Valencia Eats: menú del día at El Kiosko

May 16

May 16 Valencia Eats: menú del día at El Kiosko

El Kiosko is a restaurant near el Mercado Central that's quite popular among both locals and tourists. It has an old-timey feel with murals inside, and fronts a neat square with outdoor seating (this square is shared by other cafes and restaurants as well).

The first time I went to El Kiosko was within the first few months of arriving in Valencia. I had rarely eaten out, and thought the price was great with huge portions. I returned more recently for a second visit, and wasn't quite so impressed this time. The price at €11 is still great for three courses, beverage, and a huge loaf of bread, but I felt the quality was missing.

First course was a stuffed eggplant. The cheese on top was hard and crunchy, as if they used non-fat cheese and let it sit too long under the broiler.

The main course - merluza (hake) with fries was dull in both presentation (could it be any more yellow?) and flavor.

I quite enjoyed the flan - can never go wrong here. I was disappointed to see that the stacks of supermarket-bought flan in the refrigerator when I went in to pay the bill.