Restaurant Almacita (Valence, FRANCE) ★★★★☆

We knew we would be stopping by Valence on our way to Avignon, but what we didn’t know was how late we ended up getting there. It was 1:50pm when I finished parking our car! 🚗

We were supposed to have lunch in Valence’s Old Town but with most restaurants already wrapping up their lunch service, it was going to be slim picking. Fortunately for us, we were able to find Restaurant Almacita, a South American casual dining restaurant and gastro bar on Grande Rue, just a few steps off the shopping street of Rue Emile Augier.

While we were still bragging about our luck for finding this hidden gem, our server came up to take our orders and she speaks fluent English! Another huge bonus! 👍🏻👍🏻

Salmon, citrus, herbs, zucchini (€13.6) – Little nugget had the grilled salmon fillet served with citrus butter, garden herbs and zucchini. This was no ordinary Joe though as the dish came with really nice presentation including a generous portion of salmon roes. The flavors? Just really well-balanced and very delicious.

Cod, coconut milk, carrot, patatas bravas (€25) – I had the grilled cod fish myself. This was served in a creamy shellfish sauce flavored with coconut milk, along with crispy carrots and my favorite patatas bravas. Another outstanding dish from the kitchen.

Amazonian salad (€13) – Jelloman thought she had too much to eat just five days into our trip and she decided to have this really boring salad with mango, tomatoes, purple onions and garden green served in a citrusy dressing. Yawn~! 

After the meal, we spent some time trotting around the streets of Valence. La Maison des Têtes which was just next door to our lunch spot was certainly worth a visit for its architectural excellence and rich heritage.

The Cathedral of Valence built in 1850 was another landmark in the city, which was just a stone’s throw away. Unfortunately, it was currently under renovation.

We have one final stop to make before leaving Valence, Patisserie Guillet, a popular patisserie in the area which we had the pleasure of visiting back in 2016. Eight years later, we’re bringing little one along with us to experience their exquisitely crafted French pastries.

Food Rating: 6.6/10

Price: €€

Address: 51 Grande Rue, 26000 Valence, France

Tel: +33 (0)4 7555-0647

Opening Hours: 12:00pm - 10:00pm (Wed - Thu), 12:00pm - 11:30pm (Fri - Sat), 7:00pm - 10:00pm (Tue)