Time grinds to a meditative standstill in this dimmed, tobacco-stained cavern, where the only tipple is dry sherry from a barrel (from €1.70 a glass) and the only tapas are sliced-to-order cured meats, fish and cheese (try the mojama – salt-cured tuna: a mouthful of ocean for €2.30). By day, sherry-soaked locals ruminate over copitas of Amontillado, but at night it regularly ignites into a raucous knees-up (cheap and stronger than wine, sherry creeps up on the unwary). Be on notice that the proprietors run a strict ship: photography is forbidden, as is tipping, and please don’t bother Lola, the slightly senile black cat curled up down the back.Calle de Echegaray 7, +34 914 297 313, no website.

If that’s true, you wouldn’t know it: there are no photos of Don Ernesto on its walls, no placards identifying Papa’s favorite table. La Venencia isn’t the kind of establishment to talk about its clientele; rather it holds their confidences tightly in its faded brown folds like any good bar should. The amber glow emanating into Calle Echegaray attracts you to La Venencia, much like a moth to a flame or perhaps, more appropriately, like a barfly to good sherry and sherry is all they serve.

If sipping sherry and popping olives where Ernest Hemingway once found inspiration sounds fun, head to La Venencia. Don’t expect to find soda or beer on the menu at this lively bar: it only offers sherry-by-the-glass, half-bottle, or bottle (varieties like Manzanilla, Fino, Palo Cortado, Oloroso, and Amontillado). This place is old-school—and actually old, nearly 100 years or so—meaning you’ll see vintage sherry bottles sitting under layers of dust and peeling paint on the walls.

Totally unreconstructed, La Venencia is gloriously shabby, with old, peeling sherry posters, barrels behind the bar and walls burnished gold by decades of tobacco smoke. It serves only sherry (locals will order a crisp, dry 'fino' or 'manzanilla', leaving the sweet stuff to the occasional tourist who stumbles in), along with manchego cheese, 'cecina' (air-dried beef) and chorizo by way of tapas. You’ll invariably be served some excellent olives with the first round.

Much has been written about this old sherry bar, but despite its position on many tourist itineraries these days, it is still very much worth a visit. Another Hemingway favourite, it served as a meeting point for Republicans during the Spanish Civil War – it was here Hemingway would get the latest news from the front. Sherry is served from huge wooden casks behind the bar and your bill is written on the bar top in chalk.

This narrow bar with nicotine-stained walls opened in the 1920s and is as stripped back as it gets, with just a wooden counter, some barrels of sherry, and a few faded posters and tables. It only serves sherry and basic tapas – start with a fino. Hemingway was a regular and these days you still never know who you might spot skulking at the back.

La Venencia is a barrio classic, with manzanilla (chamomile-coloured sherry) from Sanlúcar and sherry from Jeréz poured straight from the dusty wooden…

This famous old bar on the cobblestone street of Calle de Echegaray is probably the most reflective of the Spanish Civil War during 1936 to 1939 and an absolute must-visit for lovers of history, Jerez and Hemingway. It was frequented by Republican soldiers and supporters of the anti-fascist cause, who met sympathetic foreign journalists here, including Ernest Hemingway, to exchange stories from the frontline of their fight against Franco’s forces. The bar has remained exactly as it was back then with large wine barrels, old bottles and faded sherry festival posters.

Those with an interest in the Civil War might like to next hit La Venecia. This sherry bar was founded back in the 30s and has changed so little that its walls still retain the same dingy yellow sheen from cigarettes smoked by weary socialist soldiers fighting the good fight against Franco. The rules of the house remain unchanged: no photos – a measure then taken against spies but probably preserved to keep the selfie crowds out – and no tips (which according to The Culture Trip has something to do with the owner’s socialist principles).

