Gin tonic, rum with coke and whiskey and ginger ale. All great drinks but very repetitive. What about an Old Fashioned, Vesper Martini or just on the rocks? Sounds much sexier. Cocktails are becoming a bigger trend and the quality is improving, as are the bartenders standing behind the bar.

So if you want to impress a date or your friends with some classy glasses and just plain cool-looking cocktail bars, I present you a list of some very fine venues. These venues have some excellent bartenders and the service is guaranteed to be great.

So stop deciding which gin you will pair with what tonic and enter the world of James Bond and Don Draper.

1. Le Cabrera in Bárbara de Braganza, 2

This is one of the best looking and coolest cocktail bars in Madrid. Unofficially also known as the best cocktail bar in Madrid. Opened by Diego Cabrera who hails from Quilmes, Argentina, every detail has been tended to. Although Diego has recently left the bar to open a new venue, the bar has still retained all its quality. The idea behind the bar came when Sergi Arola offered Diego, who was looking to have his own place, to be part of his project to turn the lower half of Le Cabrera into a bar.

This cocktail bar, even for all its beauty, would be worth very little without the men and women standing behind all the bottles and fruit. The bartenders regularly take part in WORLD CLASS, a competition of the best bartenders in the world, going through to the finals for Spain.

To get to the cocktail bar, you have to go down the stairs when you arrive inside. Upstairs they have a restaurant in which I have never eaten. All cocktails cost 11€ and are well worth it.

Recommended Cocktail: Old Fashioned Bourbon.

The trick with the Old Fashioned is to stir the ice for long enough (approx. 5 minutes) in the glass. The Bulleit Bourbon is a truly excellent one and has recently been launched in Spain.

Facebook
Metro: Chueca / Colon

2. Costello in Caballero de Gracia 10

Great cocktails and live music! I just love this combination. On the ground level you will find an excellent bar with house bartender regularly offering you to challenge him by making up a cocktail on the spot. All you have to do is to tell him if you prefer it sweet, sour, etc., and if you want to have a specific ingredient. Then this wizard will create it.

Downstairs is a basement with a stage and a further bar (no cocktails). Regularly offering live music of Spanish bands, this is what makes Costello unique. One of the best concerts I went to in Madrid was with the front man playing the saxophone.

Very easy to find as you start to walk to the massive McDonald’s on Gran Via and from there, the bar is located in a side street. On weekends, you will want to arrive before 22h or will have to wait a little outside.

Recommended Cocktail: Make your own! Or choose the Missionary’s Downfall (picture above)

Facebook
Metro: Gran Via / Sol

3. Only You – Barquillo 21

Opened less than 6 months ago, this hotel is very chic and modern. The reception area shows a wall of white suitcases for starters, and they have a blue room where a cup of tea or a Martini would not be out of place.

What also impresses is the friendly customer service and bright back bar lights. You can clearly see the different type of spirits on offer and nothing is hidden away or obscured.

On Thursdays, they offer an AfterWork with a different concept and music each week. The cocktails cost 11€. The menu offers a large selection of different drinks. I would recommend trying one of their 5 own creations. The menu card will also explain to you what type of flavour the different gins have.

Recommended Cocktail: Barquillo Boyz

Facebook
Metro: Chueca

4. Bon Vivant in Calle San Gregorio, 8

Another Gastrobar that recently opened in Madrid. It does concentrate more on being a restaurant but the cocktails have a great flair about them. If you order the Piña Colada it will be presented to you in a pineapple—a very real, very big and delicious pineapple.

The cocktail bar is located at the back with bright back bar lights. Take a seat at the bar and watch the bartender create the cocktail in front of your eyes. There is a lot of action; the crushed ice is made by hacking a large block of ice with a pick to pieces. Goggles are not included in the experience.

Recommended Cocktail: Pisco Sour

Facebook
Web
Metro: Chueca

If you’re more of a beer person than a cocktail person, check out our posts on Madrid’s rising beer scene:

• A Beer State of Mind in Madrid, the best places to get craft beers in the city
• La Buena Cerveza, a shop in Chueca where you can find all types of imported and craft beers, as well as do tastings and workshops

Or check out our favorite Madrid rooftops where you can have both!

