Best Bars in Sol and Centro, Madrid

Guide: Central Drinks With a Reason

Central Madrid is better when the night has a plot instead of just another crowded bar. Casa Labra starts with beer and bacalao, The Madrid EDITION Roof gives the old center a rooftop gloss, Toni 2 turns the room into a piano singalong, and Josealfredo keeps one proper cocktail in reserve.

• Casa LabraCasa Labra is a centenary tavern near Puerta del Sol, famous for cod and cod croquettes served in a room that still feels close to its 19th-century bar roots. It belongs in a night plan as a Madrid-specific aperitif stop: beer, bacalao, and a quick standing-room ritual before the evening changes shape.
• The Madrid EDITION RoofThe Madrid EDITION Roof means Oroya's terrace above Plaza de Celenque, with Peruvian-leaning drinks, greenery, and rooftop views over the old center. Use it when the Sol plan needs a polished hotel terrace rather than another tavern or crowded street bar.
• Toni 2 Piano BarToni 2 Piano Bar is the Gran Via singalong institution where the room, piano, and crowd participation matter more than cocktail seriousness. It works for a theatrical late stop when the night should turn communal and a little chaotic.
• JosealfredoJosealfredo is the central cocktail room for a quieter, more deliberate drink around Gran Via and Malasana. The appeal is classic-bar intimacy, low light, and a proper glass before the night moves into louder neighborhoods.