Madrid’s low-fi wine bars
Theatre, grandeur and elegance are stitched into the fabric of Madrid, but there's a new generation of wine bars switching up the scene. These are the spots where hand-painted gold signage and gilt columns have been replaced by polished concrete and souped-up sound systems.
Madrid is a thrilling collision of cultures and tastes, and its nightlife is no different. The time-warp tabernas are the headliners, rustic bars like Bodega de la Ardosa, where punters squish in elbow-to-elbow and order a pincho de tortilla still runny in the middle. But as well as classic tapas, Madrileños love a touch of luxury. Some head to Salamanca's The Library, where bookcases of fine wines line shelves that reach to the top of cathedral-tall ceilings, or Angelita in Chueca, a farm-to-table restaurant with a basement cocktail lounge, where drinks are meticulously measured using scales built into the stainless-steel bar.
But there's a new breed of hangouts that are low-fi and up for a laugh, a fresh run of living room-inspired drinking dens. They're filled with bottles of Catalonian pet nat made from abandoned vineyards and modern small plates that riff on the city's old-school roots. Some invite home-grown chefs to serve punchy tapas until the small hours, while others have turntables, disco balls, and an enviable record stash. Open until 2am and blasting out excellent tunes, the vibes are as important as the wine. Madrid's new generation of drinkers are shifting away from traditional clubbing and towards a more wholesome, sociable night out, and the results are absolutely corking.
Fun Fun Wine
Spanish low-intervention wine is the star of Fun Fun, an energetic bar founded by a group of friends who clubbed together to embark on a new business and have a jolly old time. The bar itself looks like an artist's loft: the furniture is retroMid Century and the walls are colourful, with splashes of paint and cute stickers. The interiors are inspired, say owners, by the wine itself: jolly, vibrant and eclectic. Co-owner Bernardo Bongiovanni's favourite bottles are made by Bodega Punta de Flecha, one of the few surviving vineyards in the Community of Madrid. Alejandro López Martín delivers the juicy garnacha himself, made in his daisy-strewn winery just 40 minutes away.
Glop
Our tip for ordering wine in Glop? Don't ask for something funky. Juan Daniel Ibiza and Júlia Valls Badia are on a mission to reset the narrative around organic and low-intervention wine. They're dead set on serving well-balanced bottles; you won't find anything too farmyardy or bretty here. The bar is low-lit and tiny, squished under a block of flats on a workaday street in Chamberí. Find a gap on the stainless-steel bar (it's always left free for walk-ins; or reserve a table if you prefer) and sip elegant, organic champagne by Timothée Stroebel, a young farmer using vines planted by his grandfather in Villers-Allerand.
Cruda
When the summer swings around, Cruda pops corks and throws wine-fuelled parties from their pint-sized neighbourhood bar in Chopera, a down-to-earth residential neighbourhood with artisan coffee spots and a buzzy arts centre, Matadero Madrid. Sometimes it's DJs playing funk-heavy hits until the small hours, other nights chefs serve one-off menus with exciting wine flights. Look out for wine-tasting fiestas by Spanish wineries – such as Bodega en Movimiento based in Sanlúcar de Barrameda - with DJs, dancing and a chance to chat all things winemaking. Arrive early at the weekend to get a place at their huge communal table, where you can order small plates and mingle with locals. Peckish? Dip crisp pickled veggies into gorgonzola or graze on gildas, but always leave space for the cheesecake, golden on top and gooey in the middle.
Gota
Gota began life as a speakeasy, hidden in the back room of Fede Graciano's bakery. Surrounded by loaves and art rock records, sommeliers would pour wine until 3am. Now in a legit home, the Gota still has a top-tier soundsystem and a spark of nonconformity. The couples canoodling in dark corners, brutalist-style decor and loud music all add to the mood. Decks are built seamlessly into the wooden bar, and when records scratch to an end staff pick out another pristine vinyl sleeve from the shelves. Order a bottle of grapefruit-like Domaine Dandelion pet nat and tap your toes to silky jazz.
Corchito
No wonder the playlist at Corchito is always bang on; owners Natalia Felder, Galo Delger and Mariel Benarós all worked in the music industry together in Argentina, organising gigs and live shows. After reuniting in Madrid, they realised their dream of opening a welcoming, down-to-earth wine bar. The room is so pared-back it's almost Shaker in its design ethic. The only decoration on white walls are simple shelves holding neat rows of wine bottles and the odd candle sconce. Rustic wooden tables are filled with big groups of friends who appear to be celebrating one thing or another, toasting glasses of Yves Jaques blancs de blancs and sharing platters of manchego and Galician stilton from the world's chicest cheesemongers, Formaje.
Masa
Antonella Tignanelli is a bit of a legend among the local food crowd, known for her folksy, immersive feasts, Food Rituals. She opened her first wine bar in Barcelona in 2023, a drinking den which won the hearts of discerning locals with ease. Masa Madrid, her second venue, is a more scrubbed-up wine bar. Inside, find crisp white walls, neat monochrome graffiti and lashings of shiny stainless steel. It's countercultural yet sophisticated, a refuge for the creative types of Madrid. Open until 2am, the fridges behind the bar are crammed with low-intervention European wine and the shelves are lined with records. Enjoy some Herbie Hancock or Yo La Tengo alongside a glass of Meinklang's Foam Vulkán, an Austrian pet nat which tastes like stewed apples.
Lucy Lovell
