Live music, jazz, soul and a distinctly bohemian atmosphere — ’24/7 Valencia’ meets the man behind one of the city’s most intimate music venues There are places in Valencia where you go for a drink. Then there are places where the music, the people and the atmosphere somehow become the reason you stay. La Vitti, tucked away on Plaça del Xúquer, belongs firmly to the second category. This small, atmospheric neighbourhood bar has built its reputation around live music, intimate performances and an eclectic crowd. Jazz is at the heart of its story, but the programme stretches across funk, soul, fusion, gypsy jazz and other styles — with the emphasis firmly on musicians rather than musical labels. We caught up with Phillip, La Vitti’s current owner, to find out more about the philosophy behind the venue, its long-running jazz tradition and the mixture of London and Valencia that has helped shape its identity.
PHILLIP: LONDON MEETS VALENCIA
24/7 Valencia: What is the philosophy behind La Vitti?
Phillip of La Vitti:
I’m actually the third owner of the venue, and what I was hoping to achieve when I took it on was to continue the legacy of the really high-quality music La Vitti has been known for, mainly thanks to the Monday sessions that have been running for more than 10 years. A huge part of that is down to Mariano Steimberg on drums, a professor at Berklee, and bassist Ales Cesarini, a bit of a local legend who’s been playing in Valencia for many years. The two of them have run the jam for a long time, and it’s attracted great musicians throughout. The idea was to carry that on and expand it, adding more genres and more nights while keeping the quality high. We’re pretty open when it comes to genre, as long as it’s not too loud, since we’re a small neighbourhood underground jazz bar.
24/7 Valencia: When is your regular Jazz Night?
Phillip: Every Monday, 8 to 9pm, is a concert with our two residents, Mariano and Ales, who bring in a third guest each week. From 9 to 10pm there’s a jam session, open to any musician who wants to come and play for free if they arrive by 9.
24/7 Valencia: Is there a particular Fusion Night?
Phillip: We don’t have one fixed fusion night as such. Thursdays, on our small stage, tend to lean more funk and soul, but it really depends on which bands and musicians are available on a given week. We also do Gypsy jazz/manouche on Wednesdays, which is 100% acoustic and has an old-school jazz feel. Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights are open to pretty much all styles, and we just see who’s around and up for filling La Vitti with great music.
24/7 Valencia: What are La Vitti’s opening hours and the best time to come?
Phillip: We’re open 5pm to 1:30am, with slightly shorter hours — opening a bit later and closing a bit earlier — Monday to Thursday, and the full 5pm to 1:30am on Fridays and Saturdays. All our live music events run 8 to 10pm. It’s first come, first served, with room for the first 50 people, and we prefer cash at the door. I’d recommend arriving at least half an hour early, around 7:30pm, to get a good table, though some people come a full hour ahead for front-row seats.
24/7 Valencia: You grew up in London but have lived in Valencia for around 20 years — how have the two cities influenced you and La Vitti?
Phillip: Growing up in London was great for exposure to lots of different cultures, backgrounds and people, and I got to hear a huge amount of great music over the years, which really shaped my ear and my openness to different styles. My father’s English and my mother’s Spanish, and I’ve now been in Valencia for more than half my life. I love the local culture, traditions and lifestyle here — they call Valencia the city of music, and you can really feel that: lots of lovely musicians and a great vibe. La Vitti is a cultural hub in its own quiet way; it’s hard to put into words, but once people come and experience it, they tend to fall in love with it, and that’s exactly what happened to me, which is why I bought the place. So, La Vitti ends up being a really nice mix of local and international people, cultures and music — very friendly, open-minded and wholesome.
🎷 A SMALL VENUE WITH A BIG MUSICAL PERSONALITY
Perhaps that explains part of La Vitti’s appeal. It isn’t trying to be a huge concert venue or a conventional nightclub. Its intimacy is part of the attraction. With space for around 50 people for its live events, the distance between audience and musicians is minimal — and on a good night, it can feel more like being invited into someone’s musical world than attending a conventional gig. The Monday jazz tradition remains at the heart of the programme, while Wednesday’s acoustic manouche nights and the funk, soul and more eclectic performances later in the week give La Vitti a constantly changing identity. For anyone interested in Valencia’s independent music scene, it’s a place worth keeping an eye on. And Phillip’s description of the venue perhaps sums it up best: local and international people, cultures and music coming together in a small neighbourhood space.
That is La Vitti.
Interview by ’24/7 Valencia’ team
Article copyright 24/7 Valencia
📍 LA VITTI
La Vitti
Plaça del Xúquer, 3
46021 València, Spain
🎶 Live music: Generally 8pm–10pm
🎷 Monday: Resident jazz concert, 8–9pm, followed by jam session, 9–10pm
🎻 Wednesday: Gypsy jazz / manouche
🎵 Thursday: Often funk and soul, depending on the programme
🎸 Friday & Saturday: Eclectic live music programme
Opening: Phillip advises 5pm–1:30am on Fridays and Saturdays, with slightly shorter hours Monday–Thursday.
Capacity for live events: Around 50 people
Entry: First come, first served; cash preferred at the door
Recommended arrival: Around 7:30pm for an 8pm performance
📱 Instagram: @lavittibar
📘 Facebook: La Vitti Valencia
☎️ Telephone: +34 664 47 06 34
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