The definitive list of the best cocktail bars in Spain
We like to drink and we like to do it well. We look for the excellence of a drink both in classic cocktail bars and in informal joints where the night does its thing. We don't make anything ugly as long as what is presented to us in the cup has the balance and honesty you deserve.
In addition, we put ourselves at the feet of those mixologists and cocktail shakers who investigate and are capable of creating cards that go beyond the canons or that venerate the most classic recipes. Anything goes in the way of a cocktail and these are the ones we take for find the best cocktails in Spain.
MADRID
** 1862 Dry Bar : ** Created by Alberto Martínez seven years ago, this Malasaña cocktail bar has pursued a concept very faithful to the classics since its inception. Also, it was pioneer of what is now a new generation of craft-inspired cocktail bars.
It stands out above many others in the capital for being a place where experts and bartenders share one of the best menus in Spain. Verifiable fact when taking the first sip of cocktails such as his Prescription, a composition of Punt e Mes vermouth, Campari, lemon, sugar, egg white and lemon. fish, 27
** Salmon Guru .** Located in the Barrio de Las Letras and owned by Diego Cabrera, one of the most charismatic bartenders in Europe and, without a doubt, the most mediatic in Spain. With an eccentric and tropically comfortable interior design, it offers a menu –always alive– of signature cocktails and exquisite customer service that has earned it the #47 position on the 50 Best Bars list, being one of the two bars in our country ( along with Barcelona's Paradiso) to be recognized by the list.
The presentation of each of its cocktails is carefully thought out to live an experience that goes beyond the conventional. A bar that is up there with the best in London, Paris or NYC.
Our favourite? El Chipotle Chillón, with mezcal, absinthe, lemon juice and chipotle syrup. And be careful, in rush hour you have to do, yes or yes, queue to get a seat. _Echegaray, 21 _
** Viva Madrid .** A mythical venue in the Barrio de Las Letras (a short walk from Salmon Guru and also owned by Diego Cabrera, along with Ricardo García) that is divided into two spaces where you can enjoy cocktails at different times.
the one here , as Cortazar would say, a most traditional tavern that focuses its shot on an appetizer menu: vermouths, Media Combinación, Milano-Torino, Negroni and Americano; added to a very Madrid tapas menu with its perfect gildas, bravas, tripe and the infallible potato omelette.
On the over there side, a.k.a. On the upper floor, a Cuban-inspired cocktail bar unfolds where the classics rule in a taciturn atmosphere that invites you to get lost. Manuel Fernandez y Gonzalez, 7
Long live Madrid (Madrid)
** Baton Rouge .** Just by hearing the name of this neighbor of Puerta del Sol, the mind travels directly to New Orleans and the decoration and lighting of this establishment do justice to its name, taking you without haste and relentlessly into the bowels of the American night.
The cocktail menu, created by its owner, Diego González, is based on an excellent selection of distillates in which whiskeys and classic drinks with minor alterations stand out. . As in the Paloma, which substitutes tequila for mezcal, adding a grapefruit soda and decorating the rim of the glass with tagine; or the Sazerac with a triple form of brandy, rye whiskey and bourbon. Win, 8
** Angelita .** Just behind Madrid's Gran Vía. An impeccable restaurant in which the product is the protagonist, accompanied by an excellent natural wine list and a hidden cocktail bar on the ground floor.
Its signature cocktail menu, led by Mario and David Villalón, maintains a discourse with the kitchen with 23 minimalist cocktails that make references to the Villalón family, their garden and their origins .
In addition, this year they have chosen to minimize the power of their most intense drinks, while the fresh ones take on more intensity and are more transgressive. It was awarded the FIBAR National Award in 2018 and has a sister bar on the terrace of the Only You Atocha hotel. queen, 4
** Chicote Museum .** The king is back. And with him, the spirit of Perico Chicote, the Pope of Spanish cocktails. And it is that in the last year **the bar has been reborn from its ashes like the Phoenix bird, returning with the mythical preparations of the house (their Dry Martini is the king) ** in the most glamorous atmosphere of the 20th century (Hemingway or Ava Gardner were in her bar), causing Madrid to burn again . For lunch, a simple menu with an irresistible steak with Café de Paris sauce. Gran Vía, 12
Burn Madrid!
