Paella in Benidorm

Updated 15/10/2026 by the onbenidorm team · Prices checked October 2026

For paella in Benidorm, head to La Mejillonera in the Old Town, Restaurante El Niño on Avenida Doctor Severo Ochoa, Aitona on Avenida Ruzafa or the rice houses along Poniente. Order at lunchtime, usually for at least two people, and check whether the menu price is per person. The XV Arroces de la Tierra rice festival runs from 16 to 25 October 2026.

When to eat it: Lunch, roughly 13:00–16:00
Minimum order: Usually 2 people; prices often per person
Rice festival: XV Arroces de la Tierra, 16–25 October 2026
Best areas: Old Town, Poniente, Rincón de Loix
Cooking time: 40–50 minutes for a pan made to order

Where to eat paella in Benidorm at a glance

The most-recommended rice restaurants are in the Old Town, along the Poniente seafront and in the Rincón de Loix. This page is part of our best restaurants in Benidorm guide; here we focus on rice only. Few rice houses publish menus online, so ring ahead for prices and to order your rice.

Paella and rice restaurants in Benidorm (October 2026)
Restaurant	Area	Known for	Good to know
La Mejillonera	Old Town (Paseo de la Carretera 16)	Paella with Albufera bomba rice, mussels	Main bar takes no bookings; book its arrocería
Restaurante El Niño	Rincón de Loix (Av. Doctor Severo Ochoa 46)	Valencian and seafood paella	About €30–45 a head; book
Aitona	Avenida Ruzafa 2	Lobster rice in broth; open since 1968	Daily 13:00–16:00 and 20:00–23:00
Arrocería La Marina	Inland (Camí del Palasiet 31)	Arroces, calderos and fideuà	Playground and car park
La Posada del Mar	Paseo Colón (beachfront)	Paella, fideuà, arroz a banda	Praised by diners in August 2026
Ducado	Rincón de Loix (Calle Almería)	Arroz a banda, arroz del senyoret	About €60 a head with wine

Old Town and the port

The Old Town is the easiest place for a rice lunch near the Balcón del Mediterráneo and Mal Pas beach.

La Mejillonera

Open since 1981 at Paseo de la Carretera 16, La Mejillonera has nearly 10,000 Google reviews. Barceló says it won a best Valencian paella prize at a contest in Sweden and uses bomba rice from the Albufera with seafood from the Dénia and Santa Pola fish markets.

The main restaurant takes no bookings and has queues at peak times. To book a paella, use its sister restaurant, La Arrocería de la Mejillonera, about 60 metres away, whose booking page says it is closed on Tuesdays. Half portions are available on most dishes. Near the harbour, see also Restaurante El Puerto, and for tapas, Tapas Alley.

Poniente seafront and Levante

Poniente is the classic choice for a long Spanish-style rice lunch facing the sea; our Poniente beach guide covers the promenade.

Ulía, Avenida Vicente Llorca Alós: signature rice dishes and lobster rice, about €60 a head with wine.
Casa Guillermo, Poniente: rice in broth with small cigalas, and tuna paella (Barceló).
Restaurante Esturión, Calle Panamá: lobster rice in broth and a three-course lunch menu under €15 (Salir.com, September 2026).
La Posada del Mar, Paseo Colón: paella, fideuà and arroz a banda praised in August 2026 reviews.

Rincón de Loix and inland

The Rincón de Loix is better known for British bars and Indian restaurants, but it has two well-rated rice kitchens.

Restaurante El Niño

At Avenida Doctor Severo Ochoa 46, El Niño scores 9.2 on Google from more than 900 reviews. Diners in March and April 2026 called its chicken and rabbit paella generous and its seafood paella authentic. Expect €30 to €45 a head, and book, as it is often full.

Ducado and Arrocería La Marina

Ducado on Calle Almería, opposite Hotel Don Pancho, is a small seafood room known for arroz a banda and arroz del senyoret. Arrocería La Marina at Camí del Palasiet 31, inland, has a children's playground and car park, so it suits families with a car or taxi.

Paella, arroz a banda, arroz negro or fideuà?

