Esmorzaret – Valencia’s Super Sandwich

Considered a late breakfast or an early lunch (actual lunch starts around 14:30), the almuerzo in Castilian Spanish (esmorzaret in Valencian) happens between 09:00 and 12:00 on Mondays through Saturdays and always features a massive sandwich.

At Nuevo Oslo, Raul Bermejo, the self styled King of the Esmorzaret welcomes customers with banter and a handshake. There is a statue of him at the front door and posters everywhere, so he is instantly recognizable. The counter has a dizzying array of sausages, roast meats, classic omelettes , broad beans, fried blood with onion, squid and cuttlefish, bacon, ratatouille, chivitos and pepitos, even the uncommon figatells – a fresh Spanish sausage made of pork meat, pork liver and kidneys.

Since this is our first time we ask him to bring el favorito de Raul and he leaves us with the ubiquitous olives and peanuts. While we wait, we check out a collection of wooden tennis rackets from the 70s and a wall that is a shrine to Julio Iglesias.

Our sandwich arrives and it is a monster in two parts. First is a collection of sausages – chorizo, morcilla and blood sausage on a bed of french fries. Second is ratatouille, fried onions and figatell meatballs also known as quart de poblet. We forgo the fried egg that many patrons include.

It’s important to note that we also declined the usual accompaniments – an anise aperitif to start, a beer to wash everything down and a cremaet (coffee and lemon liqueur) to finish – although most of the customers did indulge. Bear in mind that this is at 9 in the morning. We split the sandwich between the two of us and did not eat again until 4 pm.

Bonus pics of other esmorzaret we have yet to try.

Nuevo Oslo

– Carrer del Doctor Sanchis Sivera, 7, 46008 València, Valencia