The wooden counter and time-worn leather booths at La Venencia, a small bar near Plaza Santa Ana, haven’t changed much since the early days of the Spanish Civil War, when anti-Fascist troops gathered there to trade secrets and drink sherry. Hemingway, too, used to sit on bar stools and drink away long afternoons. Perhaps to uphold the veneer of secrecy which established when it opened, the photo ban is still very much in place today, as is a ban on tips. The bartenders still only serve sherry—don’t ask for beer, water, or wine—but the drinks are now paired with delicious tapas like Campo Real olives, cheese, anchovies, and salted tuna. Old men in bowler hats and frayed jackets write down their orders in chalk. Don’t miss the black cat, which has a tendency to snake its way around the tables. —Elena Clavarino

Elena Clavarino is a Senior Editor at AIR MAIL