• Madrid’s Best Rooftops, round 1
• Madrid’s Best Rooftops, round 2

A bucket of Heineken for 5€, a pint of Mahou for 1,50€ and a can of whatever offered for 1€ by the smiling street vendor. Cheap is easy, cheap is good. Madrid is littered with examples of how to drink to your heart’s content for under a tenner. Taste, well it all tastes the same, doesn’t it? The beer sold in more than 95% of bars in this city does taste similar. The name changes but it doesn’t matter. The aftertaste vanishes as quickly as the first round of drinks.

Price is king and we all know it. Signs of the large distributors are all around us in the areas of Malasaña and Chueca. What furthers this dominance is their implied demand that a very high percentage of a bar’s income has to be made through their products, unless the owner wants to see a rise in price per litre. This restricts to a large extent the amount of freedom given to owners under contract with the big beer companies.

Luckily, more and more bars are coming to life in this area that are looking to rediscover flavour and verve. So don’t just impress your taste buds but dive into a different and less corporate world with the below bars. Salud.

1)   La Bodega de la Ardosa in Calle Colon 13

This precious place was one of the very first Irish pubs in Madrid, opened in 1892. At the bar, you’re likely to meet Antonio or Victor, both friendly faces who’ve been at La Bodega for years. It feels like an Irish pub when you enter, yet with the unmistakable smell of tortilla in the air. This pub only serves alcoholic beers from the tap and currently serves 4 in total. It’s one of the very first pubs in Spain to import Czech beer, with its main beer being Pilsener Urquell from the city of Pilsener in Czech Republic, the birthplace of pilsner beer.

Another option is König Ludwig, a Bavarian wheat beer which is excellent for the summer time as the yeast gives it a fruity beer flavour. It won the World Beer Award for best wheat beer in 2008. Usually available from the bottle in Madrid, La Bodega offers this fine brew straight from the keg.

Also on offer is PUNK IPA from Brew Dog. Indian pale ale (IPA) that packs an even fruitier punch but never becomes sweet and retains its bitter finish. The last beer on offer is Guinness. When you enter the pub you have to turn around and face the entrance. Above the door, you’ll find a Guinness leader board. At the top you’ll find a Sebastian from Germany who drank 14 pints in under 4 hours. You would receive free pints once you had surpassed the previous top score. The competition was stopped in 1990 due to health and safety regulations.

If the front bar is too crowded, he or another waiter will offer you to climb under the bar through to the other side, which tends to be more quiet and intimate. Also, it handily places you closer to the toilets, which are at the back of the bar.

La Bodega is also renowned for having some of the best Vermouth in Madrid, an option for all the non-beer lovers. If you become a little peckish (hungry), order the tortilla or salmorejo which are both incredibly good. Each beer is offered in either pints or half pints, akin to England, and will cost you between 3.50€ to 5.50€.

Metro: Chueca / Tribunal

2)   Las Fabricas Maravillas in Calle Valverde 29

An American from Chicago and a Frenchman from Bretagne created this bar. Living in Madrid, these longtime friends were frustrated that the only decent bar they knew offering craft beer was la Cervercería Oldenburg. So approximately one and a half years ago they opened Fabricas Maravillas. Each has a master in beer brewing and all the beer is produced in the same bar you enter. You can see the fermentation tanks through the glass behind the bar.

You can choose from several varieties, some named after different areas in Madrid such as Malasaña and Valverde. They brew ales, stouts and pilsners. If you’re unsure of your selection, just ask to have a try of the beer you fancy. The staff speaks and understands English.

The bar doesn’t serve food, only a few crisps (chips for those in America) and olives. It isn’t a big bar and if you want to sit you’ll have to go early or stand up on weekends because of the amount of people that enter. The bar enjoys a healthy mix of Spanish and expats.

If you find it too crowded, you can also find Fabricas’ beer at Bar Martinez (Calle Barco 4), a 3 minute walk away, which is less known and much more likely to have a seat.

