The best cocktail and wine bars in Madrid
What to order, where to go and the little things worth knowing.
- 01
La Venencia
Sherry, chalk tabs and a gloriously dusty bar: La Venencia keeps its own rules.
OrderManzanilla or fino to start, then amontillado or oloroso, with mojama, cecina or a plate of olives.
- 02
Salmon Guru
Diego Cabrera's neon-lit cocktail playground, a regular on the World's 50 Best Bars list.
OrderA Mad Bunny cocktail and takoyaki de rabo de toro from the food menu.
- 03
Casa González
A 1931 ultramarinos turned wine bar: cheese and conservas counter at the front, wine tables at the back.
OrderA tabla de quesos, a tin of good conservas, and a glass of Spanish wine pulled from the shop shelves.
- 04
1862 Dry Bar
Old-school cocktail bar for classics done right, at prices that feel like a mistake for Madrid.
OrderA daiquiri or the Fetiche Negroni: classics and house variations are the reason to come.
- 05
Angelita
Wine upstairs, inventive cocktails downstairs, and cooking rooted in the Villalón family's garden.
OrderPisto de su huerto with a glass of wine upstairs; ask about the current cocktail list downstairs.
- 06
Museo Chicote
1931 art deco cocktail bar on Gran Vía where Hemingway, Ava Gardner and Sinatra all drank.
OrderA dry martini or the house Chicote, made with gin, dry vermouth, red curaçao and Grand Marnier.
- 07
Uskar
Segureño lamb, an aubergine with Andalusian and Chinese ideas, and a wine list worth lingering over.
OrderBrioche de cordero, berenjena asada chinocordobesa and vermut Amanecer.
- 08
La Capa
A modest dining room with a serious wine cellar, excellent kokotxas and no rush to turn your table.
OrderRusa, anchoa casera con mantequilla and kokotxas al pilpil con huevos fritos.
- 09
La Gloria de Carabanchel
Andalusian cooking and thoughtful wines in a little neighbourhood room that makes a strong case for Sunday lunch.
OrderCroquetas de puchero, albóndigas de choco y gambas and mollete de lomo en manteca.
- 10
La Grifería
Six craft taps, natural wines and artisan cheese make a good case for lingering near Marqués de Vadillo.
OrderTabla de quesos artesanales and hummus de garbanzos.
- 11
Coalla
A wine shop with tables where excellent tins and clever tostas can derail a supposedly quick aperitivo.
OrderTosta de morcilla Matachana con sardinas Güeyu Mar and mollete de pastrami.
- 12
Asturianos
Asturian stews, a glorious flan and a wine list far grander than this little dining room lets on.
OrderFabada, patatas al cabrales and flan de queso.
- 13
The Dash
A small cocktail room off Olavide where the spirits get the attention and you can still hold a conversation.
OrderBeso de Actriz or Bier Fest; Sally Brown if you're skipping alcohol.
- 14
Hotel Santo Mauro
Gresca's bikini and natural wines in a palace garden, with chestnut trees doing most of the decorating.
OrderBikini de lomo ibérico and ensaladilla rusa con buey de mar y caviar.
- 15
Papaya Destilados Artesanales
Ponzano's stop for house spirits, botanical infusions and a rum cocktail that actually tastes of papaya.
OrderEl Papayaso with ron, papaya, piña and hierbabuena; La Mula Atrevida and tequeños are good company.
- 16
Roostiq
Torreznos and champagne get the attention, but the wood oven and farm vegetables justify staying for dinner.
OrderTorreznos and pizza L.P.
- 17
Vides
Spanish wines line the bar and four cheeses fill the board at this busy little spot on Libertad.
OrderTabla mixta de cuatro quesos, lomo de orza and tortilla de patata con cebolla.
- 18
Bar Cock
A cocktail room from 1921 with the feel of an English club and a very good reason to order a dry martini.
OrderDry martini or negroni; both belong in this room of wood, leather and long conversations.
- 19
Del Diego
A family cocktail bar founded in 1992, with New York manners and a long list of classics worth lingering over.
OrderDaiquiri or piña colada; the broad cocktail list rewards keeping things classic.
- 20
Macera TallerBar
San Mateo cocktails built on house-infused spirits, with cucumber gin giving the Betty Mule its kick.
OrderBetty Mule or Paloma Macera, both from the house cocktail list.
- 21
Café Belén
Cocktails and changing art exhibitions behind the blue doors of a Chueca café dating back to 1983.
