Cocktails, wine bars and dives: drinking in Granada for grown-ups.
Cocktail bars, wine bars, dive bars and gastropubs: drinking in Granada for grown-ups.
Bodegas Castaneda in Granada is the 1953 Calle Almireceros taberna, defining the citys free-tapa tradition with house vermut and Alpujarran cured meats.
Signature drink: House vermut on tap
Food: Free tapas with every drink
Tip: Stand at the marble bar for the free tapas; sit at a table and the menu shifts to a la carte.
Bohemia Jazz Cafe on Plaza de los Lobos in Granada is the cocktails-and-jazz room with a piano centrepiece and live sets at 22:00 every night.
Signature drink: Gin-tonic with house dry vermouth bitter
Food: Desserts and small plates only
Tip: Limited seating; arrive before 21:30 to claim a seat for the live jazz set.
Hannigan and Sons in Granada is the Cetti Meriem Irish pub with all-day breakfast, Thursday karaoke, Friday live music and Mondays pub quiz for expats.
Signature drink: Guinness pour and Irish whiskey list
Food: All-day breakfast and pub menu
Tip: The Guinness pour holds up; the Irish breakfast is the kitchens consistent order.
Mae West Cocktail Bar on Carcel Baja in Granada is the late-80s cocktail room with a working classics menu and a Spanish vermouth shelf at aperitivo hour.
Signature drink: Aperitivos with Spanish vermouth and citrus
Food: Bar snacks only
Tip: Closed Mondays; the Spanish vermouth list rotates every season and the bartender will steer the order.
El Bar de Eric in the Realejo of Granada is the rock-and-indie music bar on Calle Escuelas, with a vinyl playlist and Cervezas Alhambra Reserva on tap.
Signature drink: Cervezas Alhambra Reserva on tap
Food: Bar snacks and small plates
Tip: The smaller back room is quieter; the front bar runs the playlist loud.
Le Bar on Calle Almireceros in Granada is the discreet cocktail room near Plaza Nueva running classics and Spanish vermouth aperitivos with a tapas plate.
Signature drink: Negroni with Vermut de Granada
Food: Tapas and small plates
Tip: The Negroni with Vermut de Granada is the move; the bar takes drink orders, not table reservations.
El Aji on Placeta del Aji in the Realejo of Granada is the locals plaza bar with free tapas and a tiny terrace beside the Carmen de los Martires.
Signature drink: Cana with vermut chase
Food: Free tapas with every drink
Tip: The terrace fills first; standing at the bar is faster on weekends.
Bar Pez Gato on Veronica de la Magdalena in Granada is the indie tapas bar with creative free tapas, Andalusian vermouth and the Realejos late-evening crowd.
Signature drink: Cervezas Alhambra craft draught and Spanish vermouth
Food: Modern tapas with vegetarian options
Tip: Closed Mondays; the chalkboard tapas rotate daily and run vegetarian-friendly.
Tinto y Tinta on Calle Cardenal Mendoza in Granada is the cathedral-area tapas bar with consistent free tapas, tinto de verano on tap and a side terrace.
Signature drink: Tinto de verano and house vermut
Food: Free tapas with every drink
Tip: The vermouth pour is small but the second drink unlocks the heavier free tapa rotation.
Bar Kiki on Plaza San Nicolas in the Albayzin of Granada is the sunset bar with the most-photographed Alhambra view from a small terrace and indoor tapas.
Signature drink: Cervezas Alhambra Reserva with Alhambra sunset
Food: Free tapas and Iberian boards
Tip: Tables on the terrace are 5-euro premium; the standing area at the bar pours free tapas without the surcharge.
Tetera Al-Andalus on Calle Calderia Vieja in Granada is the Maghrebi teteria pouring mint tea and serving tagines in a candle-lit Moorish-style room.
Signature drink: Moroccan mint tea with cardamom
Food: Maghrebi pastries and tagines
Tip: No alcohol; the three-round mint tea ceremony is the standard order.
Bar Soda on Calle San Jose Baja in Granada is the late-night music bar with a craft-beer list, indie playlist and the citys most consistent IPA selection.
Signature drink: Cervezas Alhambra Negra and craft IPAs
Food: Bar snacks
Tip: Closed Mondays; opens at 21:00 and runs late, the only place pouring Cervezas Alhambra Negra outside the brewery.
La Tabernilla del Darro by Plaza Nueva in Granada is the canned-fish and garage-vermouth abaceria with natural wines and Iberian boards below the Alhambra.
Signature drink: Garage vermouth and natural wines by the glass
Food: Iberian charcuterie, smoked fish and canned conservas
Tip: Closed Mondays; Resy booking helps for the small dining room but the bar takes walk-ins on garage-vermouth pours.
Boom Boom Room in Granada is the late-night dance club near the cathedral with international DJs Thursday to Saturday and the citys latest 06:00 close.
Signature drink: Gin tonic with botanicals
Food: No food
Tip: Opens at midnight; the queue is shorter before 02:00 on weekends.
El Camborio in the Sacromonte of Granada is the cave bar above the Darro with flamenco-rock DJs, Alhambra views from the terrace and a 5am close.
Signature drink: Tinto and aguardiente
Food: Bar snacks only
Tip: Thursday to Saturday only; the terrace catches the Alhambra view at sunrise after the last set.
Bar Aliatar Los Caracoles on Plaza Aliatar in Granada is the traditional caracoles bar of the Albayzin with snail broth as the winter free tapa.
Signature drink: Cana with snail-broth tapa
Food: Caracoles, fried fish and flaming chorizo
Tip: Closed Mondays; snail broth runs October to March only, the rest of the year run fried fish.
Bar Poe on Veronica de la Magdalena in Granada is the British-run tapas bar that broke the free-tapa monoculture with Thai curry and piri-piri tapas.
Signature drink: Cervezas Alhambra with Thai curry tapa
Food: International free tapas
Tip: Cash preferred; the kitchen runs evenings only and tapas rotate every drink, so order multiple.