Coffee in Ruzafa - Cafe Artysana

Continuing my exploration of the brilliant eastern coastal city of Valencia in Spain, I wanted to show you a few of my favourite coffee spots in the cool, hipster area of Ruzafa. This is one of the areas alongside Carmen, Cuitat Vella, the Arts and Sciences buildings and the beach area that everyone should go check out, as it really does show you something of what a typical Valencian experience could be. I've previously talked about the older part of the city in Cuitat Vella, as well as the heart of the city, the Government Square and also some of the very best photo spots to indulge your Instagram addiction.

Cover image credit @ Joe Thorpe

Why Ruzafa is so good...

This district is a strong favourite for so many because it's just super relaxed. Valencia can be a noisy and busy place (with a highly unusual amount of fireworks in the day weirdly) but there are still some fun and lively places that retain a sense of calm and peace. This is definitely one of them, and my favourite coffee place in the area is called Artysana - a combination of art and health (sana).

Artysana Coffee Shop

Carrer de Dénia, 49, 46004 València, Valencia, Spain

There are fun indoor parts of the cafe, with original artwork for sale (some great, some good...some weird) as well as incredibly welcoming staff. One of the most striking thing I saw when I first came to Spain was the casual nature of service in cafes and restaurants here. Friendly doesn't really cover how nice the staff are and it's a pleasure to hang out in the garden with their great food. 

In the photo above you can get a good idea about the type of food and drinks you can find here. Mostly it's healthy and organic - so healthy and organic that it might not be to everyone's tastes. We tried one of the juices - fruit, vegetables and everything in between went into it, and although it was definitely invigorating and felt great - it wasn't the sweet sugary concoction most of us are used to! The cafe also features a 'creative area' in which they put plenty of art from up-and-coming artists, as well as more or less anything.

In the link above you can check out their menu, and see the juices with apple, carrot, beetroot, cucumber, orange and ginger - that was the one that I tried - El Arco Iris (The Rainbow). Sandwiches, salads, tapas and desserts can all be found here, all to a high level of quality both in terms of taste and health.

Another fantastic feature of Ruzafa is that although it feels very separated from the main and central parts of the city, really it's very very close. You can walk two minutes away and be at the Plaza de Toro or main shopping streets. And so it's the perfect place to avoid the crowds, to find original and exciting concepts and to explore the city.