Paella valenciana is not a seafood dish: the traditional recipe uses rabbit and chicken, sometimes duck and snails, with flat green beans, lima beans, tomato and saffron. Knowing the other names helps you order.

Socarrat, the crisp toasted base of the rice, is a good sign.

Valencian rice dishes on Benidorm menus
Dish	What it is
Paella valenciana	Chicken and rabbit, green beans, lima beans, saffron
Paella de marisco	Seafood paella with shell-on seafood; no beans
Arroz a banda	Rice cooked in rich fish stock, served without the fish
Arroz del senyoret	Seafood rice with everything already peeled
Arroz negro	Rice blackened with squid ink
Arroz caldoso / meloso	Soupy or creamy rice, often with lobster (bogavante)
Fideuà	Short noodles cooked in a paella pan, served with allioli

How to spot frozen tourist paella

A proper paella is cooked to order and takes 40 to 50 minutes, so one that arrives in 20 minutes was probably pre-cooked. The Local warns that photo boards of branded paellas outside often mean frozen, reheated rice.

Paella at dinner time, or from a non-stop kitchen, is a warning sign: Spaniards eat rice at lunch.
Single portions that come out quickly suggest a pre-cooked batch.
Bright, unnatural yellow rice points to food colouring rather than saffron.

Prices, booking and ordering tips

Rice is usually priced per person, with a minimum of two. In August 2026, Euro Weekly News reported Gandia diners who thought a €23 paella was for the whole pan; it was per person, so three paid €69. Look for "p/p" or "mín. 2 personas".

In 2023, rice dishes cost €15 to €19.50 a portion at Ducado, La Mejillonera, Casa Toni and D-Vora, so expect more now. Seafront seafood houses run to €60 a head with wine; see our Benidorm prices guide.

Book, and order your rice when you book, especially at weekends.
Ask "¿Cuánto tiempo tarda?" (how long does it take?) and order a starter while you wait.
Vegetarians should ask for paella de verduras and check the stock; see our vegan and vegetarian guide.

The Arroces de la Tierra rice festival, October 2026

Benidorm's XV Jornadas de los Arroces de la Tierra run from 16 to 25 October 2026, according to the Ayuntamiento de Benidorm. Each participating restaurant offers a set menu of a local starter, rice main, dessert and drink. The 2026 list was not yet published when we checked; in 2025, 24 restaurants took part, including La Arrocería de la Mejillonera, La Fava and Malaspina, with menus from €25. See events in October 2026.

Paella in Benidorm — FAQs

Where is the best paella in Benidorm?

The names that come up most are La Mejillonera on Paseo de la Carretera in the Old Town, Restaurante El Niño on Avenida Doctor Severo Ochoa and Aitona on Avenida Ruzafa. For a seafront lunch, try Ulía, Casa Guillermo or La Posada del Mar on the Poniente side.

How much does paella cost in Benidorm?

Rice is normally priced per person, with a two-person minimum. In 2023, rice dishes at well-known Benidorm restaurants cost €15 to €19.50 a portion, and prices have risen since. Set lunch menus with rice start under €15, while seafood restaurants run to about €60 a head with wine.

Can you order paella for one person in Benidorm?

Rarely at good rice restaurants, as paella is cooked in a shared pan and most menus state a minimum of two. La Mejillonera offers half portions on most dishes, and a menú del día may include a rice course. A single portion that arrives quickly is often pre-cooked.

Do Spanish people eat paella for dinner?

No. Paella began as a farm workers' midday meal and is still eaten at lunch, roughly 13:00 to 16:00. Evening paella usually targets tourists.

Is there a rice festival in Benidorm?

Yes. The XV Jornadas de los Arroces de la Tierra run from 16 to 25 October 2026, with set menus of a local starter, a rice main, dessert and a drink at participating restaurants. In 2025, 24 restaurants took part and menus started at €25.

Do I need to book for paella in Benidorm?

For popular places, yes. El Niño and Aitona recommend booking, and La Mejillonera's main restaurant takes no bookings, so reserve at its arrocería instead. Booking lets the kitchen start your rice, which takes 40 to 50 minutes.

Related guides

Sources and how we checked

Last updated 15 October 2026 by the onbenidorm team.