Most of the tapas bars worth the trip in San Sebastián de los Reyes, the town locals call Sanse, are in Dehesa Vieja by Hospital Infanta Sofía Metro. Maldito Parné at Calle Francisco Ayala 1 opens from noon to 2.30am Monday to Saturday, and Taberna de 3, 675 m along the same street, pours imported beers from noon to midnight on weekdays. In the old town, Shamrocks Sanse opens at 9pm. Inside Plaza Norte 2, Cañas y Tapas serves from 1pm without an afternoon break. Only Maldito Parné takes bookings, on +34 914 55 77 63.
What are the best bars in San Sebastián de los Reyes? For dinner, Maldito Parné at Calle Francisco Ayala 1 in San Sebastián de los Reyes, open from noon to 2.30am; for after-work beers, Taberna de 3 at number 11; for a late drink, Shamrocks Sanse, open until 6am on Friday and Saturday; and between shops, Cañas y Tapas at Plaza Norte 2, from 1pm.
- Dinner bill: bravas, croquetas and torreznos at Maldito Parné cost €12, €14 and €16.
- Cheapest round: a €1.50 bottle of Águila at Shamrocks, 9pm to 10pm, Tuesday to Sunday.
- Getting there: Metro Line 10 to Hospital Infanta Sofía, 630 m from Maldito Parné.
- Watch out: on Mondays Shamrocks is closed and Taberna de 3 has no opening hours.
When is each San Sebastián de los Reyes bar open?
Arrive in the afternoon and Maldito Parné, Taberna de 3 and Cañas y Tapas are already serving. Shamrocks only opens at 9pm and is the bar for after midnight. Maldito Parné is the one bar that runs from lunch to the small hours, so if your plans are loose, start there.
How do ordering and paying work in a Sanse bar?
Three habits catch visitors out in San Sebastián de los Reyes, as anywhere in Madrid.
- A caña is a small draught beer. Ask for a pinta at Shamrocks if you want a pint: €4.00 for Águila, €5.50 for Guinness.
- Raciones are for sharing. A plate of bravas at Maldito Parné, €12.00, is meant for the table, not for one.
- A tapa is not owed. None of these bars promises one with a drink; the rule is explained in free tapas in Madrid and what bars owe you.
You pay at the end rather than per round, and a booking matters only at Maldito Parné, on +34 914 55 77 63.
What does a round cost in Sanse bars?
Shamrocks and Maldito Parné mark the two ends of a night out in San Sebastián de los Reyes: a cheap beer and a sit-down plate.
At Shamrocks, an Águila caña is €2.50, a pint €4.00, half a pint of Guinness €3.00 and a full one €5.50; a spirit and mixer is €7.00, premium brands €9.00. From 9pm to 10pm, Tuesday to Sunday, a bottle of Águila drops to €1.50. At Maldito Parné, one plate each of bravas, croquetas and torreznos, at €12.00, €14.00 and €16.00, adds up to €42.00 before drinks.
Where to have a sit-down tapas dinner in Sanse
Maldito Parné, at Calle Francisco Ayala 1, is the dinner choice in Dehesa Vieja: Ibérico ham, bravas «Matarile», Ibérico ham croquetas, spicy pig’s ear at €20.00, a made-to-order tortilla and chargrilled meat. It opens Monday to Saturday from noon to 2.30am and on Sunday until 1.30am; groups of more than 7 must call.
Order bravas and croquetas to share first, then the house manolete sandwich at €12.00. Not a quick-beer bar: expect a restaurant bill. For roast lamb or Galician food instead, see the best restaurants in San Sebastián de los Reyes.
Where to go for an after-work drink in Dehesa Vieja
Taberna de 3, at Calle Francisco Ayala 11, presents itself as an after-work bar: home-made tapas, sharing plates and a long list of Spanish and imported beers. It opens Tuesday to Friday from noon to midnight and at weekends until 2am, 660 m from Hospital Infanta Sofía Metro. Prices are given at the bar. Pair it with Maldito Parné, 675 m away, for a two-stop evening.
Where to drink late in San Sebastián de los Reyes
Shamrocks Sanse, at Calle José Murado 8 in the old town, is the late pub: open from 9pm Tuesday to Sunday, closing at 3am, and at 6am on Friday and Saturday; closed on Mondays. There is no kitchen, but there are darts with a league team, a pool table, table football and an arcade machine. Maldito Parné is about 29 minutes away on foot, so eat and drink in the same area.