OrderMojito or Luces de la Habana, a rum cocktail with maracuyá, piña and vanilla.
- 22
La Carbonera
A cheese bar with a serious wine list, where choosing four cheeses can easily become an entire evening.
OrderTabla de cuatro quesos, burrata en tatín and tarta de queso de cabra.
- 23
De Vinos
Old tiles, sherry by the glass and a sofa at the back: De Vinos makes a quick drink surprisingly hard.
OrderTabla de quesos, hummus and a copa de jerez.
- 24
Marrufo
The old Casa Candi bar now takes tequila and mezcal seriously, while keeping the welcome pleasantly informal.
OrderEl Diablo, Alma de Cántaro or Electric Güera Acid Test.
- 25
Tempo Audiophile Club
Cocktails and careful listening upstairs, live music and DJs downstairs: choose your floor before settling in.
OrderAurora Boreal or Piel Canela, two house cocktails.
- 26
Santos y Desamparados
Gothic ironwork, dark wood and rock music frame cocktails with rather more imagination than the usual late drink.
OrderBamboo Macho and Dragón Amarillo.
- 27
Berria Wine Bar
A serious wine cellar with a Puerta de Alcalá view and enough by-the-glass choice to derail dinner plans.
OrderGilda con doble anchoa, pepito de solomillo and a copa de Saca Berria Fino Viejo.
- 28
Verdejo Restaurante y Tabanco
Marian Reguera's house of escabeches, proper cooking and sherry worth paying attention to.
OrderAlbóndigas de cazón y sepia, codornices fritas and a copa de generoso.
- 29
La Fisna Vinos
A wine shop turned intimate bar, with a croquetón that deserves as much attention as your glass.
OrderCroquetón de cecina y queso San Simón, brioche de sardina ahumada y olivada, selección de quesos La Fisna.
- 30
La Caníbal
Wine comes from taps and cheese gets its own display at this cheerfully noisy Argumosa bar.
OrderTabla de quesos La Caníbal, cerveza San Blas and vino de grifo from the Vinos Sinceros selection.
- 31
Tatema Madrid
Charred corn, clever vegetables and mezcal cocktails make this Argumosa dinner worth stretching out.
OrderMazorca tatemada, brócoli frito con sésamo y queso curado, and a Romero Mezcaloni.
- 32
Viva Madrid
An 1856 tiled tavern where Diego Cabrera pairs aperitivo classics with a proper cocktail list.
OrderMedia Combinación clásica, gilda Viva Madrid and croquetas de cocido madrileño con cecina.
- 33
Luna Rossa
A longstanding Neapolitan table where the wood oven and serious Italian wines deserve equal attention.
OrderPizza Margherita and manfredi al ragú napoletano; the slow-cooked pasta sauce is worth sharing alongside the pizza.
- 34
Cuenllas
A family grocer turned serious wine address, where smoked eel earns its place beside the bottles.
OrderAnguila ahumada sobre huevo revuelto and canelones de txangurro.
- 35
Entrevinos
A Ferraz wine taberna where the weekly pours give you a reason to linger over anchovies and artisan cheeses.
OrderAnchoas del Cantábrico con berenjena, tabla de quesos artesanos and a copa de los vinos de la semana.
- 36
Café Madrid
A former café with a second life in cocktails, including coffee and vermut in the same glass.
OrderCafé Boulevardier and Opera Clover Sour.
- 37
Doñaluz Sky Rooftop
A Montera rooftop for a pisco sour above Sol, with a bill that includes the view.
OrderDoñaluz Sour, ceviche de corvina Doñaluz and croquetas de cecina.
- 38
El Quinto Vino
A wine-loving taberna that puts callos on tortilla and gives croquetas their own starring role.
OrderCroquetas de Esperanza, tortilla con callos and carrilleras al palo cortado.
- 39
La Gintonería de Candilón
A neighbourhood cocktail bar for generous measures and an unhurried drink after dinner.
OrderPassion Shake or Manhattan.
- 40
NATO Robata & Tapas Bar
A tiny corner bar for tapas cooked over Japanese charcoal and natural wines that reward a bit of curiosity.
OrderZamburiña con mantequilla noisette, salmón on fire and a copa de vino de la casa.
- 41
Entre Santos
Chueca cocktails with a kitchen that still takes your dinner seriously after midnight.
OrderCroquetas de ropa vieja, portobello relleno de queso de cabra and an Entre Santos sin alcohol.