Restaurante Paco Baile

Rice at the center of a Santa Pola kitchen

Paco Baile opened in 1996 with a clear point of view: cook the food of Santa Pola, especially its rice dishes, using ingredients from the bay. The restaurant’s own account traces that tradition from founder Paco Baile to his son Tiel, now chef and owner. Caldero, the town’s fish-stock rice stew, paella, fideuà (a noodle-based cousin to paella), and seafood are the natural place to begin, while the wider Mediterranean menu includes fish, vegetables, meat, and house-made desserts.

A local specialty with a public record

The restaurant received a prize for best Valencian paella at Sueca in 2023, an award that gives its rice-focused identity a concrete reference point. Diners praise the seafood and rice, with caldero and paella recurring in comments, although recent critical reviews show that service does not draw universal praise. The dining rooms and terrace suit a proper sit-down meal rather than a quick bite. If the aim is to understand Santa Pola through its local cooking, Paco Baile’s strongest case is the continuity of its rice tradition and its connection to the bay.