Five historic taverns in Madrid where you can experience Spain’s wine culture
José Luis Rodríguez Martínez takes us on a tour of Madrid taverns with a flavour of the past.
José Luis Rodríguez Martínez is a journalist and expert in communications and branding who is passionate about wine. He curates Cepas Viejas, a podcast that explores the place of wine and vine in the history of Spain and Latin America. He is also the presenter of a new series, Historias del Vino, on Radio 5 of Spain’s national radio network (RNE).
The city of Madrid still harbours hidden treasures, out of sight of most tourists, which share a passion for appreciating wine. These are places that have maintained the ambience of a family-owned business and a sense of the past.
Establishments such as De Vinos, El Tempranillo, Bodegas Casas, Vinícola Mentridana and Bodegas Rosell offer a glimpse of the bustling and vibrant city that was Spain’s capital at the beginning of the 20th century.
These taverns share not only the aesthetics, furniture, tiled walls and colourful floor tiles that defined wine shops of old – those places where locals and occasional visitors filled their flasks, pitchers and demijohns to enjoy at home – but also two further qualities for those seeking an authentic connection with Spanish wine culture: a warm and highly personal approach towards customers, and, above all, an informal and relaxed atmosphere that fosters conversation and human connection.
Each of these places embodies, in its own way, a slice of an older Madrid that endures among the brick buildings, the corralas (shared courtyard housing) and the traditional markets of neighbourhoods such as Malasaña, La Latina, Pacífico, Lavapiés, and Delicias.
De Vinos
Yolanda Morán runs one of Madrid’s wine sanctuaries, where you can enjoy a surprising selection of wine while feeling right at home chatting with friends or strangers.
De Vinos (Calle de la Palma, 76) is a charming and quiet wine bar that opened just over a decade ago in what was once an old dairy shop. Located in the Conde Duque-Malasaña area, the neighbourhood was, back in the 1920s, home to small traders, artisans and working-class families.
De Vinos
From that era, the establishment still retains its original doors, marble bar, and traditional decorative flooring. What’s new and original is its constantly evolving selection of wines that pair perfectly with simple yet delightful dishes such as cod liver pâté or smoked sardine canapés.
De Vinos also frequently hosts themed weeks dedicated to showcasing new artisan wines or classics from Spain and beyond.
El Tempranillo
A fail-safe bet for both wine connoisseurs and novices is El Tempranillo (Calle de la Cava Baja, 38).
Juan Caballero is the soul of this place, which has been going strong for nearly thirty years and boasts a selection of 800 different wines, with a particular focus on bottles from the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula.
El Tempranillo
El Tempranillo is located on one of the liveliest streets in the La Latina neighbourhood, an area long associated with eating and drinking. In medieval times this neighbourhood had a defensive moat, and as long ago as the 16th century it was known for its numerous taverns, eateries and small shops.
Cava Baja street, home today to more than 60 traditional food and drink establishments, was a favourite resting place for merchants who travelled to the capital to sell their products. The street also saw the establishment of modest workshops dedicated to the manufacture of barrels, among other activities.
El Tempranillo is much more than a tribute to one of Spain’s most iconic grape varieties, which accounts for over 21% of the country’s vineyards and forms the backbone of famous denominations such as Rioja and Ribera del Duero. It’s also a bustling, lively space where accents and backgrounds blend seamlessly. And what’s more, you’ll find wines from nearly every region of Spain, alongside excellent cured meats and classic everyday dishes like lamb sweetbreads.
Bodegas Casas
Continuing our journey through Madrid’s historic taverns, we arrive at Bodegas Casas (Avenida de la Ciudad de Barcelona, 23).
Founded in 1923, this bar is situated near Atocha train station at the edge of the Pacífico neighbourhood. Named after the naval battles fought in the Pacific Ocean in the 19th century, this was once an area of allotments and farmland, before later becoming the location of military barracks and modest working-class housing.
Bodegas Casas has preserved its original wine dispensers, earthenware jars and zinc bar, and even the old partition that once separated men’s and women’s seating areas.
It’s a place that has kept its ambience intact, at the same time remaining true to its roots as a family-run business. Gregorio, the current owner, is the grandson of the founder.
Bodegas Casas
Bodegas Casas remains an old-school tapas bar, where a quick glass of wine can be accompanied with good pickles, cured meats and tinned delicacies. It’s likewise famous for serving delicious vermouth on tap.
Apart from the collection of century-old images and posters decorating its walls, what makes this place special is that it remains a local bar, frequented by neighbours and regulars.
Fun fact: Just a few metres away stands the Basilica of Nuestra Señora de Atocha, the resting place of Bartolomé de las Casas, the controversial Dominican friar known as the "Protector of the Native Americans.”
Vinícola Mentridana
Another gem in Madrid's wine tradition is Vinícola Mentridana (Calle de San Eugenio, 9), a bar founded in 1920 and revamped in 2010, where wine is not only drunk but celebrated from the moment you walk through the door.
Vinícola Mentridana
This tavern no longer serves chatos, small tumblers of wine, or refills flasks and wineskins. Nor does it draw its clientele primarily from Toledo, as it once did. Even the wines from Méntrida are no longer centre stage.
What stands out, however, in addition to the genuinely friendly welcome, is an eagerness to uncover and showcase the finest natural and artisanal wines from across Spain.
The place itself, with its centuries-old barrels, wine racks and tiles, adds to the charm. Located in Lavapiés, a neighbourhood known for its stunning popular and neo-Mudejar architecture, Vinícola Mentridana invites you to wander the steep streets, admire the corralas and browse the shops lined with colourful tiles from the early 20th century.
You can also taste a varied selection of Spanish cheeses here.
Bodegas Rosell
I couldn’t end this piece without mentioning one of the places that, thanks to the efforts of brothers Manuel and Pepe, has become a must-visit for wine lovers in Madrid, namely Bodegas Rosell (Calle del General Lacy, 14), close to Atocha train station and Calle de Méndez Álvaro.
Founded in 1920 as a bulk wine shop, the tavern was later transformed into a cheap eating house and today is a restaurant and wine bar. It could not be otherwise given that its façade (the work of the ceramist Alfonso Romero Mesa, the craftsman who decorated the Las Ventas bullring) welcomes the visitor with eye-catching advertisements for Valdepeñas wines drawn onto beautiful tiles.
Bodegas Rosell
Inside, the original flooring, wood-paneled walls and cold storage room located next to the bar all date back to the early 20th century. There is a special atmosphere throughout the place that transports us back to La Mancha, a region that for centuries sent hearty wines and hard-working immigrants to the capital of Spain.
There is also another interesting historical curiosity: during the Spanish Civil War, the tavern’s cellars served as air-raid shelters for local residents.
As for the wines, it’s worth noting that the list of those available stretches to over 200 different bottles, representing the diversity of Spanish viticulture. Wines from the Vinos de Madrid appellation, in particular, are given pride of place.
Bodegas Rosell
Beyond wine, the menu includes superb plates of cod, wild mushrooms, and salmorejo, as well as other dishes, all lovingly prepared in the tradition of old Spanish inns.
In short, these five establishments offer an opportunity to relive the atmosphere of the old taverns of Madrid, authentic places that combine a rich and exciting history with a contemporary take on great Spanish wine.