Metro: Tribunal

3)   El ANIMAL in Calle Hartzenbusch 9

With 12 different beers on tap and many more in bottles in the fridges, this bar offers a multitude of different beers with flavour. Tivo, one of the owners of ANIMAL, changes the beers on tap when the keg is empty, replacing it with another of the many craft beers he has in storage. He tastes all the beers himself before serving them to his customers, ensuring their quality is up to his standards. If you can’t get enough of discovering new craft beers, this is an ideal place to visit. ANIMAL tends to offer more Danish, English and Irish beers, in particular offering a wide selection of ales.

In September, ANIMAL will turn 2 years old. The bar is situated on the same street as the same La Cervercería Oldenburg that the two creators of Fabricas Maravillas used to frequent. Tivo speaks English and encourages it with his “we speak English” sticker on the front glass door.

He’ll serve you a small portion of food with each beer you order. Tivo knows his beers and can explain to you in detail each taste profile and how the production affected this.

Not a large bar, ANIMAL has several tables for you to sit down and eat. It doesn’t have a typical pub atmosphere due to the variety of food on offer and seating area. The food is supposed to be excellent and the smell alone made me hungry.

Facebook
Metro: Bilbao / Quevedo

4)   La Tape in Calle San Bernardo 88

A craft beer bar which feels more like a restaurant than any other bar on this list. This bar offers 7 different craft beers on tap and the best thing to do if you are entertaining visiting friends is to try the beer tasting. You’re offered to try 4 different beers on tap for 10€. They change the beers on a weekly basis except for the first or second. The first is La Virgen, a Spanish craft beer that is very light. The second is a German wheat beer that is both fruity and a bit bitter.

The true treasure, however, is their huge selection of bottled beer. They have a menu solely dedicated to beers from across the world. Be sure to look at the very back of the menu where the temporary bottled beers are displayed. They’re off the menu as soon as the last one is sold.

Two Madrileños created La Tape a little over a year ago. Having travelled across several countries and continents, they both noticed the lack of different beers on offer, and continue to travel in search of new beers to stock in their bar.

My friends have told me the food is excellent. A restaurant is situated above the bar, serving mainly Spanish dishes and offering a large selection of desserts. A pint of beer will cost between 4-6€.

Website
Metro: San Bernardo

5)   REVOLTOSA on Plaza del Rey 4 (bar under contract with one of the big guys)

As summer time is approaching fast and we want to enjoy the sun, I mention this place as an alternative. This bar has a large terrace area outside with tables and umbrellas. They offer Konig Ludwig and Grimbergen (a Belgian beer) in bottles. It is a good place to try the more popular Spanish craft beers. Their 5 Spanish craft beers on offer are Cibeles, Aoora, La Virgen, Sagra Premium and Burron de Sancho Rojo. Going early to REVOLTOSA has its advantages, as all beers will be 50 cents cheaper during the day. The night prices start from 21.00 onwards.

Facebook
Web
Metro: Banco de España / Chueca

Also check out Round 2, A Heightened Beer State of Mind in Madrid!

And…

• La Buena Cerveza, an international beer shop in Chueca offering a huge selection of beers, tastings and workshops

• Cervezas La Virgen, a microbrewery in the outskirts of Madrid offering tours, tastings and hot-dogs & sandwiches

Aió in Sardinian means “let’s go” (or “venga vamos”  in Spanish). Most likely, Andrea and Marcelo were thinking of this very expression when they decided to open a restaurant in Madrid three years ago. These two friends have brought their hometown of Sardinia with them to Malasaña, where they’ve created a magnificent combination of Italian food and true madrileño ambiance. It is basically an extraordinary place.

It was love at first sight when I came here with my friend, Nina, from Austria. We had a menú del dia for 9,50€ (11.50€ on weekends and holidays) that includes two dishes, a drink and dessert. They also have a pizza menu that comes with a salad, large pizza, drink and coffee for 10,50€; and a Sardinian menu with different regional dishes for 14€. On the weekends, it’s better to make a reservation.

We ordered fresh pasta with fresh tomato and basil; a salad and a burger with caramelized onions and homemade fries. Only if the pictures could tell you how good they tasted.

