The narrow medieval streets inside Ciutat Vella: bar-crawl central, late-night agua de Valencia, and the Torres de Quart.
La Pilareta on Carrer del Moro Zeit in Valencia's Carmen quarter has run a counter-tile bar since 1917, famous across the city for its clochinas (small native mussels).
Signature: Clochinas, Esgarraet, Anchoas
Order: A platter of clochinas with lemon, salt and pepper, and a cana of Estrella Galicia.
Tip: Cash preferred. The clochinas season runs roughly May to September; out of season ask for mussels (mejillones).
Bodeguilla del Gato in Valencia's Carmen quarter is a corner tapas bar with a wide carte of tapas and bocadillos, a wood-bar counter and a small terrace on a quiet plaza.
Signature: Bombas, Patatas bravas, Tapas surtidas
Order: The bomba (a fried potato-and-meat ball) with the spicy and the alioli sauces; a glass of vermut from the tap.
Tip: Tiny dining room; come early for lunch (before 13:30) or be ready to wait. Closed Sunday and Monday.
El Tap on Carrer de Roteros in Valencia's Carmen quarter is a chef-driven modern Valencian bistro with daily tasting menus and a strong arroz turn.
Signature: Tasting menu, Arroz, Croquetas
Order: The shorter tasting menu (around 38 euros at lunch) with the day's rice.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. Reserve a few days ahead for weekend lunch.
Jimmy Glass on Carrer del Baix in Valencia's Carmen is the city's leading jazz club, with nightly live sets from local and international jazz musicians since 1999.
Tip: Nightly sets at 22:30 and 00:30. Reserve through the website; the room is small.
Radio City on Carrer de Santa Teresa in Valencia's Carmen is a long-running cultural-club venue with live flamenco, jazz, world music and electronic sets in a tile-bar room.
Tip: Tuesday flamenco night is the local fixture. Doors at 22:30.
La Goulue on Carrer dels Cavallers in Valencia's Carmen is a long-running LGBTQ bar with a relaxed wine-and-cocktail vibe, popular as a pre-club gathering spot.
Tip: Open Wed to Sun from 19:00. The Friday cocktail night is the local pre-Deseo move.
Venial in Valencia's Carmen is an LGBTQ dance bar with daily drag and DJ nights, a small dance floor and a long-running local following.
Tip: Doors at 22:00 most nights. The Saturday drag show is the headline event.
Cafe de las Horas in Valencia's old town is a baroque-decor late-night cocktail and agua-de-valencia bar, with a candle-lit theatrical room open until 02:00.
Tip: Open daily through the day; the room is most atmospheric at dusk. No reservations.
Bar Negrito on Placa del Negret in Valencia's Carmen is a classic vermut and wine bar with a small plaza terrace, open late on weekends with a working-class dive vibe.
Tip: Plaza terrace from sundown. Cash preferred.
The Shamrock on Plaza Negret in Valencia's Carmen is a classic Irish pub with Guinness on tap, a young expat-and-Erasmus crowd and live football on the screen.
Tip: Open daily until 02:30. The Sunday Premier-League afternoon is the local fixture.
Fox Congo on Carrer dels Cavallers in Valencia's Carmen is a long-running cocktail dive with a 250-cocktail menu, low-lit room and a 03:00 closing time.
Tip: Open daily 19:00 to 03:30. The mojito and the negroni are the house orders.
Ghecko on Placa del Negret in Valencia's Carmen is a corner bar with a small terrace, a classic Spanish-cocktail list and a young crowd that runs late on weekends.
Tip: Open daily 17:00 to 02:30. The vermut hour is the local move.