When people talk to you about Valencia, travellers mostly, they will talk about Carmen and Ruzafa. They are great areas but El Cabanyal is where the cool kids are hanging out these days.
While walking its streets, at that early time of the evening when in Spain it is almost a felony to ask for dinner; that would be between 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 pm; I stopped by a bar I was sure they would have some type of tapas to keep us going. The girl very kindly said I could have drinks and olives. No food was being served.
Taking interest in our starvation she pointed to La Batisfera, a cafe/ library a few blocks away where they sure would be serving something to manage our cravings with. In in English: bathysphere. What a cool name.
We ventured into it and we were not disappointed. They had craft beer on draft. Vegan and meat dishes, plus a relaxed atmosphere. I ordered a provolone bake and my partner a Spanish style frittata.
Besides a library, they do regular events in the cafe area. Beer tasting, gallery exhibits, and general meet-ups. While there, a beer tasting kicked off. The place is a great find for either sitting on your laptop for a work session or mingling with the hipster kids of Valencia.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get to check out other spots in this area because, unknowingly, the day we tried to explore it was the launching of the Fallas festival, Valencia’s main party week. So, all the restaurants and bars had been pre-booked.