy restaurant. Not yet fluent in Spanish - although we are learning - and unable to speak the local language of Valenciano, we have not yet discovered if there is an actual menu! The restaurant also specialises in empanadillas - little pastry cases filled with tomato, or meat or peas (not unlike a small Cornish Pasty, but nicer!) One books a paella and on arriving, you are served with a traditional Valencian Salad, a selection of empanadillas and your paella. The meat in the paella is plentiful and the flavour is deep and moreish. I cannot tell you why, but I personally prefer the paella in Bar Parpallo, but like the view of Puigmola. Bar Parpallo also has the advantage that I can walk to it!!!! A meal for 5 last Sunday, including wine, one dessert, water and coffees was €95.

In short, I am happy with both restaurants. Both have friendly service, both are open at lunchtimes only and both are full on a Sunday. You need to book ahead for paella in each case.

Bar Parpallo does not have a web site but details of both restaurants are also found here

Also in the area is La Visteta which has a tapas menu as well as a restaurant menu. I have visited La Visteta twice, the first time to have paella on a Sunday lunchtime. The weather was dreadful and the paella, I am sorry to say, was not particularly good. Nice but not in any way remarkable. More recently, I had some tapas in the evening and again  the tapas were fine, but not outstanding. In its favour, I do believe that there are tapas dishes that are freshly made and served from the tapas chiller cabinet on top of the bar as is traditional. The tapa we had from there - a pork stew - was very good indeed, and it maybe that is the best way to eat in La Visteta.

The restaurant has a good view, a friendly welcome and a swimming pool and outside bar that is lovely in the summer. I would go back to sit by the pool and have a few tapas and a drink, but would not rush to have a meal. Tapas and the a la carte are both very reasonably priced.