Unleash your inner bohemian in Valencia’s multicultural Ruzafa neighborhood, where artists, hipsters and flippers gather. Here you can breathe in the local vibe at sidewalk cafes and restaurants, shop for vintage finds and modern design, and browse art.
Don’t miss out on an injection of true Ruzafa vibes in Valencia’s trendiest neighborhood when you vacation in the city. Located in the south-eastern part of L’Eixample, this small residential neighborhood, which was an independent city until 1877, beckons with its relaxed lifestyle and multicultural vibe.
The name Ruzafa comes from Arabic for garden and the neighborhood consisted of ornamental gardens for the Moors when they ruled Valencia.
There are no big attractions that make Ruzafa (also known as Russafa) Valencia’s hippest neighborhood. However, there are plenty of small art galleries, cool vintage shops, cafes, interesting street art, retro bars and restaurants and beautiful architecture. Spend a Friday or Saturday in Ruzafa when you visit Valencia. You’re guaranteed a cool, local bohemian vibe as locals gather on the neighborhood’s countless terraces. Be sure to check out the beautiful, brightly colored apartment buildings with iron balconies as you walk around the neighborhood.
9 am: Go to the market
Behind a barred facade in flashy orange, blue, yellow and green colors, you’ll find Ruzafa’s food market in an industrial building from 1958. From early in the morning, locals wheel shopping carts around, filling them with fresh, colorful fruits and vegetables from the many stalls. The stalls are bursting with local oranges, eggplants, tomatoes and onions, and you can also shop for to-go snacks like baked peppers and pumpkins. The market is also a great place to shop for suitcase delicacies like almonds, nuts, olive oil, ham and cheese.
Mercado de Ruzafa, Plaça del Baró de Cortés 9
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10am: Dine at Ruzafa’s best brunch café
Dulche de Leche is the favorite brunch café of the people of Ruzafa and you can enjoy it on the terrace or in the cozy café.
You can choose the cafe’s brunch menu or create your own. You order it at the glass counter, which is full of bread, buns, croissants and cakes. You can also get bagels with scrambled eggs, avocado and bacon. The café has a nice selection of freshly squeezed juices and teas as well as good coffee.
Dulce de Leche, Carrer del Pintor Gisbert 2
11:30: Art in the former sports club
The art and culture association Sporting Club Russafa is a unique mix of gallery, artist workshops and performance space. From the outside you can only see the long, narrow gallery, but at the end of it, a lot of small workshops open up, gathered around a large stage. Visual artists, jewelry designers, photographers and architects work in the workshops, and it is their work that you can experience in the gallery.
Before the artists took over the space, it housed the neighborhood boxing club and later a football club. The football club’s banner still adorns the room above the stage, where performances are held on Saturdays.
You are welcome to look over the artists’ shoulders as they work, and they are happy to talk about their work.
Sporting Club Russafa, Carrer de Sevilla 5
13:00: Visit the modernist station
The eye is immediately drawn to the creamy yellow facade with beautiful decorations and fine lampposts in front. Located on the edge of the Ruzafa neighborhood, all regional trains to and from the city run to and from the station.
The Estación del Norte is an architectural gem dating back to 1917, with a modernist style and a façade decorated with typical Valencian elements such as oranges. Inside the waiting room, with fine wall and ceiling decorations, tickets are still sold from the old wooden shutters and travelers wait on benches that wrap around the most beautiful mosaic columns.
On the rightmost platform you’ll find a cafeteria that has retained its original decor with tiled walls, dome lamps and dark wooden furniture.
Estació del Norte, Carrer de Xàtiva 24
14:30 Green lunch at the Copenhagen restaurant
Hiding behind a narrow dark green facade and a discreet sign, Copenhagen is Ruzafa’s trendiest vegetarian restaurant. Here you can enjoy modern vegetarian dishes in an avant-garde setting.
The restaurant is named after the Danish capital because the Spanish owners want to pass on the Scandinavian tradition and lifestyle. This is reflected in the individual dishes and the selection of ingredients. However, Copenhagen also adds a Mediterranean twist and supplements with Japanese and Thai-inspired dishes. The staff are attentive and attentive.
