Why Los Porches
Flamenco in the capital
Flamenco is the Andalusian art of song (cante), dance (baile) and guitar (toque), and UNESCO lists it as Intangible Cultural Heritage. It grew up in the south, but Madrid has drawn its best performers for generations, so what you see on a given night is the real thing. A tablao is the small-room form of it: you're near enough to hear the catch in the singer's voice and the heels landing on wood — nothing like the same art on a big stage.
The tapas and wine part
What makes the Los Porches night its own thing is the food. A selection of tapas and a glass of wine come with the ticket, so dinner and the show happen in one seat. You settle at a table, eat, drink and watch, instead of clock-watching between a restaurant and a stage. It's an easy, sociable way to spend the evening.
An easy night in the centre
Los Porches is in central Madrid, so it drops neatly into an evening in the city — walkable from a lot of old-town hotels, and a short metro ride from further out. The thing people mention afterwards is the mood of it: a warm room, performers who mean it, and good flamenco with a glass in your hand. It makes a good anchor for a night in the capital.
The elements of flamenco
A flamenco show has a few moving parts running together. Knowing what each one does gets you more from the night, so here's a quick key.
- El cante
The song
The voice sits at the middle of it. A cantaor or cantaora sings with no microphone and no cushion, pushing sorrow, love and joy through every line. Flamenco people treat cante as the soul of the thing; the dancing and the guitar take their lead from it.
- El baile
The dance
Tall, held posture, arms drawing shapes in the air, and then a run of hammering footwork — the bailaor or bailaora turns feeling into motion, the heels beating the rhythm into the floorboards (zapateado).
- El toque
The guitar
Watch the guitarist and you'll see how the whole thing hangs together. The tocaor sets the pulse, bends it to wherever the singer takes the cante, and now and then steps out on his own with a falseta.
- El compás
Rhythm & jaleo
Underneath everything sits compás, flamenco's rhythmic backbone. It's carried by clapping (palmas), finger-snaps (pitos) and jaleo — the calls of encouragement thrown from the edge of the stage.
- Los palos
The styles
Flamenco isn't a single style but a set of related forms, the palos, each with its own feel and metre — the weight of the soleá, the brighter swing of the alegrías, the cheeky spark of the bulería that usually carries the night to its finish.
- El duende
The spirit
When the singer, the dancer, the guitarist and the room all click at once, you get what flamenco calls duende — the hard-to-name jolt that turns a good performance into one you feel in your arms. Nobody can order it up in advance, and chasing it is the reason to see this live rather than on a screen.
The tablao & getting there
Los Porches is one evening in central Madrid: a tablao where tapas and a glass of wine come with the show. Below is the practical side — the room, the food, and getting there.
A room built for flamenco
Los Porches is a tablao, a room made for flamenco, with the stage set right up against the tables. That nearness is the whole idea: the footwork comes up through the floor and you can catch the looks the performers trade. Get there a little ahead so you're settled before the lights drop.
In central Madrid
The tablao sits in central Madrid, an easy reach of the main squares, sights and tapas streets. It's a simple thing to fold into a night out — plenty of people walk over from a hotel in the old town, and the metro covers the rest. Your booking confirmation has the exact address and closest station.
Show, tapas and wine together
This isn't a drink-only tablao. The Los Porches ticket puts a selection of Spanish tapas and a glass of wine on your table along with the show, so you eat where you watch. It makes a fuller evening than a bare performance. Inclusions can differ between options, so check which tapas and drinks yours covers when you book.
Getting there
The centre is compact and well covered by metro and bus, so most people either walk or take a short ride in. Coming from further out, a taxi to the middle of town and a few minutes on foot does the job. Leave yourself a little slack in the evening, especially on a busy weekend.
Flamenco & Madrid, in pictures
Flamenco performance, Spanish tapas and the Madrid around Los Porches to set the scene for your evening.
Tickets & what's included
Show + tapas & wine
A seat for the show, with a selection of tapas and a glass of wine
The main event here — flamenco and a bite of Spain in one
Showtimes
Usually a few shows across the evening
Earlier or later starts — take whichever fits your plans
Seating
Seated at a table near the stage
Come a bit early to get settled with your tapas first
Good to know
Free cancellation on the listing
A popular kind of night — reserve ahead in the busy months
Find a Los Porches showtime for your trip
Every option below is bookable through GetYourGuide, with live availability and the final price shown in your own currency before you pay.
