Roa Lounge

Roa Lounge, also known as Roa Cocktails, is a small cocktail bar on Calle Salamanca, right at the corner with Conde de Altea in the Cánovas area of the Eixample. Cánovas is one of the most concentrated drinking areas in Valencia, with dozens of pubs and bars within a few blocks, and Roa is one of the spots locals use for a proper cocktail before moving on to a club, or instead of one.

The interior is compact, with neon lighting and a curved bar that give it a futuristic-meets-vintage look. Outside, there is a terrace on Plaza de Cánovas, which is the place to be on warm evenings. The staff aim to make guests feel at home, and the overall tone is that of a neighbourhood bar with good drinks rather than a hushed, formal cocktail lounge.

The drinks list centres on cocktails and long drinks made with premium spirits, and gin and tonic is one of the house specialities, with a good choice of gins. The music is house and lounge, kept at a level where conversation is still possible early in the night and turned up a little as the bar fills. It is not a club, so there are no DJ line-ups to plan around; the appeal is a good drink in a relaxed setting.

The crowd is cosmopolitan: people from the neighbourhood, groups of friends starting the night, after-work drinkers and visitors staying in the Eixample. There is no dress code as such, but the Cánovas crowd tends to dress neatly on weekend nights. The minimum age is 18.

Roa opens every day from early evening, around 19:00, until about 03:00, which makes it a useful option even on weeknights, when many places are closed. There is no entry fee; tables, especially on the terrace, can be reserved by phone or WhatsApp, which is worth doing for groups on Friday and Saturday. Prices are moderate, roughly in the 3 to 8 euro range for many drinks, with premium cocktails costing more. Other Cánovas bars and clubs are steps away, and Ruzafa is within walking distance if you want to continue the night there.