There is no such thing as the best beer spot in Madrid. Or anywhere.
It depends on the context, and what you’re trying to accomplish. For instance: what’s your mood, how much time do you have, are you traveling solo, which neighborhood are you in, are you willing to take the metro for a specific experience, what type of beer do you want, do you want food with that, what time of day is it, time of week, time of year?
So instead of making a ranking (which is just cruel to ask of me), I’ll do my best to separate places by certain themes or contexts that may or may not fit your travel needs best. This list is not definitive either. I have a lot to explore and to learn from the Madrid craft beer scene, but I can definitely get you in the right direction! If you want a running list of every craft beer related venue in Madrid (and my honest opinions on each – good and bad), you can find that here.
Ground Rules & Assumptions:
I’ll assume that the average reader of this article is staying in the central, aka more touristy part of the city, and traveling solo or with a handful of companions.
I’ll separate the list based on whether you can have a full meal, and by distance. Regarding the latter, I am going to assume that most people won’t likely roam too far from the presence of fellow tourists… so my “further out” section includes a few spots that I think are very close, but the average tourist may not venture to.
In addition, I will try to describe the member of your family that will enjoy each place the most. This is just a guide. Everyone will fill welcome at any of these places (really anywhere in Madrid honestly).
If you’d like to get a tour of my favorites, you can of course join me on one of my Craft Beer Essentials Walking Tour. I’ll take you to some of my favorites, point out which beers to try, and make tons of suggestions for where else to go while you’re here in Madrid. You can find details and book through Airbnb Experiences.
Bottle Shop With A Good Pint
Ok… I’m basically making this category just to call out one of my favorite places to grab a beer.
Be Hoppy – Las Letras
This gem is like a blend of my favorite two battleships back in San Diego (Bine & Vine & Bottlecraft – if you’re asking). The bottle/can selection is as heavily curated and obsessively taken care of as the former, but they also feature beers on tap like the latter. The tap list is always special. They put in the effort to import certain beers, that most beer spots won’t even bother dealing with (the paperwork is a pain). So you will find beers here that no one else feels like bothering with. There is no food here – so plan accordingly.
Craft Beer with a Good Meal:
This is where context is key. If you simply went to the beer spots that I frequent the most, you may end up hungry or hoping for more than just a plate of meat and cheese.
My criteria here is admittedly not perfect – so here’s my logic: there is a difference between filling up (happily) on meat and cheese boards and snacks, versus each person ordering a burger, or splitting a whole pizza, or an American (or Cuban) style sandwich, or heaven forbid finding a decent salad.
So yes, you can eat at most of these places, I just want to setup your expectations, so that you can get the most out of your beer traveling here in Madrid.
Near the City Center (15 ish minute walk from Sol)
Leinerhaus – Chueca/Malasaña
Classic German Beers and great food. Okay, so my first item isn’t exactly a “craft beer” bar, but it’s a great bar with a great vibe, a freindly crew, and some amazing German beers to choose from in the fridge. The owner is a nerd for German beer, and like I said, the food is great. So for a great meal and some great beer, yes, absolutely, this is craft – and besides, Hazy IPA sucks with food, so the fact that it’s not on the menu here is a good thing.
The Stuyck – Malasaña
Already on nearly every “best” list. They boast a rotating list of European and American craft beers (as well as European classics from Belgium, UK, Germany). The atmosphere and food choices will feel familiar and welcoming to most American visitors. Good sandwiches, burgers, salads, etc. The front bar area is cozy and there is space in the back with tables to spread out with your meal a bit more. Vibe for me is like a slightly loud, hip, somewhat grungy (but clean), pub.
La Tape – Malasaña/Conde Duque
A good rotation of craft beers on draft, a nice bottle list, and a kitchen that turns out some slightly elevated typical European pub cuisine. Great option for the Menu del Día. Boutique diner type feel in the front, some seating upstairs (when available), and outside seating on the wide sidewalk out front. Your slightly conservative parents that don’t like burger grub will be happy that there are other options on the menu.
La Cánibal – Lavapies/Estación Del Arte
One of the largest bar and dining areas on this list. But you will still need a reservation if there are 2 or more of you on a busy day. A bit more modern and edgy with lots of stainless steel combined with rustic wood details in the construction, and fun/weird/funky/grotesque looking flower pots for subtle decoration. This will be one of the most fun spots if you like exploring beer and wine in the same seating. This includes plenty of the standards, and plenty of the more funky beer and wine styles. Kitchen turns out great examples of classic continental and Spanish dishes. Good fit for hipsters on a date, or going out with your aunts and uncles to share big plates and few bottles of wine.