Del Diego. If Perico was Pope, Fernando del Diego was a cardinal, and one of the good ones. The other great classic of Madrid, also on one side of the Gran Vía, he is now led by his sons, Fernando and David, that keep alive the memory of a gentleman such as Don Fernando in one of the most cared for premises in the capital following the guidelines of the art deco style.
His success of him for almost 30 years? A menu of classic cocktails from which you can leave to order one of those that Fernando created at the time according to the mood of his clients. Here he has drunk from Sarah Jessica Parker to George Clooney or Sharon Stone, almost nothing. Queen, 12
** LobByto at the Gran Hotel Inglés .** One of the most original menus in the city. Inspired by twists of classics, its menu is an experience through the history that surrounds the hotel where it is located. Stories of spies, poets and political plots – some heroes of the independence of the last Spanish colonies stayed here – run among its more than 20 cocktails that are inspired by traditional afternoons ("what would Madrid be without the after-dinner?") , the aperitif ("it's always 1 pm somewhere on earth"), Cuba and neighboring cocktail bars (such as Salmon Guru or Santos y Desamparados), which have provided cocktails from their menu.
Not only is the content attractive, but also the container, where the Rockwell NYC studio interior design creates an atmosphere of an exclusive English gentlemen's club.
Its Negroni Pop-Up is essential, with Campari, Plymouth gin, Punt e Mes vermouth and Cinzano 1757; the Expreso Madrini, with coffee from Hola Coffee, Santamanía vodka and nougat; or Donald you're an asshole, with Illegal mezcal, Martini bitter and vermouth._Echegaray, 8 _
GIJON
** Warsaw .** It is the **cocktail bar run by Borja Cortina (Best Bartender in Spain 2015 of the World Class Competition) ** and has an unbeatable location next to the Bay of Biscay, where you can taste an excellent detailed author menu both in the distilled as in your crockery.
Order The Cooper, with Asturian ice cider, Sherry wine and Scotch whisky; or Esencia de mujer, with Ancho Reyes, raspberry, lemon juice, sugar, egg white and Tabasco chipotle. On Saturday afternoons you can enjoy their cocktails in the company of live music from an old German piano. Cabrals, 18.
Warsaw, in Gijon
**GREAT CANARY ISLANDS **
Atelier. Diary of a bartender is the proposal that as fascicles, in which there is no shortage of trips around the world –stopping at the flavors of Asia or Latin America–, offered by Raimondo Palomba, bar manager of Atelier, on the rooftop of the Bohemia Suites hotel .
A sensory menu with a careful and original presentation that are part of the author's narrative. We are facing one of the proposals with the most future in Europe, one of those cocktail bars that deserve the trip (and by the way, a vacation) just to try their elixirs. Av. Estados Unidos, 28, Playa del Inglés.
MAJORCA
** Brassclub .** This central Majorcan cocktail bar bears the signature of the bartender Rafa Martin. It has also been considered the best gastrobar in the Balearic Islands in 2015 by the Association of Gastronomic Journalists of the islands. _Passeig de Majorca, 34 _
Rafael Martin
VALLADOLID
** Lost Child .** Named after an urban legend, this Castilian cocktail bar led by Juan Valls, also creator of FIBAR (one of the best national cocktail competitions), offers an excellent menu of signature cocktails set, between books and candles, in a basement in the center of Valladolid.
