20 best bars in Madrid to check out right now, according to our Madrid-based team

Address: C. del León, 3, Centro, 28014 Madrid, Spain
Website: devilscutmadrid.com

Luces y sombras en Marrufo.Marrufo

Marrufo Coctelería

This space is reminiscent of a Mexican cantina, in honour of its owners’ origins. “We thought about giving it a proper name, but decided on Marrufo, my last name,” explains Carlos Marrufo, who gained experience in the world of spirits by importing mezcal for many years with his other company, Enmezcalarte. Much of the menu here incorporates agave spirits, including mezcal and tequila. “The hits are with mezcal, like the Naked and Famous, El Diablo, or Pichichi, two classics and one signature,” explains Marrufo. “Another one that people really like is the Electric Güera Acid Test, which uses Gardeum, an electric flower liqueur made in Asturias. We also have a wide variety of mezcals, always Espadín, but sometimes Tepextate, Madrecuixe… to be sipped little by little and with water, to savour and enjoy as if you were drinking it in Oaxaca, where I was born.” However, what we like most about this project is its approach to connecting with the neighbourhood. “Noviciado Street has a lot of charm because it feels like another city in the heart of Madrid, but the real charm lies in our neighbours who have supported us so much throughout: the Frutería Vitaminas, El Lugarcito before it moved to Santa Isabel, Kitchen 154, Mercado Acre, the record store Marilians, Graciana Empanadas.”

Address: C. del Noviciado, 16, Centro, 28015 Madrid, Spain
Website: marrufococteleria.es

Arturo Buzio, Head Mixologist de Rosewood Villa Magna.Tarde.O

Tarde.O

The cocktail bar at Madrid’s Rosewood Villa Magna hotel had to appear on this list. What characterises this space, both on its covered terrace and at its bar (our favourite spot), is the extensive and always impeccable menu. Well-executed classics always make an appearance, along with unique offerings like the Negroni Tasting, in which a Dry Bianco Negroni is accompanied by a fresh Claire Amélie fine oyster, the semi-sweet Sonora Negroni is served alongside a gilda, and the Sweet Classic Negroni is paired with Manchego cheese. In 2024, Tarde.O welcomed bartender Arturo Buzio, who had been a member of the legendary Scarfes Bar team at the Rosewood London Hotel since 2017. On his arrival in Madrid, he created new blends that challenged the limits of the imagination, such as the Almazara, with gin, lemon, citrus sugar, cardamom bitters, and olive lemonade; or the Parras, with mezcal, Sauvignon Blanc, carrot and orange shrub, and citric acid.