Peninsula Centro – La Letras
This is a two for one: one of the very few tasting rooms from an actual Madrid-made brewery, and a solid kitchen. The Peninsula Fabrica (brewhouse) is located a little too far outside the city for most tourists to bother, so luckily they have a very smart and tidy and clean and modern taproom very near Sol. The menu has a nice mix of Spanish bar with a subtle twist, as well as American pub grub. Clean and modern decor. In terms of beer selection, they do everything well and most things very well. Extremely reliable for pleasing a group with a diverse palate. A note about the Fabrica – it’s just about 45 minutes out of the city center on the metro, and has a beer garden, food truck, lots of seating, and often live music/djs on the weekends. So I do recommend checking them out if you want to visit an actual manufacturing facility while you’re here.
Brew Wild – Las Letras
When you’re craving good pizza, and you don’t want to have to settle for just having the same ol’ blonde lager, Brew Wild comes to the rescue. The pizzas are solid, and the beer list is well balanced – representing the rainbow of beer flavors to pair with your meal (here’s a hint: stop drinking Hazy IPA with your meals). This is the de facto tasting room for La Quince Brewing Co. Their beers are excellent, so give them a try. The other beers on tap rotate often, and are always tough to choose between. Can get crowded easily – some bar seating upstairs, and some seating down in the basement as well (very moody and romantic down there). Same street as Peninsula Centro, so you can bar hop a little bit.
The Beer Joint – Lavapiés/La Latina
Big focus on Spanish/European craft beer with hearty grub like burgers, hot dogs, and loaded fries. This place gives me miniature Toronado vibes – in a good way. They are definitely more openly freindly and kind to their guests, but I wouldn’t give them any interior design awards – I know that’s not the point of a great beer bar, I’m just painting a picture here! When I’m here I feel very welcome, and I get the sense that they all love their job and their time together running the bar.
Bars With Tapas and/or Charcuterie:
Most bars in Spain will have at least a little food to snack on. So you will likely be able to order a tabla (meat and cheese board) or slice of empanada at these locations, I would not recommend them to someone that said, “I’m hungry, where can I get a good meal and a good beer.” I do however, highly suggest that you pop in for a merienda or just to grab a pint.
La Buena Cerveza – Chueca/Malasaña
One of my local watering holes. It reminds me a lot of my former Home Brewing Co. back in San Diego, in that the energy of the place is dictated by the regulars/locals. It has a small (romantically cramped) bar up front, with a more ample seating area in the back. A small tap list keeps the beers on a good rotation, and they keep the fridges stocked with plenty of modern craft beer examples from throughout Europe.
La Maripepa – Las Letras
Formerly one of Madrid’s few karaoke bars, now a very cozy and low key craft beer bar with plenty of rotating taps, in a more old school/classic Spanish bar atmosphere. Definitely one of my favorite places to sit with craft beer and meat and cheese snacks & other classic tapas, but the menu doesn’t go too far outside of that – but the nice thing is that this is an opportunity to sample typical Spanish bar food with something other than a macro blonde lager.
Chinaski – Lavapiés
A very cool and funky sort of vibe with some great beers on tap. They also have some hot dog/nachos options on the menu, so you can find more than just tapas here. This is a popular place with the younger, more beer adventurous crowd.
A Few Options Just A Little Further Out
These places aren’t that far! Most are just in that 20-30 minute range away from Sol that seems to be enough to discourage most people from even trying. There are literally millions more people and lots of things to do in those directions. So don’t be afraid.
Oldenburg – Chamberi
Wonderful old European vibe. The theme is classic German and Belgian beer here, although they certainly have modern craft beer options available. There is plenty here to fill you up, but it will be focused on the meat and cheese boards and/or small plates to share.
Beerhouse | Craftbeer Bar – Chamberi
This is one of those spots that gets recommended to me the most often. It’s the shell and soul of an old local watering hole that just happens to have a lot of craft beer on tap (and in the fridge). In terms of food they have hamburgers, hot dogs, sausage platters, and typical tapas to choose from.
Ossegg – Nuevos Ministerios
This is the spot if you want to try amazingly well made Czech Lagers in the center of Madrid. A little further out than my other options, but you can still get there on the standard metro card. If you’ve been to any of the modern craft beer houses in Prague, then this will feel familiar. Typical looking family restaurant/bar up top with the brewing equipment and beer hall vibe downstairs. The Czech beers are seriously delicious, and they have a few “modern” examples on tap as well (e.g. IPA, Pale Ale). Most Madrileños don’t even know this place is here.
Peninsula Fabrica – Alcobendas
This is just one more metro station outside of the standard fare zone, so you will have to do a quick transfer and pay the extra 3€ roundtrip, but I think it’s worth it if you’re looking for the brewery facility and beer garden vibe. You can also take a taxi, of course, I just love public transportation. There is a good amount of seating inside and out, lots of fresh cans in the fridge, plenty of beers on tap, a food truck, and occasional live music or DJ sets.
