Close to the Praça da Sé, this gem of a former cinema, now a live music venue, opened in late-2011 with a show by the British band Ladytron. It's one of a string of venues in the portfolio of nightlife kingpin Facundo Guerra and his varied associates – think Lions, Vegas, Z Carniceria and Volt – and, true to Guerra's hallmark savvy and attention to detail, Cine Joia ('jewel') has had a loving restoration and remix, from the original mosaic-tiled facade and parquet floors to a new diamond-shaped bar.

A superb 'light mapping' lighting system pours 2D projections across the walls, rippling around cornices and up and down the plasterwork, mutating the look of the stage to match the band. The sloping floor, a relic from Joia's first incarnation as a 1950s cinema, means perfect views of the bands even from the back, downstairs – but note that up on the mezzanine floor, you can only properly see the band from the very front row. We've loved the place the times we've been so far, and we're enjoying the consistently interesting lineups they keep rolling out, but we're curious to see how (and if) the sound system develops – it hasn't yet matched, by a long chalk, the sometimes dazzling video-mapping and lighting displays.

• Read our feature on video mapping, including Cine Joia