Best-of list · City Guides
The 9 best bars in Madrid for 2026, from Salmon Guru and Del Diego to the Museo Chicote and the La Venencia sherry bar. Ranked and verified by our editors.
The short answer
9 ranked rooms follow. How we picked is at the end of this guide.
Madrid's bar scene runs deep, older than Barcelona's modern cocktail wave by decades. Museo Chicote opened in 1931 and served Hemingway, Sinatra and Ava Gardner; modern Madrid answers with Salmon Guru and 1862 Dry Bar at world-class level. These nine span the centro to Malasana, sherry counters to tasting-menu rooms. We checked each against current listings and venue records in June 2026 and kept only the rooms still trading. One name from the older list had closed, so we cut it.
Salmon Guru in the Barrio de las Letras is Diego Cabrera's playful flagship, a fixture on the World's 50 Best Bars list and one of Madrid's most awarded rooms. The space is bright and graphic, the cocktails precise and fun. Order the Chipotle Chillon, the bar's signature. Best late, the way Madrid drinks. For drinkers who want the city's most celebrated modern bar.
Full listing & hours →Del Diego near Gran Via has poured since 1994, opened by a former Chicote bartender and run with old-school Madrid grace. The room is classic and unhurried, the service impeccable. Order the Del Diego, the house vodka-and-apricot signature. Best on a quiet weeknight when the bartenders have time to talk. For drinkers who want a classic cocktail bar with real lineage.
Full listing & hours →Museo Chicote on Gran Via opened in 1931 and served Hemingway, Sinatra and Ava Gardner from its curved Art Deco banquettes. It leans more legend than cutting edge now, but the room is pure cinema. Order a classic Martini and soak up the history. Best early evening before the late crowd. For drinkers who want Madrid's most storied address.
Full listing & hours →1862 Dry Bar in Malasana is a candlelit two-floor room named for the year Jerry Thomas published his bartending guide. The list is classics-driven and the mood intimate. Order a well-made Sazerac or an off-menu stirred drink. Best on the lower floor, late, by candlelight. For drinkers who want serious classics without the show.
Full listing & hours →Angelita near Gran Via pairs a ground-floor wine bar with a downstairs cocktail room run by the Carballido brothers. The list is wine-led and seasonal, the cocktails thoughtful. Order a glass from the deep Spanish list, then head downstairs for a nightcap. Best as a long evening that starts with wine. For drinkers who want wine and cocktails under one roof.
Full listing & hours →La Venencia on Calle Echegaray is a sherry bar frozen in time, pouring only sherry by the copita with bills chalked on the wood. No photos, no tipping, no fuss, a Civil War survivor that keeps its own rules. Order a fino or a manzanilla with a plate of mojama. Best in the early evening. For drinkers who want Madrid's most atmospheric old bar.
Full listing & hours →Viva Madrid in the Barrio de las Letras dazzles with a tiled facade and a century-old ceramic interior, a protected landmark that doubles as a busy bar. The cocktails sharpened after Diego Cabrera's involvement. Order a gin and tonic under the painted tiles. Best for the room itself, early before it packs out. For drinkers who want history and tilework with their drink.
Full listing & hours →Macera in Malasana distils and macerates its own spirits in-house, with gin, vodka and rum infused on site from fresh fruit and herbs. The room is stripped-back and the drinks taste of the lab behind them. Order a macerated gin and tonic. Best on a weekend night when Malasana fills. For drinkers who want craft distillates at a fair price.
Full listing & hours →La Terraza del Urban crowns the design-led Hotel Urban near Puerta del Sol, a sleek rooftop with sharp views over the centre. It is a hotel terrace more than a cocktail temple, but the setting and sharing plates earn the climb. Order a gin and tonic at sunset. Best in warm weather before dinner. For drinkers who want a stylish central rooftop.
Full listing & hours →