Valencia is a city already blessed with a vast range of different food options to fit practically every taste and budget, the hip Mercado de la Imprenta has arrived. Pairing a timeless old charm with contemporary modern eating, The Inside Guide headed inside for a closer look. 

Attention all foodies of Valencia

Some great cities are full of old world charm, historic buildings and timeless monuments. Others are modern or even futuristic. Valencia is both of these things. A heady mixture of old and new. Historic yes but also with its feet very much in the present.   Like the city it is located in, the Mercado de la Imprenta is a glorious mixture of old and new. Built in 1908, the building was originally a large printing house which subsequently lay dormant for many years. The revamp has kept the very essence of the building intact, the different stalls where previously one would go for printing services replaced with different food stands selling a variety of different and drinks options. The end result is one of the most unique places to eat in the whole of Valencia.

Where in Valencia is it?

The Mercado de la Imprenta is based in Arrancapins, one of our favourite neighbourhoods in Valencia. It’s just out of the centre but you can walk to it in less than 10 mins from Plaza de España metro station. When you get close look for Carrer de la Mascota and follow it to the end. As an aside, if you are using street view on Google maps you can see that for many years the site was boarded up, hidden behind a big gate. I love to see places being given a new lease of life and as you will see this is a great example.

If variety is the spice of life, then…

With 21 stalls, there is a great range of food to choose from. Each of them specialise in something different. This is nothing like a shopping centre food court with a dozen or so chain restaurants lumped together. In fact, there are no chain restaurants, instead a curated selection of restaurants which should appease most foodies. The variety of stalls each offering something different is surely half the fun. Last time I went we opted for a Lebanese starter of falafel, Argentinian style steak sandwich with just the right amount of chimichurri as a main and Spanish style arroz con leche as a dessert. With so many options, why stick to just one kind of cuisine? 

If you are looking for a better view, take your food upstairs or enjoy a quiet drink at the upstairs bar.

There are plenty of other things we could have chosen as well, with some excellent looking sushi, an appetising Italian option and that’s without mentioning the Charcuterie options. Last time I went with a vegetarian and it gave him more options to choose than you would often see in some parts of town. If you are planning to eat out in a large group with people with different dietary requirements the mercado could be a good option for you. 

Your round or mine?

You order beers, soft drinks and cocktails in the central stall, use the touch screen machines, available in Spanish and English to make your choice. There are a range of beer options including some Belgian beers, Brewdog and O’hara’s Irish stout as well as a range of beers from the Estrella Galicia group. Is it a spot for a few drinks? I would say yes and no. Certainly there are better value options in town but It does have a decent range of beers that are on the unusual side here in Spain so if that’s your thing you might want to check out the two pints for €12 offer. Valencia has plenty of options nowadays for beer lovers though so perhaps consider this more a food location. Wine, coffee and vermouth all have their own stalls and each If you are looking for something fancier. While the choices in all of these options are top draw it seemed a bit expensive, especially coming from a country where good wine is so abundant and cheap. A small glass of the wine of the week will cost you €3.80. There is also a bar upstairs which doesn’t seem to be open all the time, but when it is very few people seemed to notice so if you are looking for a quieter drink it would be my preferred choice. 

Perfect for the indecisive

If you are looking for a place to go with family or friends but can’t decide on where you want to go or what you want to eat then you could do a lot worse than choose the Mercado.  I would Let everyone peruse the different stalls, make their choices and then meet up in the middle with your food.

When you order your food you are given one of those buzzer things that lets you know when it is ready. You collect everything yourself as there are no waiting staff on hand. I have seen some people say that tables were left messy but that wasn’t something I overly noticed when I went and there were plenty of staff on hand cleaning tables and keeping everything ticking over.

Perfect for a mild Valencia night 

In completing my research I visited again in the early evening after New Year. The Christmas lights on the outside definitely welcome you in from the mild Valencian winter!  I arrived at about half seven and the place was busy without feeling overcrowded. Although it was too early for most people to be sitting down for dinner, there was a buzz as people enjoyed drinks and a pre-dinner bite to eat. The place had a really nice vibe to it, atmospheric lighting and music played at the right volume. I wasn’t planning to stay long but the ambience made me want to grab a drink and something to snack on and join the fun.

Final thoughts

While not on the scale of the San Miguel market in Madrid, nor the Time Out market in Lisbon, the Mercado de la imprenta is an impressive affair.  The design really pays homage to the heritage of the building. The neighbourhood, just out of the centre of Valencia has a great vibe and is well worth exploring. The inside is a well thought out mixture of modern lights, textures and material successfully combined with old world charm. The result is a place that is really enjoyable to be. There are a good range of food options and drinks to choose from with options for a main meal or something lighter. Next time you find yourself arguing with friends on where to eat in Valencia, try out the Mercado and let everyone decide for themselves.