Turn off Plaza Santa Ana onto Calle Echegaray and you can walk straight past the door — nothing outside is trying to sell you anything. Inside it's another world: old sherry posters, a worn wooden bar, barrels. There's no menu; you read the list on the wall, and everything on it comes from Cádiz: manzanilla, fino, amontillado, oloroso, palo cortado. Beer and soft drinks aren't part of the story here — it's sherry only. The food is deliberately small in scope, a few right things rather than a long menu. Your tab is chalked onto the counter and wiped away when you leave. If I had one bar to return to in Madrid, I'd probably choose this one.
La Venencia
A counter that pours only sherry, where photos stay off
Good to know
- Photographs aren't taken here; it's one of the house's old customs and worth respecting.
- Tips aren't accepted either, so there's no need to insist.
- If you're not sure where to start, begin with a fino or manzanilla and work toward the darker styles.
- Since the tab is chalked where you stand, it's easiest to pick a spot and stay there.
- It's small and can fill up, so be ready to stand at the bar.
What to order
- Mojamasource ↗Salt-cured, air-dried tuna loin — the tapa this bar is most often mentioned for, and a natural match for dry sherry.
- Cecinasource ↗Air-dried, salt-cured beef; one of the fixtures on the short tapas list.
- Huevassource ↗Pressed fish roe, the thing regulars order alongside mojama more than anything else.
- Queso (manchego tarzı peynir)source ↗One of the couple of cheeses on offer; good company for an amontillado or oloroso.
- Aceitunas (zeytin)source ↗The small freebie that tends to arrive with your glass — the cheapest part of the order.
- Fino / Manzanilla / Amontillado / Oloroso / Palo cortadosource ↗The list is Cádiz only: manzanilla from Sanlúcar, plus fino, amontillado, oloroso and palo cortado from Jerez. No beer, no soft drinks.