When I travel outside Spain, I always like to look for local spots, and the best indication of that is always by seeing locals themselves. Similarly, when I’m in Madrid and I go to an Italian restaurant, I like to see Italian patrons–to me that’s a sign of authenticity. At Aió , you’ll find people from all over the world, yet the clientele’s dominant nationality is Italian, by far.

You’ll also find a large biking community here. Users and lovers can find bikes hanging on the walls. Although they’re nice decoration, the real reason they’re on display is because they’re for sale. However, if you’re already happy with the bike you own, you can also park it here, as Aío’s downstairs area is a free bike drop-off point. 

Malasaña is my favorite neighbourhood to get a drink at after work. Thanks to Aío, the neighbourhood has just gotten even better. On Thursdays at 9pm (officially at 8:30pm), they offer an all-you-can-eat Italian buffet, called Aperaió. It only costs 4.50€, including the drink of your choice. Last night, I went with my wife, Daphne, to check out the buffet. The first thing we noticed was that almost everyone was drinking the Aperol Spritz, the popular Italian aperitif that combines seltzer, champagne, Aperol, a slice of orange and plenty of ice. The drink is strong and stringent, but a feel-good hit for summer.

For this modest price, I thought the food wasn’t going to blow my socks off. But I couldn’t have been more wrong. We were lucky enough to grab a seat right by the counter. As the waiters brought out dish after dish of mouth-watering Italian goodness, the patrons swarmed around the food and served themselves heaps of rice, pasta, salad and pizza. Although it was all good, the pasta was the star dish; it was creamy mushroom mini-shell pasta that the crowd just couldn’t get enough of.

The salad was far from your average ensalada mixta, as it came with all types of greens, onions, green bell peppers, cucumbers, apples, raisins and topped with a deliciously sweet vinaigrette dressing. This is officially the best deal you can find in Madrid on food and drinks.

We barely missed the pizza because it flew off the counter in a matter of seconds (that’s why there’s no picture, so you’ll have to go see for yourself!).

Facebook

Address: Calle Corredera Baja de San Pablo 25
Tlfn:  910 09 64 69
Hours: M-F 9.00-1.30 /S-S 10.00-2.00
Breakfast: M-F 9.00-13.00 /S-S 10.00-13.00
Lunch: M-F 13.00-16.00
Aperaió (buffet): Thursdays at 20:30

Growing up at my father’s coffee shop in New York — the Hungarian Pastry Shop — I remember there was a poster on the wall that featured 50 coffee shops around the world where you can think. 

Since I arrived in Madrid seven years ago, I’ve always thought that Pepe Botella should be on that poster, photographed alongside the other perfect cafés from Tel Aviv to Reykjavik.

Peer through the bay window at passersby in Plaza de Dos de Mayo in Malasaña

In my mind, cafés aren’t about who has the prettiest foam; cafés should make you feel at home. I first fell in love with Pepe Botella when I was a student. I used to bring my laptop there on Saturdays and Sundays during lunchtime when it was empty, and let the afternoon go by. Ever since, Pepe Botella has been the café I most enjoy going to with friends, family, or alone.

It just fits, whether I want to peer through the window with a coffee or a glass of wine, or disappear onto the red velvet benches in the back with a conversation or the newspaper. It’s the kind of place that invites you to stay for hours. And whenever my sister, Amanda, visits me, this is our spot. She likes to linger there as much as I do.

Pepe Botella is situated in the infamous Plaza del Dos de Mayo, named in honor of the Madrileños who rose against Napoleon on May 2nd in 1802, as well as home to Madrid’s breaking experimental movement in the eighties called La Movida Madrileña. 

The café is named after Napoleon’s brother, José I Bonaparte, who was dubbed Pepe Botella in Spain for his exorbitant drinking habits (Pepe is the Spanish nickname for Jose).

And Plaza del Dos de Mayo is nestled between the streets of Malasaña, Madrid’s trendiest neighborhood that boasts endless cafés and bars. But for me, Pepe is the best.