It’s sherry or nothing at this throwback bar on Calle Echegaray that hasn’t been renovated in almost a century. Here, amontillado flows from weathered oak barrels, a black cat prowls beneath elbow-worn tables, and tabs are chalked right onto the long wooden bar. At La Venencia, time seems to have stood still since the days when Hemingway was a regular and Republican revolutionaries convened in the back room to conspire against Franco in the lead-up to the Spanish Civil War—and that’s precisely why we love it.

With its walls burnished by decades of tobacco smoke and faded posters, La Venencia hasn’t changed much since its 1930s heyday, when it was a watering hole for Ernest Hemingway and Republican Civil War soldiers. The bar’s strict house rules – no photos and no tipping – date from that period: the first to deter fascist spies, the latter in accordance with the socialist character of the bar's patrons. There’s only one thing to drink here, and that’s sherry – there are five different varieties available.

This is a place you won't find anywhere else in the world, meaning that you should definitely pay a visit while in Madrid!. This old-fashioned sherry bar serves only a handful of sherries directly from the barrels, and offers a few different tapas (think olives and chorizo) to accompany. They'll scribble your tab in chalk on the bar, there is a bar cat you might be able to spot, and tipping is strictly prohibited (dating back to the days in which the bar was a socialist watering hole).

La Venencia and Salmon Guru are said to be Madrid’s two greatest bars, and they couldn’t be more different. The former is a traditional Spanish drinkery specialising in Sherry that has been open since 1922, barely updated (we think it’s been dusted) and allegedly formerly one of Ernest Hemingway’s preferred haunts. The latter, meanwhile, is a shadowy, hip cocktail bar that opened in 2016 and had quite the queue around the barrio when we last checked it out, one spring Saturday night.

No photos, no reservations, and service as creaky as the century-old flooboards, the charms of La Venencia are inarguable. It’s one of Madrid’s best sherry and tapas bars for evoking the vibe of a traditional tabanco (tavern) in Jerez de la Frontera. Sometimes it’s jam-packed, and on other occasions, a spindly wooden table, plate of manchego and chorizo, and carafe of fino are as easy to come by as paying the ultra-affordable check.

Often referred to as “the one bar you must visit in Madrid”, La Venecia is like stepping back in time to 1930s Madrid and was a favourite watering hole of Ernest Hemingway. Inside, a row of large wine barrels invite you to taste of an extraordinary selection of sherry wines, ranging from dry “vino fino” to the very sweet and dense Pedro Ximénez. Address:La Venencia, Calle de Echegaray 7, Madrid, SpainNearest Metro: Sol

En esta selecci�n no puede faltar el santuario de los generosos jerezanos en la capital: un local a�oso, en el que el tiempo parece haberse detenido. Que nadie busque marcas en La Venencia, donde fino, manzanilla, amontillado, palo cortado y oloroso se sirven directamente de la bota, sin revelar su procedencia. Para entretener al est�mago, apenas unas almendras, aceitunas, hueva en salaz�n, mojama y poco m�s.

La Venencia is a historic wine bar steeped in tradition, where the allure of sherry wines takes center stage. Since the 1920s, it has been a cherished destination for locals and visitors alike, preserving its authentic ambiance and timeless charm. Step inside to find yourself transported to a bygone era, where the rich aroma of aged sherries fills the air and the walls whisper tales of generations past.

Everything here, as well as at the final two stops of the night — La Venencia, a sherry bar owned and run by four brothers and formerly frequented by Ernest Hemingway, and Casa Toni, where Debbie grabs us two tables upstairs and servers bring plate after plate of tapas, including lamb sweetbreads — is good. Still, I find my mind racing with questions about the procession and wishing I was following it.

Last, but certainly not least, we have the wonderful La Venencia on our list of the best places you can find tapas in Madrid. La Venencia is a bit more of a secluded gem within Madrid, which makes it perfect if you want to get away from some of the busy streets and crowds. La Venencia has been around for quite some time and was even one of Ernest Hemingway’s favorite spots in this city.

