Del Diego

We are suckers for the "36 Hours in __" Series in the New York Times because it almost always delivers a nice set of options.  So, we happily referenced the 2009 version of 36 Hours in Madrid, which led us to Del Diego, a smart and self-assured (but not smug) cocktail bar.

We had plans to go to a 22:00 flamenco show and we really just wanted to start off with a drink.  Fingers crossed that the bar wouldn't be too crowded at 8:30pm on a Saturday, we were happy to see plenty of tables.  (Okay, veterans of Madrid might laugh at our concerns ... after all, bars don't fill up in Madrid until way, way late.)

The bar is full of intimate seating spaces with dangerously low-hanging lamps.  Very cool vibe.  Even at such an early hour, we saw a nice mix of madrileños and visitors.  Potato chips and nuts were served right away with our cocktails.  We tried the Old Fashioned (solid) and the house specialty Del Diego (balanced, light and fruity in a good way) pictured below.

Bottom line? Very positive. We'll definitely drop by Del Diego again.  Perhaps next time, we'll sit at the bar and watch the cocktail makers in action, instead of the flamenco show.  We hear that Madrid is not quite a cocktail kind of place, at least outside of the international hotel scene, but we're hoping that's not entirely the case.  If Del Diego is the only cocktail show in town, however, we're going to be fine.

Del Diego
+34 915 227 544
Calle de la Reina, 12
(Gran Via)