Salmón Guru

Salmón Guru is the cocktail bar that put Madrid firmly on the international mixology map. It was opened by the Argentine bartender Diego Cabrera, one of the best-known figures in the Spanish bar world, on Calle de Echegaray in the Barrio de las Letras, and it has featured in international rankings of the world's best bars. It is a busy, high-energy place where the drinks are serious but the atmosphere is playful.

The menu changes over time and is full of inventive creations, many with unexpected ingredients, unusual glassware and theatrical presentation, alongside well-made classics for anyone who prefers a familiar drink. The bartenders are skilled and quick, and it is worth sitting at the bar if you can to watch them work. There is also a food menu, available on the website, with dishes designed to go with the drinks, such as a pastrami brioche with crispy pickles and truffled coleslaw.

The interior is colourful and eclectic, and the music keeps the energy up. It suits groups of friends, couples and solo travellers who enjoy cocktail culture, and it makes a strong start to a night in the Huertas area. It is not a quiet bar, so if you want calm, go early.

Salmón Guru does not take reservations: you turn up and are seated as soon as a space is available. That means queues are common at peak times, particularly on Friday and Saturday nights, so arrive soon after opening or later in the evening. It opens at 16:00 every day and stays open until 2:00 from Sunday to Thursday and until 2:30 on Friday and Saturday. It closes on 24, 25 and 31 December and on 1 January. Prices are in line with other top cocktail bars in the city.

Calle de Echegaray runs south from Carrera de San Jerónimo through the Barrio de las Letras. Sevilla and Antón Martín metro stations are within around five minutes' walk, and Sol is under ten minutes away. La Venencia, the classic sherry bar, is on the same street, and the Plaza de Santa Ana with its terraces is just round the corner.