On a balmy spring morning in 1561, King Felipe II of Spain climbed into his royal carriage in Toledo to embark on a historic 50-mile journey north to Madrid, an undistinguished town of some 9,000 inhabitants that he was to designate the country’s new capital.
Little did the dour, black, doublet-attired Habsburg monarch suspect that in some 460 years’ time, his new centre of empire was to become the cocktail hub of Spain.
This is but one of many surprises awaiting those of Madrid’s more than 10million annual visitors who may feel a curiosity to explore beyond the well-trodden tourist sites and imbibe a jug of sangría, that foul concoction invented by 16th-century English mariners in the Caribbean.
For a proper Spanish tipple, head for La Venencia in the ancient, cobbled Calle de Echegaray.
Since opening its doors in 1921, this gloriously dilapidated Sherry bar has not had a lick of paint or replacement of the peeling plaster walls, on which there still hangs a working dial-up phone. Be aware that La Venencia serves nothing but sherry. If you ask for a glass of wine or a beer, they will show you the door.
Other house points to keep in mind: tips will be firmly refused and photos are not allowed.
You select from the five varieties of sherry listed on the wall, your host will make a note on the mahogany bar with a stick of white chalk and your drink will be served with a bowl of olives.
Feeling a bit peckish? Fancy a traditional Madrid sweet?
Madrid experts Jules Stewart and Helen Crisp write: ‘Many surprises await those of Madrid’s more than 10million annual visitors who may feel a curiosity to explore beyond the well-trodden tourist site.’ Above is Plaza de Cibeles
Above are Jules and Helen (left) at the Rosi la Loca cocktail bar (right). It was founded by a Romanian woman who set it up in an abandoned ironmonger’s shop
A unique confectionery-buying experience awaits at Casa Mira in Calle de San Jerónimo, just around the corner from La Venencia.
Here the giant slabs of turrón, a time-honoured almond nougat sweet, are cut to your requirement, wrapped in waxed paper and tied with parcel ribbon.
Next comes the delightfully old-fashioned system whereby the assistant gives you a handwritten invoice to take to the cash desk, where you pay.
Once you have had your invoice stamped you return to pick up your turrón from the counter.
An even more quaint confectionery experience is to be found at the Corpus Christi Convent in Plaza del Conde de Miranda, near the Mercado de San Miguel. Buying biscuits from the nuns marks a journey into a strange world of silence.
After buzzing the intercom, there is a feeble beep and the door opens. Because the nuns are cloistered, the torno (a cross between a wooden revolving door and a Lazy Susan), enables them to make the transactions without seeing or being in the same room as their customers. You give your order, the torno turns and out come your biscuits.
The Literary Quarter (above) was once home to Miguel de Cervantes, Lope de Vega and other luminaries of Madrid’s Golden Age of literature, the writers note
Lope de Vega wrote nearly 2,000 plays in his career and you can take an English-language tour of his home (above) in Calle de Cervantes
Biscuits can be bought from the nuns at the Corpus Christi Convent in Plaza del Conde de Miranda
Another special shop that takes you back in time is Capas Sesena in Calle de la Cruz, makers since 1901 of capes – and only capes. The founder’s great-grandson, Marcos Seseña, designs and manufactures the capes on the premises.
The list of aristocrats, celebrities and artist customers includes Orson Welles, who famously wore his cape to advertise a brand of sherry. Pablo Picasso left instructions to be buried in his Seseña cape.
The ultimate ‘special shop’ in Madrid must be the Royal Tapestry Factory in Calle de Fuenterrabía, near the Atocha railway station.
It was founded in 1721 and offers a fascinating window into a large-scale craft enterprise of the sort that exists almost nowhere else today.
For anyone with an interest in textiles and weaving it is a must, with guided tours daily in English. You can even order your own tapestry, made to an original Goya design.
After all that activity, it is time to visit one of Madrid’s unique cocktail bars.
The first stop might be Rosi la Loca in Calle de Cádiz, founded by a Romanian woman married to a Spaniard, who called her a loca (crazy person) when she came up with the idea of opening the bar in an abandoned ironmonger’s shop.
Since this first venture, the mysterious Rosi, who few have ever laid eyes on, has launched four more imaginatively themed emporiums in the area, Brutal Bar Valle Inclán, Lovo and Calle 365, all within staggering distance of one another around the Calle de Echegaray.
A good place to end the night (or not) is the Josephine Baker-themed Lovo, where you can sip cocktails until the 5:00am closing hour.
It is time for a pre-dinner stroll through the Barrio de las Letras, the Literary Quarter once home to Miguel de Cervantes, Lope de Vega and other luminaries of Madrid’s Golden Age of literature.
Lope wrote nearly 2,000 plays in his career and you can take an English-language tour of his home in Calle de Cervantes, named after his next-door neighbour.
It is said that a leisurely ramble from the Plaza Mayor to Plaza Tirso de Molina takes you past more bars than are to be found in Norway.
And there are excellent places for dinner nearby.
La Huerta de Tudela in Calle del Prado and Julián de Tolosa in Cava Baja are inspired by the matchless vegetable dishes and seafood of the northern region of Navarre.
It is after supper at the former restaurant that we take a stroll along the Calle de Alcalá to arrive at Plaza de Cibeles.
It is nearly midnight and we have an early return flight to London the following morning.
Jules and Helen end their trip to Madrid with a ‘cooling glass of cava’ at Café Gijón
Jules and Helen describe Madrid as ‘the cocktail hub of Spain’
Jules has written three books on Madrid. His latest tome is Cádiz: The Story of Europe’s Oldest City, co-authored with Helen
Without giving it a second thought, rather than continue along the street to our hotel, we turn left along the tree-lined Paseo de Recoletos to the landmark centenarian Café Gijón, where inside the Monday-night poetry reading, a tradition masterminded by the waiter-poet José Bárcena, is in full swing.
Outside on the terrace, the pianist is playing a medley of classic Broadway show tunes.
This calls for a cooling glass of cava.
Yes, it is late, but the pianist has begun accompanying the ivories with a rich basso rendition of Some Enchanted Evening from South Pacific.
The couples strolling hand-in-hand along the Paseo de Recoletos, the laughter of the group of friends at the next table, who have just ordered another bottle of Rioja and who understand that one day every one of us will be twanging a harp – this Madrid moment brings to mind what the poet John Dryden said about moments such as this: ‘Tomorrow do thy worst, for I have lived today.’
Helen Crisp and Jules Stewart are the authors of Cádiz: The Story of Europe’s Oldest City, released by Hurst Publishers in November 2024. Jules has also written Madrid: Midnight City (with Helen Crisp); Madrid: The History; and Madrid: A Literary Guide for Travellers.
