Café Mercedes Jazz

Café Mercedes Jazz is a small live music venue on Calle Sueca, number 27, in the heart of Ruzafa, one of Valencia's liveliest neighbourhoods for bars and restaurants. Unlike most places on this street, music is the main reason to come: the programme is built mostly around jazz and what the venue calls creative music, with room for blues, swing and other styles on some nights. It is a reference point for the city's jazz scene, frequented both by musicians and by people who simply enjoy hearing good live music up close.

The space is split into two areas: a concert room with a small stage and a bar zone for drinks and conversation. The room holds around 80 people, so the atmosphere is close and intimate, with lighting designed around the stage. One distinctive detail is that the venue is equipped to record concerts at professional quality, which allows artists to release live albums made there; part of that catalogue is sold through the venue's own shop.

Programming mixes established names from the jazz circuit with younger and emerging musicians. Concerts usually start in the evening, around half past eight, and tickets are sold in advance for each show; prices change with the artist and generally sit between 5 and 12 euros. You can eat during the concert, as the kitchen offers tostas and tapas, and the bar covers wine, beer and cocktails.

The crowd is relaxed and mixed in age: local jazz fans, musicians, neighbours from Ruzafa and visitors looking for something calmer than a club. There is no dress code and casual clothes are the norm. Entry is for adults over 18. Because the room is small, popular shows can sell out and the tables closest to the stage go first, so it pays to book ahead through the reservation section of the venue's website.

Practical tips: according to its usual schedule, Café Mercedes is closed on Sundays and Mondays and opens in the evening from Tuesday to Saturday, staying open later at weekends. The concert calendar can be quieter at some times of the year, so check what is on before you go. A good plan is an early dinner in Ruzafa, a concert here and then a drink in one of the many bars around Calle Sueca, Calle Cádiz and the Ruzafa market, all a few minutes away on foot. The venue can also be booked for private events.