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Flamenco in Madrid
A wide range of bars offering the finest flamenco atmospheres
With the rise of flamenco bars in the 19th century, flamenco enjoyed its finest hour in the capital. These days, the flamenco bars and clubs are carrying on the tradition, offering a chance to see flamenco at its purest every night, while enjoying a fine meal or a drink.
Our journey begins in the most traditional flamenco tapas bars in Madrid. El Rincón de Jerez (Rufino Blanco, 5. Tel.: 91 355 47 45) is located in the Salamanca neighbourhood and is one of the venues with the most authentic atmosphere. At 11 o clock every night, the waiters and the audience sing “la salve”, a tradition which “comes directly from Jerez”, according to the venue manager Rafael Cantero. “The lights go down, and candles are lit in order to get the singers in the mood, and the audience is given a song sheet so that they can join in”.
Not only can the audience enjoy the finest local music, but they can also enjoy the traditional tapas and dishes such as gazpacho, potatoes, fried fish and bull tail, and wines such as sherry and manzanilla de Sanlúcar de Barrameda.
Los Gabrieles (Echegaray, 17. Tel.: 91 429 62 61) is another of Madrid’s most traditional flamenco venues. Open since 1898, according to manager Sonia Sebastián with the passing of time it has become “an veritable flamenco museum, having remained the same for over a decade”. The Andalusian decoration stands out, with its tiled walls depicting scenes from mythical works such as Don Quixote.
From 1:00 till 9:00 it is a regular bar, where locals come together to chat, have an aperitif and enjoy the purest flamenco. After 9:00 it becomes a cocktail bar, but flamenco music remains ever present until the early hours of the morning.
Tablaos: A fine meal and the very best dancing.
After an aperitif and a few drinks during the afternoon, we head off to enjoy a delicious meal in front of some of the most historic of Madrid’s flamenco stages, “los tablaos”. While we enjoy a wine accompanied by some of the more traditional Spanish dishes, the most prestigious artists of the flamenco world demonstrate their art.
The Corral de la Morería (Morería, 17. Tel.: 91 365 84 46) is one of the oldest and most famous of the capital’s flamenco bars. Open since 1956, this venue offers the very best in flamenco, courtesy of its own group of dancers, guitarists and singers in addition to established artists of the scene. Such names as Juan Andrés Maya, Belén López, Lola Greco and José Greco, Antonio Gades, Mario Maya and El Güito have all performed on its stage.
While the audience enjoys the show, El Corral has some of the most traditional of Spanish dishes on offer, from Castilian soup or Paella Valenciana, to a pastry of Manchego cheese or prawns in garlic, all accompanied by the finest Spanish wine, such as a Tinto Solaz or a Rioja de Crianza. Nonetheless, if you prefer simply to enjoy the show, then tickets are available (a drink is included in the price) which allow spectators to enjoy the show for the price of 32 Euros.
Over the course of its almost 50 years of existence, a whole host of celebrities have visited this flamenco bar. From the great American actors and actresses of the first half of the 20th century, such as Gary Cooper, Rita Hayworth and Charlton Heston to politicians such as George Bush, Richard Nixon, John F. Kennedy, Henry Kissinger and Carlos Menem and great artists such as Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dalí .
The Café de Chinitas (Torija, 7. Telephone: 91 559 51 35) is located nearby, and is renowned in the capital for the original decoration of its stage with manila shawls. Located in the basements of an 18th century palace, close to the Plaza de Oriente, this venue has offered the finest flamenco and national and international gastronomy since its opening in 1970.
Also known for its bullfighting ambience, artists of the calibre of La Chunga, María Albaicín, Lola Flores, Pastora Imperio, El Lebrijano and Manzanita have all performed on its stage. In addition to these great artists, the venue also has its own flamenco group who perform every night at 22:30.
Without leaving the area, our next stop is Las Carboneras (Plaza del Conde de Miranda, 1. Telephone: 91 542 86 77). Opened four years ago under the guidance of three friends -Manuela Vega, Ana Romero and La Tacha - with the idea of recovering the traditional flamenco atmosphere, it has made a name for itself as an innovative venue, a breath of fresh air on the flamenco scene. The avant garde decoration is testimony to this, in combination with the pure flamenco dancing on offer.
Although still in its infancy, artists of the calibre of Montse Cortés, Manuel Reyes, Rocío Molina, Alejandro Granados and Belén Fernández have all performed on its stage. Its own group, composed of four dancers, two singers and two guitarists, perform from Monday to Saturday. According to Manuela Vega, the show is based on “the most traditional flamenco, but with plenty of room for improvisation”.
There is one show from Monday to Thursday, at 22:30, while on Friday and Saturday there are two performances, at 20:30 and 23:00. Entrance costs 22 Euros, including a drink or a tapa, while a ticket with a meal included costs around 40 Euros.
Casa Patas (Cañizares, 10. Tel: 91 369 04 96) is an equally innovative venue, and has offered one of the most attractive flamenco shows in the capital on a daily basis for over 20 years. According to Begoña Fernandez, one of the managers, “Unlike other venues who have a regular group, at Casa Patas we have a different programme on offer each month. The programme also varies from week to week and the weekends are also different. From Monday to Thursday we have a session at 22:30, while at the weekend there are two performances a day, at 21:00 and at midnight. Again, the artists vary from show to show.
The performers are among the most famous in the flamenco world, such as El Negri’, singer of La Barbería del Sur and Lole Montoya. With regards to the dancers, there are artists such as Marcos Flores and Olga Penicet, both dancers from Rafael Amargo’s company; Mara Martínez, who has danced with Antonio Canales and Rafael Matos, principal dancer of Tito Losada’s group.
In addition to these flamenco bars, the capital also has other venues offering the finest flamenco performances. El Corral de la Pacheca (Juan Ramón Jiménez. Tel: 01 353 01 00), Torres Bermejas (Mesonero Romanos, 11. Tel: 91 532 33 22 ), Arco de Cuchilleros (Cuchilleros, 7. Tel: 01 364 02 63) o Las Tablas (Plaza de España, 9. Tel: 91 542 05 20) are all worthy of note.
Flamenco until the early hours
For those who wish to carry on until the early hours of the morning, the Calle Echagaray is an ideal place to go. Cardamomo (Echegaray, 5. Telephone: 91 369 07 57) is one of the finest venues in this area, famous for its live performances and record launches.
Artists such as Diego el Cigala, Raimundo Amador, Ramón el Portugués and Ketama have all performed on its stage. The performances themselves notwithstanding, it is not uncommon to see the audience clapping and accompanying the artists, dancing to purest flamenco rhythms until the early hours of the morning. It opens every day except Monday, from 21:00 to 03:00.
The bar Clan (Ronda de Toledo, 20. Teléfono: 91 528 84 01) can be found close to Cardamomo, near calle Ribera de Curtidores and the Madrid Flea Market. Decorated in an Arabic style reminiscent of the Alhambra, it is an ideal place to enjoy a quiet meal at the weekends, or a drink and a live performance by some of the most renowned artists on the flamenco scene. Among the artists who have performed on its stage, it is worth highlighting Elena Andújar, Angélica ‘La Tremendita’ and Leo Treviño.
For those who wish to dance until the sun comes up, there are two more bars with a distinct flamenco atmosphere: Al Andalus (Capitán Haya, 19. Tel: 91 556 14 39) and Ole con Ole (formerly known as the sala Axarquía on calle Calatrava, 32. Tel: 91 366 66 03). They offer live flamenco performances as well as spacious dance floors, where the more courageous can flaunt their abilities to the tune of sevillanas, zapateaos or rumbas.
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