They do not serve reeds or soft drinks, they do not let photographs inside which they have not touched anything for decades and, as a soundtrack, there is the rumor of the client's conversations and the sharpening of the knives before cutting the chacinas. They point with chalk the consumption in the wooden bar, until a year ago you could only pay in cash and have never admitted tips. This is the venance (Echegaray, 7), an essential Madrid tavern founded in 1928 where when one enters one, the opening date is contributed by the last owners who took it in the 1980s, the brothers raised. Two university students who had this place as a header until one day they learned of the death of Juan, owner and direct descendant of the founders, and decided to keep the business so that it did not disappear.In the venia, they point with chalk the consumption in the wooden bar. They remain intact their walls darkened by time, wood furniture, dreary light, chopped roof, old posters of Jerez's harvest festivities since the first edition of 1948 and the old bottles placed on the shelves behind the counter. Gabriel Criado is one of the partners of the venencia, son of one of those who took the reins of the tavern in the eighties, and affirms that, during confinement, he cleaned the bottles one by one. He varied the labels so that they did not spoil and then placed them in alphabetical order, according to the name of the winery, so that Jerez fans like him could locate them. With such a picturesque place, they have often asked to rent it for filming and except on one occasion they have always refused. It was for the movie The Spherical Letter of Imanol Uribe in 2006. They agreed because a very friendly client begged and put the condition that he did not appear anywhere where he had shot. They do it for staying faithful to their philosophy, which is why they also hang posters forbidden to take photographs: they want the experience in the venencia only to be recorded in the retina and the palate of who visits them.
A cup of chamomile, in the venencia. A, None of reeds. In order not to take disappointments, it is convenient to know that only wines from the Jerez framework are served: fine, piled up, odorous or cutting stick of the Emilio Hidalgo winery; Fine chamomile of the thin cellar zuleta and chamomile past the gypsy. They are bulk wines that leave the taps of the boots that emerge behind the bar. They are requested per cup (at 2 euros and 2.50 euros), for half a bottle (at 8 and 9 euros) or per bottle (at 14 euros and 16 euros). And they can be accompanied by tapas or rations of Mojama de Barbate, Murcia Huevas, Cantabrian Anchovies and Chacinas de León such as Chorizo, Salchichón and Cecina, to which they add oil over whether it is requested.
Wines on the rise
For a few years it is not strange to find in the letters of many Madrid restaurants a specific section for Jerez wines. Therefore and for the restrictions of capacity of the pandemic, last year in the venence they opened the public the underlying they used as a warehouse or for some private family event. Now they have put some tables, a bar and have tried to continue with the aesthetics of the house, although it is another more current atmosphere. What they have achieved has been to gain space to house more clientele and have taken the opportunity to offer a new wine card created by Gabriel. This young enthusiast of the Jerez wines who attend the bar many days has formed visiting Bodegas Jerez and investigating with winemakers. He has determined to offer higher quality wines on the floor, thereby achieving the greatest innovation of the last times of the tavern. The rest is still intact. Lola missing, the cat that for 23 years walked among the tables of the premises and died four ago. Meanwhile, in the outside world, Echegaray street continues to beating to the rhythm of this century. In the place with you, Chuka Ramen Bar serves one of the best ramen in Madrid. Some numbers later is Salmon Guru, the cocktail bar in the twenty -four position of the list The World's 50 Best Bars already scarce meters, next week will open its own bar the Madrid craft beer Peninsula. The world changes, but the venance remains. Sign up here to our daily newsletter about Madrid.