The decor in the elongated room is also Nordic-inspired – minimalist with light walls and oak tables and bar counters. If you arrive early, you might be lucky enough to get one of the few tables in the sun outside.
The menu changes daily and includes simple reinterpretations of pasta dishes, burgers, vegetable toasts, Thai pasta and salads. The restaurant is part of Grupo Copenhagen, which also runs sister restaurants in Oslo and Malmö.
Restaurante Copenhagen, Carrer del Literat Azorín 8
16:00: The Jewish House
Ruzafa is packed with beautiful buildings, but the gem is definitely the Jewish House, named after the Star of David that adorns the entrance.
The original house with an abundance of colors, from burnt orange on the top floor to blue-green on the ground floor, was built in 1930 by local architect Juan Francisco Guardiola Martínez. The seven-story building is a fine example of modernista architecture inspired by Arabic, Egyptian and Hebrew styles, among others. This is where Valencia’s Jewish community met in secret. Today, it is occasionally open to the public so you can take a peek inside.
La Casa Judía, Carrer de Castelló 20
17:00: Shop vintage finds and modern design
Ruzafa is full of small vintage and designer shops, so take your time exploring them. You’ll have a great opportunity to pick up an original souvenir to take home.
Behind an eye-catching yellow, green and pink 1980s-style facade you’ll find the design shop GNOMO, where you’ll find the gift for the design-conscious man or woman. T-shirts with local Ruzafa prints that many locals wear on the streets, graphic prints with local prints, postcards, geometric picture frames, flower pots, jewelry and decorative ceramic birds. GNOMO has a nice selection for the home and also a designer stand for the bike. Most of the products are created in collaboration with local artists.
GNOMO, Carrer de Cuba 32
Vintage finds with great stories
At the vintage shop, Kowalski, you can shop for everything from painting supplies and pictures to vintage sunglasses, boots and clothes. The owner himself is behind the counter and is happy to tell you the story behind the many items that the shop is filled with. There is also a selection of new products.
Kowalski, Carrer de Dénia 20
Madame Mim’s lavish cave
Continue your shopping trip in the vintage store Madam Mim, which feels like stepping into a completely different world. The theatrically decorated shop is brimming with everything a vintage heart could desire. Dresses, jumpsuits, sunglasses, bags and jewelry from decades gone by mingle with quirky trinkets, watches, boxes and lamps.
Madame Mim, Carrer de Puerto Rico 30
19:00: Pitshop at the book café
Ubik Café exudes the good vibes and bohemian/hipster soul of Ruzafa. The popular café is decorated with vintage furniture and shelves of books, and there’s even a red corner for the kids. The books are Spanish and a mix of new and used books that you can buy.
Ubik Café regularly hosts concerts and cultural events. Enjoy a local craft beer or a coffee at one of the wooden tables, the bar or an armchair overlooking the street life. You can also enjoy a lunch menu, salads, sandwiches and pastries at reasonable prices.
Ubik Café, Carrer del Literat Azorín 13
20:30: Urban dinner at Ricard Camarena
Ask a local about the best places to eat in Valencia and chances are one of celebrity and Michelin-starred chef Ricard Camarena’s restaurants will be mentioned.
Camarena’s most electric and casual restaurant is Canalla Bistro in the Ruzafa neighborhood. The decor is New York style with quirky touches like plastic pig heads on the walls. You’ll go all over the world on the plates, which consist of creative dishes like pastrami sandwiches, slow-roasted pork tacos, smoked beer nigiri and avocado cannelloni with marinated tuna and salsa.
Book a table in advance.
Canalla Bistro, Carrer del Mestre Josep Serrano 5
More travel tips for Valencia
Find more inspiration for your vacation in Valencia in the Valencia city guide. Also read the guide to green experiences in Valencia, design experiences in Valencia and how you can learn how to make authentic paella in a workshop.
For a taste of Valencia in your own kitchen, try the recipes for paella and Valencia’s signature drink – Agua de Valencia.
