Where to drink well in Madrid by the glass and the bottle: natural, classical, and worth the cab fare.
Wine bars in Madrid. natural, classical, and the grower-focused rooms worth the cab fare.
Angelita Madrid on Calle del Reina is the natural-wine room by the Casa Cervantes group since 2014, with 100 by-the-glass pours and a focus on Spanish small.
Signature pour: Comando G La Bruja Aveleyra, by the glass
Wine focus: Natural and small-producer Spanish wines
Food: Tapas and small plates
Tip: Closed Sun-Mon. The downstairs cocktail bar is the second-stop; the wine bar is on the ground floor.
Vinoteca Garcia de la Navarra in Madrid's Retiro near Cibeles is the by-the-glass wine bar since 2011 by the Garcia de la Navarra brothers, with 700 cellar.
Signature pour: Vega Sicilia Unico, by the glass
Wine focus: Spanish and international, 700 references
Food: Tasting room plates, seasonal carte
Tip: Closed Sundays. The by-the-glass list at the bar rotates weekly; the dining room takes reservations five days out.
Casa Salvador in Madrid's Chueca has poured the vermut de grifo and Madrileno wines since 1941, with a wood-panelled dining room, bullfighting posters.
Signature pour: House vermut by the glass
Wine focus: Vermut de grifo and Madrileno wines
Food: Tapas, raciones
Tip: Closed Mondays. The Sunday lunch is the major weekly meal; cocido madrileno on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Taberna Tempranillo on Cava Baja in Madrid's La Latina is the wine-bar headline of the Cava Baja crawl, with 200 by-the-glass Spanish references.
Signature pour: Mencia from Bierzo, by the glass
Wine focus: Spanish wines, 200 references
Food: Tapas, tablas
Tip: Walk-in only; the bar fills up Sundays during the vermut crawl. The pizarra changes daily; ask for current Mencias.
Vinos Jose Pascual on Calle Castello in Madrid's Salamanca is the wine-bar-and-shop since 1948, with 350 references on the cellar, 25 by-the-glass and tablas.
Signature pour: Tempranillo from Ribera del Duero, by the glass
Wine focus: Spanish wines, 350 references
Food: Tablas, conservas
Tip: Closed Mondays. The by-the-glass list rotates weekly; ask the staff for the current Ribera del Duero recommendations.
El Pulpito on Plaza Mayor in Madrid is the Galician wine bar and tasca with 80 by-the-glass references, pulpo a la gallega and the daily-changing pizarra.
Signature pour: Albarino from Rias Baixas, by the glass
Wine focus: Galician and Asturian wines
Food: Tablas, conservas
Tip: Closed Mondays. The terrace on Plaza Mayor seats 12; the inside dining room is wood-panelled and small.
La Venencia on Calle Echegaray in Madrid is the 1930s sherry bar where Hemingway drank manzanilla; cash-only and no photographs. Open daily 12:30 to midnight.
Signature pour: Manzanilla en rama from Sanlucar
Wine focus: Andalusian sherries (fino, manzanilla, oloroso, palo cortado, pedro ximenez)
Food: Conservas, mojama
Tip: Cash only. No photographs (rule since the 1930s). The bar serves five sherry styles and three conservas; nothing else.
La Fisna on Calle Amparo in Madrid's Lavapies is the natural-and-biodynamic wine bar since 2014, with 120 by-the-glass references and a focused.
Signature pour: Comando G by the glass
Wine focus: Natural and biodynamic Spanish wines
Food: Tapas, small plates
Tip: Closed Sun-Mon. The by-the-glass list rotates daily; the pizarra changes by season. Owner Antonio pours personally.
Vinothecvm on Calle Bravo Murillo in Madrid's Chamberi is the natural-wine bar and shop since 2018, with 150 by-the-glass references, Spanish and French.
Signature pour: Suertes del Marques from Tenerife, by the glass
Wine focus: Spanish and French natural wines
Food: Tablas, conservas
Tip: Closed Sundays. The shop is open during bar hours; bottles to take home from 18 euros and up.
El Rincon de Jaen on Cava Alta in Madrid's La Latina is the Andalusian wine bar with 90 by-the-glass references from Jerez to Montilla-Moriles.
Signature pour: Pedro Ximenez from Montilla-Moriles
Wine focus: Andalusian wines and sherries
Food: Tablas, jamon iberico
Tip: Closed Mondays. The by-the-glass sherry flight (12 euros for 4) is the headline tasting set.