Also, their coffees come with delicious cookies (called pastas). Every time I ask the waiters for the chocolate ones, they give me two! And their wine comes with blue chips.

I’ve never had cocktails there, but I can say that the tables around me usually move on to the gin & tonics by 7pm.

Café Pepe Botella

• Facebook & Instagram
• Address: c/ San Andrés, 12
• Metro: Tribunal, Noviciado, Bilbao

As you walk through La Paca’s door, you feel like you’re in the right place. This funky café in Malasaña is always a good choice when you’re in the mood for a coffee, a beer, or something stronger.

La Paca’s facade on calle Valverde in Malasaña (image from Facebook)

La Paca is divided into two areas: the ground bears a worn-out floor from a different time period, when the place used to be a family’s house. Vintage furniture from every single corner of Spain fills the room: old sofas, lamps, Galician mirrors, and bird-cages. La Paca‘s owner is an antique collector who travels across Spain in pursuit of treasure troves. You can find his finest pieces either sold at his vintage store La Republicana, or displayed at La Paca.

funky furniture at La Paca

One step up and you’ll find Chema, the star bartender and the man who runs the show. As I say in Spanish, he’s “un terremoto de felicidad” (an earthquake of happiness). Working alongside Chema is his sister, Vero, who’s also the perfect host. Feel free to ask them both about the place and their drinks.

La Paca’s menu has different types of tea and coffee served with cakes (carrot, cheese or couland which is an oozy chocolate muffin-type cake),  and bizcocho (pound or sponge cake). If you’re looking for a drink, they also have a wide collection of craft beers (made from Madrid breweries) on tap, wines and cocktails.

In this quintessential Malasaña café, you’ve also got to try their tortilla de patatas (homemade Spanish omelet), it is my favourite!

my favorite tapa at La Paca

Another feature that makes La Paca so special is its events. On Wednesdays at 9pm, they have free movie night downstairs. They prepare the room in a way that reminds me of a movie night at a friend’s house; sofas and people scattered about with no order whatsoever (plus the popcorn is also free!). I went last Wednesday and saw Kill Bill I, and the week before they had shown Taxi Driver (in Spanish with no subtitles).

free movie nights on Wednesdays at La Paca in Malasaña (image from Facebook)

On Thursdays, La Paca holds acoustic music performances, making room for up and coming Spanish artists. Although Wednesday movie nights and Thursday concerts are held regularly, La Paca showcases several other events such as theater performances, independent markets, English classes, clown shows, and art exhibitions. In fact, when it comes to art exhibits, they’re booked until 2016!

Theater performance at La Paca (image from Facebook)

What I like most about La Paca‘s events is the way they’re set up. Last time I was there, I ended up sharing a few beers with Chema and Vero, and I asked them how they make money from their events. Their answer was as simple as it was nice: they just want to help people from the neighborhood. If you have a creative project and you need a place to start, you shouldn’t think twice about getting in touch with them.

Shhh…….. today is Wednesday night and the movie is about to start!

La Paca

Whenever my husband and I are in the mood to go out for a good dinner for a good price, Lateral is our spot. It’s also proven to be the most successful restaurant when it comes to taking out friends and family visiting us in Madrid, which we do quite often.

Before I go on, I must admit that Lateral is a restaurant chain (a chain!), with a handful of locations. But it’s definitely the good kind that makes you rethink what that means. Spanish cuisine can be very heavy, especially if you’re not used to it. Somehow, however, Lateral has taken what I think are the best parts of Spanish food and tweaked them to make them pleasant for absolutely all tastebuds. That’s why this is my go-to restaurant.

In addition, all their locations have spacious terrazas (outdoor seating areas) with heaters in the winter and fans in the summer, making it hard to resist at any time of year.

You are looking at the best tosta ever… with grilled pork tenderloin and melted brie

My favorite thing to order here is the tosta de solomillo con queso brie (pork tenderloin with melted brie on toast). My husband, James, always orders the same, but with cebolla caremilzada (caramelized onions). One time, James had his extended family from California visiting; two teenage girls and their parents with several food preferences to take into consideration. Out of all the restaurants we took them to, Lateral was by far their favorite. They especially loved the gazpacho because they were given the platter of freshly diced vegetables so they could garnish it themselves. And of course, they too fell in love with the tostas.