La Venencia only serves sherry wines, each carefully selected from selected bodegas in Andalusia. This isn’t your grandma’s sherry—crisp, dry manzanilla and fino are the stars of the show, but each of the five varieties available are worth a try. Dating from the 1930s, this sherry bar looks much the same as it did when Ernest Hemingway enjoyed a drink here decades ago.

Sadly, every year it gets harder and harder to find bars in Madrid that have withstood the tests of time and gentrification. La Venencia, fortunately, is one of the locales that has managed to hold on. A no-frills Spanish pub where (according to legend) Hemingway himself once drank, they serve just five drinks—all sherry wines from select bodegas in southern Spain.

This dimly lit sherry bar with makes you feel like you’ve stepped back in time, the 1930s to be in fact, but there’s nothing stale about the fantastic food and sherry. Sherry offerings are Manzanilla, Fino, Oloroso, Amontillado and Palo cortado and that’s it, there aren’t any other wines here. If it’s good enough for Ernest Hemmingway, it’s good enough for us.

Just around the corner from that plaza is my favorite bar in Madrid: La Venencia. It's an old leftist civil war-era bar, frequented by Hemingway, that only serves cheap sherry (and little tapas like chorizo) and refuses tips because that’s a sign of bourgeois affectation. Try to get there in the early evening, around 6:30 or 7, because it can fill up.

La Venencia is an institution in Madrid bars and has been in business for nearly 100 years. There is a vintage vibe to this bar and rumour has it, Ernest Hemingway was a frequent guest here during his heyday. Their featured drink here is local Sherry and there are a few different kinds you can try here along with some great tapas.

A fifty-year-old shop that has not changed a single thing: La Venencia is a sherry bar that was furnished and decorated back in 1928. Found in cute Huertas district, this place is definitely for those who appreciate sherry. Try the original sherry wines and get the chance to taste the bygone era mood.

It’s usually standing room only at this dusty old sherry bar favored by Hemingway. A range of sherries from Jerez and Sanlúcar are served straight from the cask, and go beautifully with olives, salty manchego cheese, or a saucer of pickled anchovies. Your tab will be marked up in…

La Venencia is another wine bar that takes you to sunny Southern Spain, as it only serves sherry that’s carefully selected from Andalucía. Order a glass and you’ll get it poured directly from the barrels lining the walls. This wine bar is one of the most traditional in Madrid.

La Venencia in Madrid feels like stepping into the past, with a simple and welcoming atmosphere. It’s known for its focus on sherry and a no-photos policy, encouraging you to slow down and soak it all in. You can drop by any time during their open hours—no reservations needed.

It may not quite be the oldest bar in Madrid, but La Venencia is certainly one of the most traditional places in the city. Stepping through the door is to engage in time travel–to Andalusia. The interior seems (and seriously may be) untouched since the bar’s creation in 1928.

According to Culture Trip, Madrid has more bars per capita than any other city in Europe. But if you were to visit just one, then it should probably be La Venencia. It’s an historic bar and local favorite that hasn’t changed much since the days of the Spanish Civil War.

And if you prefer a classic, traditional bar, La Venencia (Calle Echegaray) maintains its essence as an unpretentious sherry tavern. No photos, no tips: just quality wine and authenticity. The tardeo here is pure, unhurried and steeped in history.

La Venencia is another extremely traditional Spanish taberna to check out while you’re in Madrid. Here, you’ll find amazing sherry and tapas. Following tradition, they offer out olives with drinks and have several tapas to chose from.

A great option for lovers of sherry, the exquisite wine from Jeréz in the south of Spain. The ambience is very traditional, and is visited by locals and tourists alike. Without a doubt, a pleasant return to the past.

They only offer four different kinds of cherry in an absolutely beautiful atmosphere. The decoration includes posters from events in Spain from the 20th century. A great place to have a calm night with a cherry.

Chuka is a wonderful new ramen bar situated near metro Sevilla and next door to one of Madrid’s oldest bars, La Venencia, where you should get yourself a glass of sherry either before or after your meal.