Bodega de la Ardosa

A tiled, wood-panelled vermouth bar open since 1892 — one of the last true bodegas in Malasaña, famous for a tortilla de patatas many locals rank above any other in the city, and vermouth poured straight from the barrel.

It's tiny and always busy, especially at the classic vermouth hour before Sunday lunch — squeeze in at the bar rather than waiting for a table. Order the tortilla and the croquetas together; both are what the bar is actually known for beyond the vermouth itself. No reservations, and no real off-peak hours worth planning around — it's consistently busy from midday onward.