Bon Appetit

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• Jamón del Medio read more ›
  (47 Calle Conde Altea. Tel. 963 449 885)
  This popular jamonería (cured ham specialist) can be found at the riverside end of the popular restaurant, café and bar thoroughfare Calle Conde Altea.
• Fast Good read more ›
  (26 Gran Via Marques del Turia. Tel. 96 374 8407)
  Top Catalan chef Ferran Adrià turns his hand to gastronomic fast food at this colourful diner. Try the Italian beef burger to test the fusion.
• Sandwichtown read more ›
  (3 Calle del Convento de San Francisco. Tel. 963 813 040)
  Tucked behind the busy Plaza Ayuntamiento, this sandwich bar and art gallery offers a little slice of calm away from the crowds.
• Sagardi read more ›
  (6 Calle San Vicente Mártir. Tel. 963 910 668)
  Lean over from your stool and take your pick from the colourful array of Basque pintxos (tiny open sandwiches) displayed across the bar. Remember to keep every toothpick so you know how many to pay for.
• El Rebujito read more ›
  (71 Calle Cádiz. Tel. 963 332 725)
  On the edge of bustling market district Russafa, locals flock to this cosy bar where cured hams and Rioja bottles hang from the bare brick walls. Serves fab chunky tortilla, hams and cheeses.
• La Xirgu read more ›
  (4 Calle Los Borja. Tel. 963 922 735 )
  Although it's tempting to overindulge with enormous pitta bread sandwiches, save some room for gloopy home-made chocolate cake in this fashionable bohemian café.

• Menorca XXII read more ›
  (Hotel Urbem Valencia, 22 Calle Menorca. Tel. 902 161 620)
  Every weekend this month the four-star hotel offers guests and non-guests the most extensive brunch buffet in town. Pay €20 on your chosen lazy Sunday (from 11am).
• Cadiz 70 read more ›
  (70 Calle Cádiz, Russafa. Tel. 96 334 1574)
  Serves imaginative tapas to a friendly crowd of locals. Bag a table early on Thursday night for the popular live jazz show. There's also a good-value menú del día.
• Miss Sushi read more ›
  (9 Plaza Cánovas. Tel. 960 614 614)
  The neon-pink colour scheme takes a little getting used to but the hand-rolled Japanese classics coming from the kitchen are an immediate hit. Try the 24-piece MissyouToo platter for a little bit of everything.
• La Galette read more ›
  (17 Calle Doctor Serrano. Tel. 963 413 927)
  Enjoy the unmistakeable taste of northern France at this appropriately styled galette house in Ruzafa. Sweet and savoury galettes, cups of cider and heaving salads await.
• El Sequer de Tonica read more ›
  (85 Calle Redolins, El Palmar. Tel. 961 620 224)
  A short journey from the city, near giant salt lagoon Albufera, El Sequer proves that paella is not the region's only speciality. Tuck into ample portions of arròs a banda (saffron rice and squid) and arròs al forn (oven-baked rice).
• Beirut King read more ›
  (4 Calle Felip María Garín, Mestalla. Tel. 963 372 164)
  Graze on houmus and other dips, falafel wraps and fresh kebabs in this sleek contemporary Lebanese restaurant fitted with bizarre light installations depicting Beirut landscapes.

• Palace Fesol read more ›
  (7 Calle Hernán Cortés. Tel. 963 529 323)
  Since 1909 four generations of the same family have ensured that the menu never loses the flavour of Valencian regional cooking. Unrivalled specialists in paella and Mediterranean fish preparation.
• Tacita de Plata read more ›
  (12 Calle Blanquerías. Tel. 96 391 1106)
  This stylish little restaurant near the Torres de Serranos specialises in classic Spanish tapas and simple main dishes using superior regional ingredients.
• Commo read more ›
  (3 Calle de Pascual y Genís. Tel. 963 523 649)
  This stylish newcomer takes classic Mediterranean ingredients to the limits with a menu of innovative combinations and artistic presentation.
• Tastem read more ›
  (14 Calle Ernesto Ferrer. Tel. 963 696 851)
  Learn your first word in Valenciano (tastem, meaning taste it) then reward yourself by tucking into the chef's special sushi platter for €38.
• Moma read more ›
  (16 Calle Corregería. Tel. 963 926 462)
  A smart, contemporary and intimate restaurant where simple Mediterranean dishes are cooked to perfection. Try the broad bean and ham salad.
• El Tamboril read more ›
  (18 Avenida Navarro Reverter . Tel. 963 346 849)
  Classic Basque cooking is served in this quirky but opulent restaurant. White décor offsets the large Baroque friezes on the walls. Live piano on Tuesday and Wednesday nights.

