Candela

I went here for a concert in November and I was blown away by the talent of the performers! The flamenco music was absolutely beautiful. Definitely arrive early to get a table or be prepared to stand! Either way, it’s an amazing experience.

At Candela, you don’t come for hospitality or culinary comfort—you come for truth. There’s no food. The drinks are poured heavy and without charm, the service bordering on brusque, almost defiant. But that austerity is part of the contract. Candela isn’t interested in seducing you; it’s interested in flamenco. And the flamenco is devastating. This is not polished, tourist-facing performance. It’s raw, intimate, and urgent—singers bleeding into the room, guitarists locked in concentration, dancers carving the air a few feet from your table. The space hums with history and tension, like something could erupt at any moment. When it hits, the room goes silent in that way only real art can command. Candela doesn’t pamper you. It doesn’t explain itself. It simply delivers one of the most authentic flamenco experiences in Madrid and dares you to keep up.

We were recommended this place for live music and drinks. Very lively atmosphere. Small menu consisting of more snack type food. The food was pretty good but a bit overpriced for what you get. Amazing sangria though! The staff were not overly friendly and when the live music was on (which was very good) you weren’t really meant to talk and were shushed if you talked mid set. Felt very local though which we loved.

Best place in Madrid: incredible history, incredible vibe.

Top!!!

Un clásico que volvió a abrir sus puertas hace un año. Soy del barrio y me siento como en casa. El equipo es súper accesible, empático y atento. Los chicos que trabajan en la puerta no son los típicos porteros desagradables. Todo lo contrario, te tratan con educación y respeto. Da gusto que esa sea la bienvenida al local. El ambiente dentro es muy variado y divertido. En Lavapiés, sin duda, el mejor garito!!!

C’est un tablao flamenco avec musique en direct lieu minuscule mais c’est ce qui fait son charme en plus de la qualité de ses spectacles surtout musicaux car peu de place pour la danse. Carte très succincte quelques tapas 2 types de vins rouges 2 types de vins blancs sangria et sodas

El martes en Candela es, sin duda, una de las experiencias más auténticas de Madrid. Fuimos dos personas y reservé con solo un día de antelación; ningún problema en llegar media hora tarde. Tuvimos un pequeño inconveniente con un plato, pero lo resolvieron rápido y con mucha amabilidad. Pagamos 39€ en total por cuatro copas de vino, un plato principal y dos gildas. La cocina está bien: los platos están bien presentados, aunque hay margen para mejorar. La actuación empezó a las 22:30 y fue muy top, de lo mejor de la noche. Como punto a mejorar, el aforo: demasiada gente, lo que puede hacer que el ambiente se sienta algo agobiante. Aun así, totalmente recomendable por la experiencia.

My friend frequented this hidden gem when she lived in Madrid, so when I came to visit this past July she made it a point to take me here. She told me it is the best lo-key flamenco dancing joint in the city in here opinion. We came by on a nice Saturday night and the place was packed with people ready to see some awesome flamenco. The guy behind the bar was a very cool guy as my friend knew him. They had my favorite Spanish drink in a bottle, tinto de verrano and it was very good. The stage wasnt that big and the place contained maybe 40 fold out chairs for seating. The show featured these two awesome guys that did the damn thing on stage...very good flamenco dancers. The band/singers were awesome as well! I think I can speak for everyone in the room when I say this was an awesome Saturday night experience.

I really enjoyed my night at Candela, but I suppose I would 5 star Lavapies if I could too, a major contributor to my time at the bar. I got there at around 4:30 am Friday night and it was a little dead. My friends apologized, vacaciónes,`` but around 5 things picked up and gave me my first real taste of night life in Madrid; its never really over. There was a lot of room to dance and as everywhere else in Lavapiés, lots of diversity. I danced with lots of different people and had a blast. Only problem is drinks were a tad pricey, 4 euro for a beer, but at that time youll pay almost anything to keep the feeling alive. I did, and I dont regret it.

What a cool spot in Madrid! We came in around 3 in the morning and it was packed, there were people flamenco dancing on a little stage (nothing formal, seemed like anyone could do it if they wanted to!) and the music was great. Mostly a late 20s to early 30s crowd. Cool spot if you are out nearby!

A true "hidden gem". Everything was excellent in our five-hour experience at the venue. We arrived without reservation yet they managed to find us a place. We spoke no Spanish yet they made an effort to make us feel at home. But the best was the flamenco performance. We have seen many in Madrid but this was something special. The informal setting, the high quality of the performance, the charming bar, and the element of improvisation among the amazing dancers - the combination - made it a special night / performance. You can enjoy a really nice dance on the same platform after the performance - and it gets really vibrant until the small hours of the morning. I loved it.