Wine Bars in Andalusia
Spain’s most famous wine regions might be in the north of the country, areas like Ribera del Duero, Rioja, and Priorat, but Andalusia has a strong wine culture of its own. The best places to drink wine in Andalusia, Spain’s south, vary from traditional taverns serving sherry and other traditional wines from barrels to innovative bars and restaurants serving rare wines from all corners of the world. No matter the place in Andalusia, the close relationship between interesting wines and Andalusian gastronomy shines through. From tapas to tasting menus, Andalusian food is present in the wine bars to accompany glasses and bottles of wine.
Sevilla
Taberna Manolo Cateca
Taberna Manolo Cateca is a historic taberna hidden from view on an alley near Sevilla’s Mercado de la Encarnación. The building has a century of history as a bar, but its current incarnation dates to 2013, when namesake Manolo took over but kept the decor intact. Since then, the taberna has established and expanded its reputation as one of the world’s great sherry bars. At the long bar anchoring the inside space or the outside barrels you can enjoy hundreds of sherry wines by the glass, from young finos and manzanillas to rare and old wines with decades of aging. There’s a varied tapas menu to accompany the wines including cheese and charcuterie, Sevillian sandwiches (montaditos), and traditional stews. Get there early to snag a spot, because it’s a popular spot with savvy locals. It’s important to note that the historic nature of the bar has prevented the installation of a women’s bathroom, so plan accordingly!
Antigua Abacería de San Lorenzo
At the northern end of Sevilla’s old part lies Antigua Abacería de San Lorenzo, one of the most unique places to eat and drink in Sevilla. It’s a difficult establishment to classify, combining elements of a store, a tapas bar, and a restaurant in one space. You might have a glass of wine standing next to a mechanical scale, taste delicious charcuterie and cheese at a bar table, or eat a multi-course meal in a quiet dining room. The decor and service are traditional and friendly, making you feel at home right away as you navigate the labyrinth that lies through the doorway. The most important thing about this place is that everything from the tapas to the specialties to the wine is focused on the very best Andalusian products. Don’t miss the excellent wine list featuring wines by the glass and bottles from Andalusia and from other parts of Spain as well as a wide range of sherries.
Jerez de la Frontera
El Pasaje
Jerez has its own special type of wine bar, the tabanco. These old-school taverns–wine-focused cousins of the famous ultramarinos of Cádiz–serve sherry out of barrels accompanied by cold tapas and the occasional cooked plate. El Pasaje is the most iconic of these tabancos, filled with history and decorated with relics of bullfights and flamenco shows past. Nab a spot at the bar and you’ll have your pick of the sherries kept in the barrels behind the bar. The quality is high across the board, making this a great place to get an introduction to sherry. For the thirsty and curious, there’s also a selection of premium sherries available by the glass from top producers in Jerez. The cold tapas here are excellent, especially classics like the chicharrones and aged cheese, perfect for opening your appetite before lunch. Don’t miss the chance to see the daily flamenco performances in the vintage mirror above the bar. A mandatory pilgrimage for any wine lover in the area.
El Guitarrón de San Pedro
When it comes to bottled sherry, El Guitarrón de San Pedro is the place in Jerez and one of the best anywhere. It’s a charming little place on a side street in Jerez’s old town, decorated with sherry bottles and old posters. Owner and resident sherry expert Mireia serves dozens of sherries of all sorts by the glass, from young finos and manzanillas to rare VORS wines usually reserved for elite restaurants. If you’re lucky you might even be able to try a rare wine that has been absent from the market for years. A trip to El Guitarrón is always a masterclass in the complexities of local wines. You can sit at one of the tables and enjoy tapas with your wine, or sit at the bar and eye the shelves of exotic bottles looking for your next taste.
Cádiz
La Taberna de la Manzanilla
Taberna La Manzanilla was founded in the 1930s as the Cádiz outpost of a Manzanilla bodega from Sanlúcar de Barrameda. At first glance, it’s hard to identify any changes since then. Ancient sherry bottles and promotional items cover the walls and fill glass cases, accompanied by well-aged bullfighting posters. The main attraction, however, is the pile of barrels behind the bar. Today La Manzanilla serves exclusively sherry aged in their own barrels, which have never been emptied since the founding of the taberna. Each glass is served with exactly two stuffed olives, and the bill is tracked in chalk on the dark wooden bar. Traditionally these sherry wine bars have also sold wine straight from the barrel in bottles to go, and La Manzanilla keeps this tradition alive, with prices listed by the liter. A perfect place to enjoy a manzanilla, amontillado, or even oloroso before eating at one of the fantastic restaurant nearby.
Listán Wine Tasca
Seaside Cádiz is a great place to drink sherry, but those seeking extensive lists of red, white, or sparkling wines wouldn’t find the same selection until Listán opened. Gaditano sommelier Jonatan Cantero, owner and public face of Listán, spent years honing his craft in Spain’s best restaurants before opening this airy bar and outdoor terrace on Cádiz’s Plaza San Antonio. The walls are covered in wine bottles, and the bar is dominated by a stone sink holding the extensive selection of wines by the glass. Ask for the wine list or put yourself in the hands of Jonatan and his staff and you’ll have access to dozens of special wines by the glass and hundreds more by the bottle. Listán is an especially good place to try the white wines of the province of Cádiz, known as vinos de pasto and closely related to sherry, but you’ll find great producers from all over Spain available. If you’re in the mood for a bottle, don’t miss the aged wines in the back of the wine list. The tapas menu is focused on the best products from the surrounding province, including excellent cheeses and tuna from the fishing towns down the coast near Gibraltar. To top it all off, there’s a store section where you can buy bottles of wine and gourmet foods to take with you on your travels. Listán has taken the wine scene in Cádiz to a new and very welcome level.
