Mercado de Ruzafa

Fresh fish, vegetables, fruit and all kinds of meat; Mercado de Ruzafa is equipped with all sort of minimarkets. In the Ruzufa neighbourhood in Valencia you can find this amazing food market. The famous brother of Mercado de Ruzafa is the Mercado Central in the city centre that always attracts many visitors. Although this food Walhalla in Ruzafa is more frequented by locals, it might make it even more special and worth a visit!

History of Mercado de Ruzafa

This retro-chic building raises a lot of questions. Why these bright colours? It makes a bold statement, especially for the time in when it was built. Mercado de Ruzafa was built in the fifties with a look that can be felt up to now. In early 1954, the municipality of Valencia decided that Ruzafa would get its own fresh market, hoping that this would become the heart of the neighbourhood. Today it feels like the neighbourhood is built around it, with the beautiful San Valero church pontifically next to it.

Colourful

If you admire the building from the outside, you will notice the different colours that the fresh market has. Yet all these colours together have a function that all Valencians know. For example, the blue side of the building indicates that the fish stalls are located there. This way you can orient yourself well and you can make more targeted shopping.

Fresher than fresh

But what do you get at this fresh market? The market opens early in the morning, so you have to be there early for the freshest ingredients. Think of that delicious fresh bread in the morning, for a cup of coffee. You also get all sorts of fruit that you will not often see in your own country. Food stalls with confectionery and pastries are also plentiful, so feel free to try an empanada filled with vegetables or meat. In addition to all these fresh produce, there are also a number of kiosks outside the building such as a bicycle repair shop, a clothing store and a florist.

Around Mercado de Ruzafa

The fact that Mercado de Ruzafa is actually the underdog among the fresh markets in Valencia is now clear. That does not mean, however, that it is less worthwhile to visit. Because the locals mainly visit this market, you can taste the authentic Spanish life. The neighbourhood Ruzafa in which the fresh market is located is a neighbourhood that is becoming increasingly popular. So you see that Ruzafa is changing from a dull neighbourhood into a trendy and above all artistic place.

In Ruzafa you will find many tasty tents where you can eat and sit comfortably. There is also plenty to do around Mercado de Ruzafa! There is the beautiful baroque church, the San Valero. This church was the victim of a great fire in 1415 and then even in 1936! Fortunately everything has been restored and you can simply visit this religious gem. Furthermore, in the same street as that of the San Valero church, Carrer de Sant Valero, a wonderful churreria you should not miss..

‘El Contraste’ is such a typical Spanish churros bar where mostly Valencians come. In the morning or around 6 o’clock in the afternoon you can count on a portion of hot and fresh churros. You can eat this with a thick hot chocolate that they make at ‘El Contraste’. If you are not a fan of churros, do not worry. They have a lot more goodies!

Location
Carrer de Sant Valero 12
46005 Valencia
Website

Opening hours
Monday to Friday: 8.15-8.30
Saturday and Sunday: closed

Other nice food places

Are you completely crazy about food? Then you are at the right address here in Ruzafa. From sushi to tapas, tarts and pizzas… In Ruzafa you get it all. Ideally we would leave a whole list here with special places to eat, but to keep you from being confused we keep it ‘short’.