• Restaurant Riff read more ›
  (18 Calle Conde Altea. Tel. 963 335 353)
  Head chef and owner Bernd Knöller has invested 15 years of his life into this establishment. The monthly tasting menu of his Mediterranean-inspired creative concoctions (about €65) is the best way to see the results of all his hard work.
• Joaquin Schmidt read more ›
  (7 Calle Visitación. Tel. 96 340 1710)
  By only serving 30 covers each night, Mr Schmidt can hold true to his philosophy to cook each day for 30 friends. Book early and enjoy the quirky atmosphere and his experimental cuisine. Just north of the Turia River.
• Xino Sáez read more ›
  (9B Avenida Jacinto Benavente. Tel. 963 523 649)
  Smart restaurant, just metres from the Turia riverbed, that offers an exceptional menu featuring superior Spanish ingredients. Large, round tables help create the perfect venue for formal business meetings or special occasion dining.
• El Alto de Colón read more ›
  (Calle Conde de Salvatierra. Tel. 963 530 900)
  Set into the highest point of this former market's Modernist architecture, this top-quality restaurant also reached the dizzying heights of finalist at last year's prestigious gastronomy congress Madrid Fusión.
• Senzone Palau de la Mar read more ›
  (Palau del Mar, 14 Calle Navarro Reverter. Tel. 963 162 884 )
  Enjoy a cocktail in the futuristic monochrome lounge before heading to the chic restaurant in the luxury boutique hotel.
• Torrijos read more ›
  (4 Calle Doctor Sumsi, Russafa. Tel. 963 732 949)
  Contemporary Michelin-starred restaurant decorated in bright zesty colours with dark-wood furniture. Book ahead for Cocina en Vivo where you can join the head chef in preparing some of his signature dishes.

After Dark

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• Atmosphère read more ›
  (6 Moro Zeit, Barrio Carmen. Tel. 963 920 009)
  Open from 8am, this bright and airy café in the heart of the city's French Institute is one of those rare places to head for a quiet, relatively smoke-free coffee.
• Café Tocado read more ›
  (44 Calle Cádiz. )
  This little café/bar has entertained the locals with live performances and art exhibitions since 1994. And the tables have been out on the roadside terrace since spring. Enjoy!
• Luna Luna Bar read more ›
  (6 Calle Profesor Doctor Don José Gascó y Oliag. Tel. 963 369 425)
  Bright and stylish bar in the heart of the university district. As popular in the daytime for its laid-back vibe as it is when the music turns up a notch at night
• Ubik Café read more ›
  (13 Calle Literato Azorín. )
  This brand-new culture café in Ruzafa is now one of the funkiest places in town to flip through the pages of your favourite Cervantes novel with a glass of wine and tapas.
• Café Dublin read more ›
  (51 Calle Sueca. Tel. 963 328 641)
  Modern, arty café/bar where funky lounge music and colourful light installations around the bar are a great pick-me-up, as are the complimentary nibbles with drinks.
• Sherlock Holmes read more ›
  (3 Plaza Manises. Tel. 963 918 342)
  Serving a wide range of specialist beers with an impressive beer menu to prove it, the Sherlock Holmes is one of the best, and most welcoming, Irish pubs in Valencia. Catch weekly live music.

• Sala Wah Wah read more ›
  (52 Campoamor. Tel. 963 563 942)
  Live music from the local and international indie, underground and alternative music scene. Summer is the best time for bands to see bands all over Valencia, so keep an eye on listings.
• IVAM read more ›
  (118 Calle de Guillem de Castro. Tel. 96 386 3000)
  Every month the city's premier contemporary arts museum hosts free jazz nights. Head down on Friday to catch local and international jazz stars perfom.
• Wah Wah Club read more ›
  (52 Calle Campoamor. )
  In the heart of the student hub, the Wah Wah club plays host to a mix of thrashy guitar acts and mellow acoustic artists, who quickly fill the tiny stage.
• Magazine Club read more ›
  (19 Calle Pérez Escrich. )
  Hot off the presses, this new magnet for the too-cool-for-school brigade is the best place in town to hear the finest alternative pop-rock and punk anthems. And show off you new skinny jeans.
• El Toro y La Luna read more ›
  (14 Plaza Mestre Ripoll. Tel. 963 721 622)
  Kitted out like an Almodóvar film set, this taverna is gregarious, colourful and outrageous. Book a table and enjoy tapas and drinks while watching top-notch live flamenco.
• Jimmy Glass Jazz Bar read more ›
  (28 Calle Baja, Carmen. )
  Dimly lit with spotlights over the bar, black-and-white photos on the walls and cosy little round tables, Jimmy Glass Jazz Bar could be straight out of a film-noir flick.

• Mirror read more ›
  (200 Calle San Vicente. )
  Nightclub and live music venue that hosts some of the best bands and DJs in town. Stays open until 7.30am, so no need to rush through the doors straight after dinner on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday night.
• L'Umbracle read more ›
  (Avenida del Saler. )
  Summer has arrived and the best open-air club in town has opened within the futuristic architecture of the City of Arts and Sciences complex, The place to head if you're still looking sharp after midnight.
• Gandhara Chill Out read more ›
  (226 Eugenia Viñes, Playa Malvarrosa. Tel. 963 710 025)
  Don't let the name deceive you, this club behind Malvarrosa Beach is a genuine hotspot when the sun goes down. Crowds are drawn to the best hip hop and soul DJ in the city, Cosy O.
• Laydown Rest&Club read more ›
  (16 Calle Tirso de Molina. Tel. 963 487 077)
  What could be better than lying horizontal on one of the large white beds as DJs spin mellow house and funk classics for your pleasure? Easy. Someone carrying cocktails to you at the same time!
• Flow read more ›
  (35 Plaza Honduras (off Blasco Ibañez). )
  With leopard-print projected onto the walls and DJs spinning mesmerising electronica and hard house, Flow draws a high-spirited and kooky crowd en route to nearby Excuse Me? club.
• Pinball read more ›
  (3 Calle Concordia. )
  Kitsch vintage-style bar in the heart of Carmen. White plastic seats, pop-art and disco balls set the scene as a young and arty crowd sway to funky soul on the tiny dance floor.

This month...

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Tips

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