A tapas night in Huertas can go wrong in two predictable ways: arriving on a Monday, when Casa Alberto and Los Gatos are shut, or after 11pm, when Casa Alberto and Casa González have stopped serving. The fix is Cervecería Alemana on Plaza de Santa Ana, open every day from midday until midnight, or 1am at weekends. Six bars of the Barrio de las Letras fit in a 942-metre walk, and the Antón Martín Metro exit is about 220 metres from Casa Alberto.
Calle de las Huertas is the spine of the Barrio de las Letras, running from Plaza de Santa Ana down towards the Paseo del Prado and the Prado Museum.
Where should I go for tapas in Huertas? In Huertas, Casa Alberto serves a calamari sandwich for €7 and closes on Mondays; Cervecería Alemana is open daily until midnight, or 1am at weekends; Los Gatos offers about 30 tostas; and La Venencia pours sherry with mojama. The six bars fit in a 942-metre walk, roughly 12 minutes without stops.
Which Huertas bars are open on a Monday or after 11pm?
Monday and late night are where most first evenings in Huertas go wrong. Two of the six bars close on Mondays, and two stop serving at 11pm, which in Madrid is early.
The opening hours in full, as each bar or Madrid’s tourist office lists them:
| Bar | Monday | Tuesday to Saturday | Sunday |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cervecería Alemana | midday-12am | midday-12am, 1am Fri-Sat | midday-12am |
| Taberna de la Dolores | 11am-12am | 11am-12am, 1am Fri-Sat | 11am-12am |
| La Venencia | 12.30pm-3.30pm, 7.30pm-12am | same | same |
| Casa González | 10am-11pm | 10am-11pm | 11am-11pm |
| Los Gatos | closed | midday-12am | midday-5pm |
| Casa Alberto (bar) | closed | midday-11pm | midday-4pm |
For a more local crawl north of the centre, with two bars open past 1am at weekends, see Calle Ponzano tapas bars. The legal closing hours behind these times are explained in Madrid bar and club closing times.
How do I order tapas at a Madrid bar?
Portion size is the first thing to learn, because the same dish comes in different amounts. A tapa is one bite or small plate, a media ración is a half portion and a ración a full plate to share. Casa Alberto’s bar menu, per Casa Alberto, shows the scale, and it holds a surprise: a media is not half the price.
Iberian ham is €16 as a media or €26 as a ración, and Manchego €11 or €19.50; across the menu a media costs 54% to 64% of the full plate. The calamari sandwich with alioli is a single size at €7, which makes it the cheapest filling order on Casa Alberto’s bar menu. Bread is charged at €1.50 a person, and prices include VAT, so the menu price is what you pay. Whether a free tapa comes with your drink depends on the bar, as explained in free tapas in Madrid.
Which Huertas bar suits your night?
- Classic plates or a sit-down meal: Casa Alberto, Huertas 18, founded in 1827 according to the city plaque at its door. Bar Tuesday to Saturday midday to 11pm, Sunday until 4pm. Its tripe is covered in callos in Madrid.
- A beer, any day: Cervecería Alemana, Plaza de Santa Ana 6, on the square since 1904. Prices are on the menu at the table, not online.
- Sherry: La Venencia, Echegaray 7, for sherry and manzanilla with mojama, olives or anchovies. A drinking stop rather than dinner.
- Vermouth and toast: Los Gatos, Calle de Jesús 2, where Madrid’s tourist office lists about 30 tostas. Shut on Mondays and from 5pm on Sundays.
- Cheese and ham with wine: Casa González, León 12, a 1931 deli with a counter, open from 10am; the easiest pre-lunch stop.
- A standing aperitivo: Taberna de la Dolores, Plaza de Jesús 4, a 1908 tiled tavern for beer and cold montaditos, busiest at weekends according to Madrid’s tourist office.
What is different from a bar back home?
- Meal times run late. Casa Alberto’s dining room serves lunch from 1.30pm to 4pm and dinner from 8pm to 11pm. Between those, the bars keep serving tapas, which is how locals bridge the gap.
- Booking is only for tables. Casa Alberto lists +34 914 299 356 for its dining room; at the counters you walk in, stand and order.
- Bread can be a line on the bill. At Casa Alberto it is €1.50 a head, and it is not a mistake.
- You order in rounds. A drink and one plate per bar, then move on: the six bars are never more than 296 metres apart.
- Tipping is small change, not a percentage, as covered in tipping in Madrid.
How do I get to Huertas and walk the route?
Take Metro Line 1 to Antón Martín, whose Calle de la Magdalena exit is about 220 metres from Casa Alberto, or Line 2 to Sevilla to start at La Venencia. From Puerta del Sol, Cervecería Alemana is just over 500 metres on foot.
A single ticket is explained in Madrid Metro ticket prices, and the ride in from Barajas in the Madrid airport express bus.
In the evening, start at Casa Alberto before 11pm, then La Venencia, and finish on Plaza de Santa Ana, 99 metres from Casa Alberto. By day, begin with cheese at Casa González and walk 296 metres to La Dolores, with Los Gatos 37 metres further. The other big tapas street in the centre is Cava Baja in La Latina.
Huertas tapas questions from visitors
Which tapas bars in Huertas are open on Mondays?
Casa Alberto and Los Gatos close on Mondays. Cervecería Alemana on Plaza de Santa Ana opens from midday to midnight, and Casa González on Calle del León serves its cheese and ham from 10am to 11pm. La Venencia and Taberna de la Dolores also open on Mondays according to Madrid’s tourist office.
What is the difference between a tapa, a media and a ración?
They are portion sizes. A tapa is a single bite or small plate, a media ración is a half portion and a ración a full plate to share. At Casa Alberto, ham croquettes cost €7.50 as a media and €14 as a ración, and the oxtail stew €18 and €28.
Do I need to book for tapas in Huertas?
Only for a table in the Casa Alberto dining room, which serves lunch from 1.30pm to 4pm and dinner from 8pm to 11pm, Tuesday to Saturday. At the bars you walk in and order at the counter.
Which Metro stop is closest to Huertas tapas bars?
Antón Martín, on Line 1, whose Calle de la Magdalena exit is about 220 metres from Casa Alberto and Casa González. Sevilla, on Line 2, is handier for La Venencia and Plaza de Santa Ana.
Where can I get tapas late in Huertas?
Cervecería Alemana serves until midnight from Sunday to Thursday and until 1am on Fridays, Saturdays and holiday eves. Los Gatos stays open until midnight from Tuesday to Saturday. Casa Alberto and Casa González close at 11pm.
On a Monday in Huertas, skip Casa Alberto and head for Santa Ana.