Bodegas Alfaro: flamenco tavern of traditional Madrid

For decades, the Lavapiés neighbourhood has been the Spanish capital’s caló area and, in general, a multicultural neighbourhood, perhaps the most eclectic in Madrid. At the end of the 80s and until the end of the 90s, it was the stopping place for the flamingos. Venues such as the Candela or the now defunct Casa Patas used to host Camarón, Paco de Lucía, José Menese, Enrique Morente or the Carmonas when night began to fall.

The day, on the other hand, was for tapas, vermouth or beer. Bodegas Alfaro was the preferred tavern for most of them. The reason, basically, is that the place sounded constantly like Jerez flamenco.

Bodegas Alfaro and the flamenco scene

This century-old tavern, founded by the Alfaro family in the early 20th century as a bulk wine business, is now run by Ángel Rodríguez and his sons. He himself was a regular customer of the tavern and, when he was told it was going to close, he joined with a couple of other customers and, in 1997, Bodegas Alfaro passed into his hands.

Ángel, a native of Jerez de la Frontera, lived flamenco with great passion. This was a hobby that permeated the venue, where good flamenco was played continuously and the walls were filled with photos taken at the shows. It was a sweet time for flamenco in Madrid, with very active peñas (such as El Duende or El Chaquetón) and constant concerts, festivals and conferences.

Ángel tried to go to everything and, of course, he made good friends in the flamenco environment. In a natural way, this old bodega became the “home” for artists such as Rubichi, El Agujetas, El Torta, Chocolate, El Capullo, Rancapino or Chaquetón. And that tradition continues to this day.