Madrid is known around the world for its bars and nightlife that lasts into the morning. And while vermouth, wine, and beer have long been the drinks of choice at many tapas bars, cocktail lounges have emerged alongside them as one of the hottest trends in Spain. There are more and more places where you can sip classic concoctions and new creations poured by the city’s best mixologists.
These bars have earned their places as fixtures of the city’s nightlife scene and have shown Madrileños that there’s a vast world of beverages beyond wine and beer. Attracting both locals and visitors, you’ll find them busy all evening and late into the night. Some arrive looking for an aperitif while others want to continue their animated after-dinner conversations with beverages in hand. Madrid is a city that encourages you to find the joy in every moment, and these cocktail bars and lounges will help make that happen.
Madrid’s new generation of drinkers are passionate about their negronis and their whiskey sours, and that classic American drinking establishment, the speakeasy, has made inroads here too. Now a secret password will open the door to a world of liquid possibilities. Whatever beverage you choose, chin-chin, uttered here whenever glasses are raised in a toast, continues to be an unofficial motto of the city. In this guide we want not only to steer you to some of our favorite cocktail lounges and bars but also pay tribute to the teams behind them who make every evening feel like a celebration.
Read our complete Madrid travel guide here, which includes:
How we choose the best bars in Madrid
Every bar on this list has been selected independently by Condé Nast Traveler editors and reviewed by a local contributor who has visited that restaurant. Our editors consider both high-end and affordable eateries, and weigh stand-out dishes, location, and service—as well as inclusivity and sustainability credentials. We update this list as new bars open and existing ones evolve.