El Faro
Located in the heart of Cádiz’s La Viña district, El Faro is the definition of an institution. Since opening in 1964 it has served carefully prepared gaditano cuisine with impeccable classic service. The tapas bar is always full and features a two-sided bar that was recently redone without losing its character. The bar serves classics such as tortillitas de camarones and pescadito frito alongside creative and updated tapas based on local seafood. The wine list here has been pushed to incredible heights, including a selection of sherries from top producers bottled exclusively for El Faro and exciting small-production wines available by the glass. The bottle selection is unsurprisingly superb as well, featuring some of Spain’s great wines. Next door is the white tablecloth restaurant, which shares the kitchen but offers an extended menu without the tapas, perfect for long lunches or dinners.
Conil de la Frontera
La Solera
La Solera is the creation of two winelovers from northern Spain attracted by the magic of the Costa de la Luz, and is the place for wine and tapas in the beachfront village of Conil de la Frontera. Whether at one of the hard to nab outside tables or in the charmingly decorated interior, put yourself in the hands of the owners and their personally selected wine list. You’ll find great sherries and Andalusian wines alongside surprising selections from around Spain. To accompany your glasses, choose from a selection of the best local products, including Payoyo cheese from the Cádiz mountains and wild-caught tuna from the waters off Conil. A welcome watering hole in the wild part of the Cádiz coastline.
Chiclana de la Frontera
La Embajada
In just a few short years La Embajada has become a key stop for food and wine lovers in the coastal Andalusian town of Chiclana. Housed in Primitivo Collantes’s former vinegar bodega in the historic center of Chiclana, this airy tapas bar has everything you need: sherry wines from all of Chiclana’s major wineries by the glass, top quality charcuterie, a variety of well-prepared tapas and dishes based on local ingredients, and a gourmet store offering Chiclana wines and regional products to take home with you. Stop in before visiting one of Chiclana’s underappreciated wineries or try all the wines you want here. The patio is perfect on warm summer nights.
Ronda
Tabanco Los Arcos
Tabanco Los Arcos is a welcoming tapas bar and restaurant in the heart of Ronda’s old town, just steps from the famous gorge-spanning bridge. Here you can relax and enjoy tapas and plates of charcuterie and cheese alongside delicious preparations that highlight local seasonal products. Tabanco Los Arcos is beloved by the winemakers and wine enjoyers of the area for its wine selection which is long on local Ronda wines. You’ll find wines from nearly every producer in the area, including unusual and limited bottlings, and many of them are served by the glass. Add in the friendly staff and you have a classic spot to eat and drink in Ronda.
Córdoba
Taberna La Montillana
Córdoba is not just one of Andalusia’s great historic cities, but also a center for Montilla-Moriles wine appreciation, a cousin of sherry wine that populates the wine lists of restaurants and tabernas across Córdoba. Taberna La Montillana, in the heart of Córdoba’s old town, is an essential stop to enjoy the finest local wines. The wine list is among the best in the city, offering local white and sparkling wines alongside finos, amontillados and other long-aged styles. On the food menu you’ll find expertly updated versions of local classics like salmorejo and rabo de toro alongside novel dishes with local ingredients. Enjoying it all in the enchanting patio is the best way to dive into the food and wine of this wonderful part of Andalusia.
Granada
Taberna La Tana
There isn’t much wine produced around Granada, but the city has the strongest wine culture in southern Spain. While in Sevilla and Cádiz the locals tend to pair their tapas with beer or perhaps sherry, in Granada you’ll see red and white wine flowing in every corner of the city. Even so, it’s surprising that down a small street in the historic Realejo neighborhood lies one of the finest wine bars in all of Spain, a temple and destination for enthusiasts from all over the world. Taberna La Tana is an intimate space, with a few high tables and a wooden bar with racks of wine bottles behind it. The wine selection is stunning: dozens of wines by the glass from quality wineries all over Spain, from tiny growers to storied icons. The selection rotates, so you never know exactly what you’ll find, but owner and sommelier Jesús makes sure the wines are of the highest quality. There is also a thick book containing the wines that are available by the bottle, numbering in the thousands. Let Jesús or his sister guide you, or go straight for what you want. You’re guaranteed a good time here. Of course, there are also tapas, and as is traditional in Granada you’ll get a free one with each drink. You’ll find seasonal salads, quality charcuterie and cheese, and a range of traditional Andalusian dishes paired with a selection of wines.
St Germain
Hidden down a small street right off the main avenue of the center of Granada, Saint Germain offers a welcome respite from crowds and a cozy spot to try some of Spain’s best wines. Owner Juanjo has merged his love of Marcel Proust and fine wine into one joyful bar. Art and wine memorabilia cover the walls alongside chalkboards scrawled with extensive lists of wines by the glass. Settle in at the bar or at the outside tables and let the warm, knowledgeable staff recommend you a wine. This being Granada, you’ll receive a free tapa with each glass, a creative surprise crafted to complement a good glass. You can order plates of food, including house specialties like oxtail and quality cheeses and charcuterie. Any wine enthusiast visiting Granada can’t miss this wonderful hidden gem.