Where to go in Valencia

When the sun sets and the day gives way to the night, Valencia buzzes with life. If you wonder where to go in Valencia for fun and food, you should have a look at the following lines.

The best place to go in Valencia: Ruzafa

Once upon a time Ruzafa was that kind of quarter, you really should avoid. Dirty, loud and shabby. A place where you can buy drugs and petty crime flourished, not one of the best places to go in Valencia. These times are long gone, and Ruzafa developed from an area you didn’t want to end up in, to the cool place to hang out. This is partly because of all the creatives who moved there and gave the quarter an arty vibe that is unique in Valencia. The city developers as well added to the transformation by renovating run-down houses and building bike paths and pavements, where all the hipster cafés can serve their relaxed customers.

Ruzafa is now a colorful, shiny and lively area, full of bars, restaurants and cafés as well as art studios and co-working places. It is a bit like Berlin, but not as dirty and loud. During the day, the quarter offers a variety of coffee places to choose from. The little shops in the district are unique, so you can find fashion everybody will envy you for.

Ruzafa by night

By night, Ruzafa is full of life. The bars are packed and all those one-of-a-kind restaurants offer their special food. It really is the district where to go in Valencia, because it offers different activities according to different tastes. It is packed with restaurants, which offer a variety of food from different countries. You can find very funky bars there, cinemas as well as nightclubs and discotheques. And of course, you can listen to live music. Whether it is rock, jazz or flamenco that drives you, the district has the right concert for every taste.

Pubs and bars in Ruzafa

Some places to go in Valencia are the pub Liverpool, the Ubik Café and the Finestra, a pizza café.

The pub Liverpool in the heart of Ruzafa offers a fun English pub quiz you can join for 2 Euros. As a team consisting of up to six people, you have to answer various questions concerning general knowledge, music and recent events. If you don’t have five friends visiting with you, don’t worry. The friendly bar staff will introduce you to your team members, so it is also a good way to meet people.

The Finestra is a kind of café restaurant where you can buy mini pizzas for a very low price. Beer is also very cheap there, and everything is very delicious, including the beer.

While entering the Ubik Café, you will think that you are visiting a library and not a café. You can have a coffee, a pint, or a glass of wine while being surrounded by books. The café has free Wi-Fi, so if you have to do some work or just want to check your Emails or Facebook, the Ubik Café is one of the best places to go in Valencia. The bar also has special events nearly every night, like English/Spanish language exchanges, where you pay 2 Euros and can practice your Spanish while getting to know interesting people from all over the world. However, you can enjoy concerts and readings in this very trendy bar as well.

Flamenco and Jazz – best places to go in Valencia

But not only Ruzafa is worth going, there are a lot more venues worth visiting. One of those very interesting places is Radio City in Torres de Quart. It is a little cozy bar that has special events every other day. On Thursdays, you can visit the Flamenco Show for only 15 Euros including drinks. And this is not a show to make tourists pay and play on them. This is the real thing. A special show with lots of heart, soul and creativity. Other popular shows at Radio City are the jazz and reggae jams. If you are a music lover, this is where to go in Valencia.

The Café del Duende in the Calle Turia is a little flamenco theatre with a pub. Here you can enjoy a hearty show and be very close to the dancers and singers. The show takes one hour and for just ten euros (including one drink), you can experience the real flamenco feeling.

At the Jimmy Glass Jazz Bar in El Carmen you won’t get disappointed if you are into jazz. Look out for special jazz concerts on their website. Friendly staff will serve you cold drinks that are not overpriced and you will have the opportunity to have a little chat with the musicians after the concert.

Food tips – where to go in Valencia

Food is very important in Spain. Meeting your friends and family and enjoying a nice meal is a very common pastime and it is very important that you don’t hurry while eating. Hence, Valencia is laced with nice and cozy restaurants. But remember that you have to meet for the most important meal of the day, the dinner, quite late, not before 9 pm.

The Bodega Casa Montana is very famous for its tapas. It exists since 1836 so it is not only a place of food but of history as well. Two neighbors set up a small shop in between their houses to create a meeting place for everyone. Nowadays, it still offers an excellent service and a friendly atmosphere. You should really try the seafood tapas, one specialty of the Bodega Casa Montana.

One of the best places to go in Valencia for Italian food is the La Pappardella. They have developed the art of pasta and offer 29 different types of pasta. Furthermore, you can go for the typical Italian flavors, or you can go a bit more experimental, since their menu has some very exotic pastas with red curry or nut flavors. However, not only eating is an art at La Pappardella. The rooms are decorated with works of young local artists. Another plus point is the unrivalled view from the restaurant. You can enjoy the outline of the Miguelete cathedral tower while enjoying you pasta.

Night clubs in Valencia

If you feel like dancing just visit one of the clubs Valencia provides. There are many places to go in Valencia for a fun night out.

The XTRA LRGE Playground in Ruzafa offers different music nights you shouldn’t miss. From Thursday to Saturdays, the Electropura Club, also in Ruzafa, opens the doors, where you can enjoy some good electronic music and meet up with friends.

If you are more into rock music, you should try out the Peter Rock Club near Torres de Quart. According to their website, it is the place where rock lives. In addition, it really is a good place to enjoy some live music concerts in a very rocklike atmosphere. Sometimes they present some special events, too, like Halloween parties.

The High Cube at the harbor is a good place to visit in summer. Especially Erasmus students like to hang out at the High Cube, dance to the latest charts and relax outside while looking at the sea.

Locals love to dance at the MYA club, right next to the City of Arts and Sciences. It is a very stylish venue with three different music rooms, ranging from hip-hop, reggaeton, Latin music to the latest charts. Be prepared to wear your best clothes, otherwise you will have to face rejection at the door.

The cinematic experience

If you want to go to the cinema, but don’t want to miss a beautiful summer evening, the new open-air cinema is where to go in Valencia. It has been opened by the Kinépolis Marina Real cinema and is located next to the Veles e Vents building.

For non-Spanish speakers, many cinemas offer the original films. The Cine Yelmo can be found in the west of the city, in The Avenue de Tirso de Molina. They have a great selection of films, so everyone will find a film he or she will enjoy.

At the Cines Babel, you can see all kinds of original films; they show English, German, French and even Korean films. Often alternative films can be watched there as well. You can find the cinema close to the old Mestalla stadium.

Some of the most interesting independent and alternative films are screened at the Aragó Cinema. They show documentaries and short films as well and it is very popular place for local movie fans. You can find the small cinema on Avenida Aragon.