Del Diego near Gran Via in Madrid is the 1992-founded cocktail bar by Fernando del Diego, the canonical Madrid coctelero, with the Del Diego eponymous cocktail and the classic-drink-only carte.
Food program: Snacks
Tip: Closed Sundays. Cash and card accepted. The eponymous Del Diego cocktail (12 euros) is the headline; classic Negronis are the second order.
Address: Calle de la Reina 12, 28004 Madrid
Museo Chicote on Gran Via in Madrid is the 1931-founded cocktail bar by Perico Chicote, the Madrid cocktail pioneer. The room hosted Hemingway, Ava Gardner, Lola Flores and the post-war Madrid scene.
Signature drink: Dry Martini
Food: Snacks
Tip: Walk-in. The art-deco room is the headline; the dry martini (12 euros) is the canonical order. Open daily until 02:00.
Viva Madrid in Madrid's Las Letras is the 1856-founded tile-fronted cocktail bar, with a long bar, gin tonic carte and the daily-changing tapas pizarra under the original ceramic-tile ceiling.
Signature drink: Gin tonic carte
Food: Tapas
Tip: Walk-in only. The terrace on Calle Manuel Fernandez seats 8; cocktails 10 to 14 euros, tapas 5 to 12.
The Passenger on Calle del Pez in Madrid's Malasana is the train-carriage-themed cocktail bar with a jazz programme, signature cocktails and a daily-changing curated music list since 2013.
Signature drink: Jazz Age cocktails
Food: Snacks
Tip: Walk-in. The carriage-shaped room seats 30; live jazz Friday and Saturday. The Jazz Age cocktails run 11 to 13 euros.
El Jardin Secreto in Madrid's Conde Duque is the rooftop garden bar at the Hotel Innside Madrid, with views over Plaza Comendadoras, a vermut programme and a daily-changing small-plates carte.
Signature drink: Vermut tonic
Food: Tapas, small plates
Tip: Open April to October only. Walk-in until 21:00, reservation required after. The vermut tonic (8 euros) is the headline.
Azotea del Circulo on Calle de Alcala in Madrid's Centro is the rooftop of the 1926 Circulo de Bellas Artes art club, with 360-degree views over Gran Via and a cocktail-and-tapas carte.
Signature drink: Gin tonic
Food: Tapas, small plates
Tip: Entry fee 5 euros. Open daily 11:00-02:00. The sunset slot (19:30) is the busiest; book on Tickets.com to skip the queue.
The Room Madrid in Salamanca is the speakeasy-style cocktail bar by chef Paco Perez since 2019, in a hidden basement behind a hotel reception, with a 40-cover bar and signature mezcal-led carte.
Signature drink: Mezcal Old Fashioned
Food: Small plates
Tip: Closed Sundays and Mondays. Entry through the Hotel Aranda; reservation recommended for weekend evenings.