This year they unveiled their Faces Menu, a letter with which they communicate –through their cocktails– with the client based on the features of their face, starting from an emotional, cerebral or sensitive point of view. _Esgueva, 16 _
SAINT SEBASTIAN
** Sirimiri .** San Sebastián is not only signature tapas and in this tavern they go further, offering an excellent menu of classic and signature cocktails executed with unusual mastery. _Older, 18 _
** Dickens .** Its owner, Joaquín Fernandez (Best Barman in the World in Japan 2000), has shared the poster in gastronomic contests with Ferrá Adriá himself. The reason? He is considered the inventor of the famous technique of extracting lemon oil by twisting the Gin Tonic glass with two tweezers. But his cocktail bar, in addition to appearing in books, has innumerable creations: hundreds of cocktails created throughout its more than three decades of existence. _Alameda del Blvd., 27 _
The Gintoneria . Sother Teague himself (of Amor y Amargo, in NYC) tells in his latest book I’m just here for the drinks, that he became fond of Gin Tonic in this San Sebastian cocktail bar located in the Gros neighborhood. Here are famous for its extensive gin menu and its ability to vary the cocktail offer with them is infinite. In addition, they have a good menu of classics, as well as perfect preparations with vermouth. Zabaleta Kalea, 6
Gin and tonic from Dickens (San Sebastian)
VALENCIA
Aquarium. Wisdom is in the hands of our elders. L he expert mixologists in the elegant jacket of this Valencian classic bring to our palates the best cocktails in the city in a dean maritime atmosphere. The menu is attractive with typical Spanish snack tapas to enjoy with a good aperitif cocktail.
LION
American Bar (Conde Luna Hotel). Located inside the Hotel Conde Luna, This small bar features Manolín, the same bartender who has masterfully run the bar for 40 years, famous for his Manogins. Although he also handles the classics like few others in the north. Don't hesitate to ask for a good Dry Martini, Bloody Mary, Daiquiri, Old Fashioned, Negroni or Margarita. It also has an excellent tapas menu where free-range eggs stand out.
BARCELONA
Hemingway Gin & Cocktail Bar. The best ideas often come from small places. That's just Hemingway, a laboratory of ideas that emerged from the head of Dani Arévalo. With a brilliant, changing menu with a lot of improvisation, as well as a willingness to personalize his creations that arise from the closeness between the bartender and the client.
It goes unnoticed on the street as it is in a basement, but when you cross its door, a huge bar and good atmosphere make the nights here last forever. It's usually packed on the weekends And it's just that good vibe that makes you want to come back for more. If you can't find a place, The Bowery, its sister cocktail bar (also with a terrace), has just opened 350 meters away. _Muntaner, 114 _
** Creps al Born .** A completely crazy, punk and fun proposal. Flying ice, bartenders working without jiggers and a bottle rack used as a percussion instrument. T ode a wild experience seasoned with tropical-inspired cocktails. _Passeig del Born, 1 _
The Creps al Born cocktail bar team
**Caribbean Club.** In the busiest times of Boadas they had to create a speakeasy for their most exclusive clients , that is how this reserved (a kind of Caribbean ship) became in the hands of one of the best mixologists in the house, Juanjo González, at Caribbean Club. A Cuban-inspired bar with a lot of magic where anything, but absolutely anything, can happen. _Sitges, 5 _
Paradise. A clandestine cocktail bar that hides behind the door (the fridge door) of a pastrami bar, run by Rooftop Smokehouse, where you prepare engines. Its menu is the maximum exponent in the city of signature cocktails, a fact that has led it to be part of the 50 Best Bars list since 2018. They know how to position themselves high and surprise with concoctions that are surefire meat on Instagram. A multisensory experience that has become a must in the city. _Rera Palau, 4 _
Barcelona's underground cocktail bar
**Boadas.** Nothing would be the same in the history of world cocktails without the Boadas surname. His round trip to Cuba marked a before and after, merging classic American-style cocktails by Cuban bartenders with Spanish bartenders like Miguel Boadas.
Back in Barcelona, the Boadas family brought the best of both worlds to make their little bar an institution that culminated with Maria Dolores Boadas and that continues to preserve her love for the classics, as well as that particular pouring.
The famous technique of the house
MALAGA
** Chester & Punk .** Proposed Classic cocktails with signature cocktails from its bartender, Alejandro Sebastián, with surprising presentations and great balance. It has a restaurant where you can taste its dishes always accompanied by a good cocktail. _Mendez Nunez, 4 _
** La Sole del Pimpi .** A historic Malaga as is the Pimpi is reinvented in one of its spaces with La Sole, a fusion restaurant with a new version of Pimpi's hits , together with a sushi bar and a magnificent cocktail bar where they make their own Negroni aged in Moscatel barrels. The decoration breaks with the classic Andalusian aesthetic of its parent bar. _Zegrí, 4 _
cocktail and croquettes