Our hotel for a couple of days in Valencia next month will be located near Plaza del Ayuntamiento. DH and I would be very grateful for recommendations for inexpensive, but good tapas bars in that neighborhood. Are there any that serve food between the hours of 5 and 8 p.m., or do they all close at that time?

Plenty of places around there.
Some hole-in -the-wall type places ..one I like is near the central market near Plaza Collado (to the right and behind the Lonja building).
It is called el "Kiosko".

Good food but typical ambience-free place.

"Sagardi" walking from Pl. Ayto towards Cathedral area on your LEFT is quite attractive. Prices have gone way up there, but it is a very pleasant place.

"Bar Amoros" has been around for years and does have some good tapas.

There will be plenty open around there at any time of day.

Friends like the patatas bravas at a place up near the fountain at the Plaza de la Virgen. I have not been there, so I am not much help on the name, but do try the following:

patatas bravas
sepia a la plancha
croquetas (bacalao--cod, or pollo..chicken)
Tortilla de patata con or sin cebolla ( with or without onion). I prefer CON.
Bocadillos can be very good.

Crema catalana is a dessert most like. It is similar to creme brulée

Quite a few new places have opened up on the Plaza de la Reina, (before the Cathedral).
One simple one, not tapas, but a quick cheap bite to eat, is "100 Montaditos". As you walk towards the church it will be on your left. They have 100 different tiny finger sandwiches to choose from.

Write your order on a paper, turn it in, collect drink and pay, then they call your name to collect the sandwiches. Probably about 6-8 euros/person.

There are several more tapas places across the street between Chocolate Valor and Finnegan's.

For chocolate and fresh churros go to Choclatería Santa Catalina, right there at the begining of the plaza to your left, near the Santa Catalina church.

A favorite sweet snack /drink I get is from .. don't cringe everybody... Mac Donald's. It is called "café-Helado". Espresso coffee with a big glob of ice cream. And one euro! (sometimes a bit more)

For a nice meal, try a menu of the day at SEU XEREA. This is a delightful upscale place, chef is British and his food may be a nice reprieve from the traditional fare.It is found behind the Cathedral, just past the fountain on a side street, calle Almodovar, perpendicular to the plaza, but in front of you on the left.

There is a very good buffet lunch at Hotel Victoria, right there on calle las Barcas, if you are fairly hungry. Total is 19 euros with wine, I believe.

Thre will be plenty of lunch menus for half that much around, too.

Do head to the beach Malvarosa area. I enjoy a drink or snack/meal at Latitude 39. Great view of the coast and wannabe surfers below.

Enjoy Valencia. I hope the weather improves all over the country. Between the snow elsewhere and downpouring of rain here.. it is not a pleasant Easter vacation so far.

thanks for your recs lincasanova! I am adding it to my file for my September visit. We are staying near Plaza Vincent Iborra, but I don't think it is too far to walk from there to any of these.

In addition: the atmospheric "Bar Pilar" at Moro Zeit 13. Speciality: clochinas (mussels).

Yes, Revulgo! Definitely Bar el Pilar! Should be at the TOP of the list.

You can tell I haven't been out much lately! That is one of my must-go places with friends and it has a more historic atmosphere.

The Institute Francais is across the street, where you can also get a decent lunch for a decent price when they are open.

If you get to any of these places "early" Spanish time, you should have no problem getting in.

Are some tapas places open all day, with no closing time? Will we find many open between the hours of 5 and 8 p.m.? We're hoping to eat our large meals at noon while in Spain, grazing on tapas in the early evenings. We're "over 60" and don't sleep well when we eat after 8 p.m.!

Some places are open all day.

Noon is quite early for a "big" meal. But you will find plenty to calm your cravIngs. But actual restaurants will not be open until later than the times you have posted.

Anthony Bourdain on the Travel Channel did a show in a small coastal town north of Barcelona.

The bar they featured had normal tapas but they also had locally-canned seafood delicacies which were superexpensive, something like several hundred Euros for a small tin.

The canning process apparently produced special flavors.