Is there a tapas bar at Plaza Norte 2 or near the outlet?
Cañas y Tapas, on the upper floor of Plaza Norte 2, is the stop for shoppers: Sunday to Thursday from 1pm to 11.30pm, Friday and Saturday to midnight, with huevos rotos as the house dish. Being a chain, the menu is predictable. Shops and cinemas are in the Plaza Norte 2 shopping centre guide. From The Style Outlets in San Sebastián de los Reyes, Taberna de 3 is 1.1 km on foot.
How to reach Sanse’s bars from central Madrid
The bars of San Sebastián de los Reyes are in three spread-out spots, each with its own stop.
Hospital Infanta Sofía, the end of Metro Line 10, is 630 m from Maldito Parné and 660 m from Taberna de 3. For Shamrocks, Reyes Católicos is a 10-minute walk and the Cercanías C-4 station Alcobendas-San Sebastián de los Reyes 11 minutes. From central Madrid, Line 10 needs a change at Tres Olivos; routes and timetables are in how to get to San Sebastián de los Reyes from Madrid.
Which Sanse bar should you pick for your plan?
Pick by the hour and the company rather than by ratings: in San Sebastián de los Reyes each of the four bars wins one plan and fits none of the others.
| Plan | Bar | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Sit-down dinner of raciones | Maldito Parné | Priced menu and bookings, kitchen until 2.30am |
| After-work beer on a weekday | Taberna de 3 | Home-made tapas from noon, Tuesday to Friday |
| Darts and a last pint | Shamrocks Sanse | Open until 6am on Friday and Saturday |
| A break from shopping | Cañas y Tapas | Upper floor of Plaza Norte 2, no afternoon closing |
The town also has a tapa contest: in the 2024 Ruta de la Tapa, with 37 bars, Taberna El Foro took first prize with «Francisca la del Bártulo», a garlic-prawn croqueta with paprika mayonnaise; ask there for its hours and menu.
What might put you off Sanse’s bars
- Spread out. Shamrocks and Maldito Parné are about 2 km apart: pick one area for the evening.
- Mondays are thin. Shamrocks is closed and Taberna de 3 has no opening hours.
- Shamrocks is drinks only. Eat first at Maldito Parné.
- Late trips home take longer. Line 10 needs a change at Tres Olivos.
For the rest of the day out, see things to do in San Sebastián de los Reyes. If the day starts with coffee, see cafés and brunch in San Sebastián de los Reyes.
Frequently asked questions about tapas bars in San Sebastián de los Reyes
Is it worth going to San Sebastián de los Reyes for tapas?
Only if you are already there for The Style Outlets, Plaza Norte 2 or the August bull runs. Once there, Maldito Parné and Taberna de 3 sit 675 metres apart in Dehesa Vieja, an easy two-stop evening near Hospital Infanta Sofía Metro.
Do you get a free tapa with a drink in San Sebastián de los Reyes?
Not guaranteed. None of the bars in this San Sebastián de los Reyes list says that a tapa comes with the drink, and Madrid has no rule requiring one. If a small plate arrives with your caña, it is the bar’s courtesy; order raciones, such as €12 bravas at Maldito Parné, if you want to eat.
Where can you eat late in San Sebastián de los Reyes?
Maldito Parné, Calle Francisco Ayala 1 in San Sebastián de los Reyes, is open from noon to 2.30am Monday to Saturday and until 1.30am on Sunday, with no afternoon closing. Taberna de 3, at number 11, is open for home-made tapas until midnight on weekdays and until 2am at weekends.
Which bar in Sanse stays open latest?
Shamrocks Sanse, an Irish pub at Calle José Murado 8, is open until 6am on Friday and Saturday and until 3am on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday. It is closed on Mondays and has no kitchen, so eat first.
How do you get to the Sanse bars from central Madrid?
Metro Line 10 to Hospital Infanta Sofía, with a change at Tres Olivos: the station is 630 metres from Maldito Parné and 660 metres from Taberna de 3. For Shamrocks, Reyes Católicos is a 10-minute walk and the Cercanías C-4 station Alcobendas-San Sebastián de los Reyes 11 minutes.
Sanse rewards a short, well-timed round more than a crawl: dinner in Dehesa Vieja, the last pint on José Murado.