La Venencia
8.7Friend Score / 10#1 of 13 Bars & Nightlife in Madrid
Known forManzanillaFinoOlorosoAmontillado
A time-capsule sherry bar on Calle Echegaray, unchanged since 1922: five sherries poured from barrels, tabs chalked on the bar, no photos, no tipping. Hemingway drank here during the Civil War. If you want cocktails or a menu, go elsewhere — this is one perfect thing done stubbornly for a century.
Key facts
| Hours | Daily 13:00–15:30 Daily 19:30–01:30 |
|---|---|
| Price | $ |
| Phone | — |
| Website | — |
| Nearest transit | Sevilla (Metro L2) or Antón Martín (L1), 4-minute walk |
| Time needed | 45-60 minutes |
| Best time to go | Early evening at 19:30 opening, before the pre-dinner crowd fills the narrow room |
| Last verified | July 12, 2026 |
Friend Score
8.7/10- Value9.0
- iconic7.5
- Freshness9.1
- Crowd level5.5
- Authenticity9.6
- Accessibility9.0
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a glass of sherry cost there?
- A few euros a glass — it's one of the cheapest genuinely great drinking experiences in Madrid. Your tab gets chalked on the wooden bar in front of you and totted up when you leave.
- Is La Venencia suitable for a group?
- Keep it to four or fewer — the room is a narrow corridor with a few tables at the back. Big loud groups get frosty service, and honestly they deserve it here.
- What do you drink at La Venencia?
- Sherry, and only sherry: manzanilla, fino, amontillado, oloroso, and palo cortado, poured from the barrel. If you're new to it, start with a chilled manzanilla and work darker from there.
- Did Hemingway really drink at La Venencia?
- Yes — he was a regular during the Civil War when he was covering it as a journalist, and the bar looks essentially the same now as it did then. Unlike most 'Hemingway drank here' bars, this one doesn't put it on a sign.
- Why can't you take photos in La Venencia?
- The no-photos rule dates from the Civil War era, when the Republican clientele had to worry about informers, and the bar has kept it as a point of principle. They'll genuinely ask you to put the phone away — just enjoy being somewhere that isn't content.
- Why won't they take my tip?
- No tipping is a house rule rooted in the bar's old socialist principles — everyone's equal at this bar. Don't push it; a sincere gracias is the currency here.
- What are La Venencia's opening hours?
- Two shifts daily: lunchtime from about 13:00 to 15:30, then evenings from 19:30 until around 1:30. Evening is the classic visit; lunchtime is quieter and lovely.
- Is there food at La Venencia?
- Simple sherry-friendly snacks — olives, mojama (cured tuna), cheese, cecina. It's tapas as punctuation, not a meal; eat before or after.
Nearby in Ask Madrid
- Café RústicoCafé0.03 km · 0 min walk
- Salmon GuruBar0.09 km · 1 min walk
- Barrio de las LetrasNeighborhood0.21 km · 3 min walk
- Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San FernandoMuseum0.24 km · 3 min walk
- Puerta del SolAttraction0.36 km · 4 min walk
Where to stay near La Venencia
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