6 Ways to Flamenco in Madrid

For our money, Madrid's best nightlife is flamenco. More than entertainment and atmosphere, it's a lifestyle; don't expect performances to begin before 10pm. Flamenco's tangled musical roots sprout from Andalusia, but the current artistic revival began in Madrid in the 1980s and not even the big cities of Andalusia offer as much variety. If you are going to take in just one performance in Madrid, go straight to Casa Patas (Cañizares 10; tel. 913-69-04-96; www.casapatas.com), which is co-owned by one of the founding members of the jazz-flamenco band, Pata Negra. You might see a newly discovered singer-guitarist duo -- or members of the Amaya, Montoya, or Habichuela families (the royalty of flamenco). Either way, the performance will be top rate. The bar starts filling up with flamencos (as those who live the life of the music are called) about an hour before the nominal start time for a performance. Unshaven men sporting long black ponytails and dressed all in black nurse glasses of sherry amid the chic Madrileños in designer jeans tossing back Scotch on the rocks. Shows are €28 Monday through Thursday, €31 Friday and Saturday, including a drink. Reservations strongly recommended.

Flamenco was nearly moribund from the Spanish Civil War into the early 1980s and was kept alive in part by tourist dinner shows. A few of those old-fashioned and usually expensive tablaos still do a roaring business; just ask at your hotel and they'll eagerly book you into one to earn the commission. (Actually, don't do that; the flamenco is a pale version of the real thing.) But even the dinner-show market is evolving. Wherever you go, plan to dine elsewhere and just pay for the show admission, which always includes a drink.

Performers founded Las Carboneras Tablao Flamenco (Plaza del Conde Miranda 1; tel. 915-42-86-77; www.tablaolascarboneras.com; Metro: Opera or La Latina) as a showcase for young talent. Some flamenco venues emphasize music -- here dance is the focus, with long solo performances. You'll hear backstage tapping rhythms and an occasional guitar chord before the lights dim, leaving the audience in flickering shadows from the candles on each table. Combined packages for dinner and show run 55 to €68; performance and one drink €29. Reservations recommended.

Dancer Maripaz Lucena, who is well-connected in the tight-knit flamenco world, is the force behind Espacio Flamenco (Ribera de Curtidores 26; tel. 912-98-19-55; www.espacioflamenco.es; Metro: Puerta de Toledo, Embajadores, or Lavapiés). Evening performances take place in a stylish space with gray walls and polka-dot underskirts on the tables. It's beneath a shop catering to musicians and dancers. (Try hefting one of those ruffled skirts to really appreciate how much effort is involved in the artistry.) Dinner and show €65; performance and one drink €30. Go for the latter. Reservations required.

With a strong subculture of musicians and dancers to draw on, several bars stage flamenco one or two nights a week. Calle Echegaray has long had at least one such establishment, and for the moment it's Cardamomo Tablao Flamenco (Echegaray 15; tel. 913-69-07-57; www.cardamomo.es; flamenco Tues-Wed; Metro: Sevilla or Sol). Arrive at least a half-hour before the posted show time to get a seat at one of a dozen tiny tables with hard wooden stools. The performance will start when the air has turned blue from cigarette smoke and the crowd has finished the "free" beer or sangria that comes with admission. The musician-driven performances feature elaborate percussion, two guitarists, and a top-notch singer. Women dancers dominate, but you might also catch a young man with plucked eyebrows in a frenetic solo. Admission €10.

Don't arrive too early at Sala Juglar (Lavapiés 37; tel. 915-28-43-81; www.salajuglar.com; Metro: Lavapiés), as they don't roll up the corrugated metal door until after 9pm. For most of the week, this tiny Lavapiés club pumps late-night dance music and sometimes hosts jazz concerts. The Sunday evening "Juglar X Flamenco" show features ace guitarist Manuel Cavas, singer El Ciervo, as well as dancers and percussion. Grab a bottled beer at the bar and hang out in the back until the doors to the performance space open. Flamenco admission €7.

Flamenco is a night owl's pursuit, and nowhere more so than at Clan (Ribera de Curtidores across from #30, just south of Ronda de Toledo; tel. 915-28-84-01; www.osclan.com; Metro: Puerta de Toledo or Embajadores), where performances don't begin until midnight on Friday and Saturday. Don't be fooled by the modest stage in the front window or by the free admission. This isn't a dive bar like some near Sol that offer flamenco when they can't book anything else.

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