Soul of 1927 and Rooftop, Grand Hotel Centenari Valencia – Review

Discover Soul of 1927, the signature All Day Dining restaurant of the Grand Hotel Centenari Valencia. Expect an elegant table service breakfast, tempting mid-morning snacks, and a lunch and dinner menu accompanied by live music from the pianist.

Morning light spills across marble and brass. The Art Deco bar glints at the far end and the piano waits on its platform. We’re starting our day at Soul of 1927, the All Day Dining restaurant at Grand Hotel Centenari Valencia.

Breakfast and slow mornings

This is table service, making breakfast feel luxurious. The team are unhurried, so come with time to enjoy the experience. We started with a fresh fruit and the smoothie of the day, before a soft mollete layered with jamón and tomato, Eggs Benedict on brioche. Breakfast is open to non-residents, which makes this a great meeting place for a morning catch-up or a treat before wandering to Mercado Central.

There is a mid-morning menu for the hours between breakfast and lunch. Iberian ham croquettes promise that tempting combination of crispy outside and creamy centre. Torreznos have the proper crunch. If you want something lighter, there’s dill gravlax with blinis and sour cream. Sandwiches rotate, and the Centenari ham and Comté toastie has already become an easy favourite with a short glass of vermouth.

All Day Dining

Lunch and dinner share the same menu, in the spirit of All Day Dining. The raw bar sets a bright tone. We ordered the Dénia prawns, which paired well with a dry white from Alicante. The list pays attention to the region. Wines from Valencia and Alicante appear by the glass and bottle. The dry Moscatel from Casta Diva is a reliable match for the raw bar or the grilled fish.

To share, you can pick from classics such as hand-cut Iberian ham with picos, a “matrimonio” of anchovies and boquerones with thin roasted peppers, cecina, and a coca d’esgarraet with cod and peppers. We did not try every plate, but the among starters, the kitchen offers vichyssoise with fennel and pickled mushrooms, roasted pumpkin with burrata, a tidy Niçoise, mushrooms with eggs and morcilla, and steak tartare either traditional or flashed quickly in the pan.

For mains we enjoyed the fried cod with titaina and olives. It is an honest Valencian plate and here it is done with care. We also ordered the beef tenderloin with pepper sauce. The meat came properly rested. Seasonal vegetables were cooked with a light hand so they kept flavour and texture.

If you want to range more widely, the menu runs to grilled sea bass with herb vinaigrette, arroz del senyoret with saffron alioli, a marinated and grilled picantón, veal sweetbreads from the grill, a rosemary-scented beef loin, a burger with Comté and a substantial club sandwich.

Desserts include the torrija with vanilla ice cream and a panna cotta with a berry soup, a traditional cheesecake, a chocolate cream with olive oil and sea salt, and an apple Tarte Tatin..

What lifts Soul of 1927 is the live music from Tuesday to Saturday. The pianist starts early evening and a singer often joins later. On Sundays and Mondays, the restaurant settles into a quieter rhythm. Ask for a window table if you like to watch the square as the clock strikes the hour. A banquette suits a more private supper. Villeroy & Boch china, good glassware and embroidered linen keep the setting smart.

The Rooftop

Upstairs, the rooftop changes the pace. The tower of the Central Post Office picks up the last light and bell towers across the square draw the eye.

Signature cocktails make sense here. Hilo Dorado mixes gin, elderflower, lemon and ginger, with a thread of extra virgin olive oil for texture. Línea Directa lines up vodka, green Chartreuse, lime, passion fruit and mint. Interferencias brings pisco with lavender, elderflower and lemon under a soft foam. Classics are well judged if you prefer to keep it simple. Order a couple of small plates and enjoy the regular DJs.

In practice, Soul of 1927 works across the day. Breakfast feels local. Mid-morning is casual. Lunch and dinner carry enough sophistication for a sense of occasion.