For something light, you should try the gazpacho, tartar de aguacate con salmon (fresh avocado topped with salmon, tomato and chives) and the tosta de salmon con queso brie (smoked salmon and brie cheese on a slice of toasted bread).

tosta de salmon con brie

tartar de aguacate con salmon

Although the Spanish passion for croquettes is not always understood by foreigners, las croquetas de jamón are a must here too, as are the albóndigas (meatballs). Since I always order them both, last week I decided to venture out a bit and went for the mini-hamburgers instead, and wow, that was a good choice. They’re served with a reduced Pedro Ximenez (sherry) sauce which you can sop up with bread.

mini hamburguesas con reducción de Pedro Ximenez (sherry reduction)

One of our latest and most surprising discoveries was the tortilla de patata (Spanish potato and egg omelette). This Spanish staple is so common that it had never occurred to us to order it at Lateral. But don’t be fooled, please do try their tortilla de patata right away. It’s really one of the best I’ve had in Madrid.

the tortilla de patata, a surprisingly delicious Spanish staple: potato and egg omelette

And when it comes to dessert, I recommend the tiramisu, the torrijas (a very traditional Spanish version of bread pudding; a slice of bread soaked in milk and honey, then fried and topped with whipped cream and ice cream) and you should also try the apple crumble. Again, this was a surprise. Never would I have thought that apple crumble could be so good (I’ve had it many times and it’s usually just not my cup of tea. Here, though, it truly was).

Apple and cranberry crumble topped with vanilla ice cream, to die for

To drink, I usually order tinto de verano (a great spin on sangría) which is a cold mix of red wine and a sweet Spanish seltzer called casera. During the winter, I almost always share a bottle of wine with friends. Last time the waiter recommended the Finca Vieja Reserva from La Mancha for 12E, which was very much worth it.

Price range: 10-20E per person
Web 
They have various locations in Madrid, but the two I go to are:

C/ Fuencarral, 43
Tel: 91 531 68 77

Plaza de Santa Ana, 12
Tel: 91 420 15 82

Toot toot! Old trains mixed with vintage clothes and hot dogs.

Once a month, El Mercado de Motores (meaning the Engine Market) takes over an old train museum in downtown Madrid for a unique flea market experience. Independent collectors and designers set up vintage stands right alongside Madrid’s old trains, creating a mix of 20th century charm with cluttered treasure madness.

As you walk along the platform, amidst the stands you’ll find handmade leather shoes, vintage jewellery, funkily upholstered arm chairs, quirky lamp shades, and much more. The market started out as a community-led effort to popularize second-hand goods. Now it sells everything from current designer items, chic furniture, rare art and even retro pieces, plus it also offers tons of outstanding food, a happening outdoor space, and free live music.

One of the other highlights of the market is its outdoor ambience. On a sunny day,  it’s such a nice place to eat outside with friends and family. Sample from all types of food stalls, some selling regional Spanish dishes such as paella and fabada (Asturian white bean stew), others selling sandwiches, hamburgers and hot dogs, and find a place to sit. Here’s when you should start to linger and enjoy the ambience, listening to live music as it spontaneously comes on.

My friends always get the hamburgers or hot dogs, as is tradition at an outdoor market. But I love the bocadillos de jamón serrano with a glass of red wine in a plastic cup. That’s my favorite outdoor treat.

After eating through fideau (a traditional noodle dish from Valencia) and finishing your beer or Asturian cider, feel free to move on to the cocktails. Don’t hold back.

And grab a gelato on your way out, or hop on a new bike!

Mercado de Motores gets packed to the brim, as it caters to whole families and hipsters alike. So I highly recommend going on off hours, such as 11am or right after lunch, around 4pm. Or just be prepared for a huge crowd.

Mercado de Motores: 

Where: Paseo de las delicias, 61
Metro: Delicias
When: one weekend (Sat & Sun) per month, check out their Facebook page
Hours: 11:00-22:00