Planning your evening
Pick your showtime
Los Porches usually spreads a few shows across the evening. An earlier one suits you if you want the flamenco to double as dinner and still have time to walk afterwards; a later one rounds off a day of sightseeing nicely. You lock in the time when you book, and it pays to turn up a little early so you can start on your tapas before it begins.
About the tapas and wine
The ticket ties the show to a selection of Spanish tapas and a glass of wine, so come hungry and make a night of it. Which dishes and which wine you get can change from one option to the next, so read the details of the one you pick — and mention any dietary needs to the staff on the night where you can.
Make an evening of central Madrid
The tablao is right in the middle of town, so build the evening out from it: a wander through the old centre, then the show and its tapas, then a last drink in one of Madrid's late bars. The city is at its best after dark, and flamenco sits well in that mood.
Good to know
Because the tapas and wine come with it, this is a warm, sociable evening as much as a performance — not a bare show. You don't need any Spanish; the art carries in the singing, the movement and the rhythm. Whether you can take photos varies by room and by night, so go by what the staff ask during the show.
Booking flexibility
The listing lets you cancel free up to 24 hours out, and many options let you reserve now and pay later — so you can hold a slot without spending anything today and change course if your trip shifts. These tapas-and-flamenco nights fill up in the busy season, so it's worth booking sooner rather than later.
Planning a flamenco night in Madrid
Flamenco with tapas and wine at Los Porches: showtimes and how the evening works
How the showtimes work, what lands on the table with the tapas-and-wine ticket, and how the night fits into central Madrid.
Read more → FLAMENCO FOR FIRST-TIMERSWhat to Expect at a Flamenco Show
Never seen flamenco? Here's what the cante, baile and guitar are really up to at a Madrid tablao, and why newcomers walk out still talking about it.
Read more → CHOOSING A MADRID TABLAOLos Porches vs Madrid's Other Tablaos
A level-headed look at how Madrid's tablaos differ — full dinner shows, drink-only rooms and tapas evenings like Los Porches — so you can pick the night that suits you.
Read more → THE MADRID FLAMENCO SCENEFlamenco in Madrid: A Visitor's Guide
How Madrid turned into a flamenco city, the difference between its tablaos, peñas and theatres, and where a tapas-and-wine room like Los Porches fits for a visitor.
Read more → MAKING A NIGHT OF ITTapas and Wine with Your Flamenco
What tapas and wine add to a flamenco night, what tends to show up on the plate and in the glass, and how to get the most out of an evening at Los Porches.
Read more → BEFORE YOU GOFlamenco Etiquette, Timing and Tips
Nuts and bolts for a Madrid tablao night — arrival time, dress, when clapping is and isn't welcome, photo rules, and how it works alongside the food.
Read more →Los Porches flamenco questions
What is the Los Porches flamenco show?
Los Porches is a tablao in central Madrid — a room built for live flamenco, where the singing (cante), dancing (baile) and guitar (toque) happen close to where you're sitting. The main ticket adds a selection of Spanish tapas and a glass of wine to the show, so the night is dinner and flamenco together rather than a performance on its own.
Is food and drink really included?
Yes. The featured option comes with a selection of Spanish tapas and a glass of wine alongside your seat for the show — that's what turns it into a whole evening. The exact dishes and drink can differ between options, so check what your ticket lists when you book, and raise any dietary needs with the staff on the night where you can.
How long is the show, and do I need to understand Spanish?
It's a live tablao performance; the exact running time is on the option you choose, so check there. You won't need Spanish or English — flamenco gets across through the voice, the dancing, the guitar and the rhythm, so it lands whatever language you speak. Think of it as an intense, feeling-driven art rather than a story you have to follow line by line.
Where do I sit, and when should I arrive?
Seating is at tables set near the stage, so you're close to the performers while you work through your tapas and wine. Arriving a little early gives you time to settle, get that first bite and glass, and be ready before it starts. Your showtime is fixed at the moment you book.
Where is it and how do I get there?
The tablao is in central Madrid, close to the main sights and well served by the metro. The centre is small enough that a lot of visitors just walk; from further out, a short metro ride or a taxi into town is the simplest way. The exact address and nearest station are on your booking confirmation.
Is the evening suitable for a special occasion?
It works well for one. Live flamenco with tapas and wine makes an easy pick for couples, groups of friends or a small party after something with a bit of atmosphere and a real Spanish feel. Because it's a well-liked option, tables go in the busy season, so booking ahead is the safe move.
Can I change my plans after booking?
Usually, yes. The listing has free cancellation up to 24 hours before the show, and a lot of options let you reserve now and pay later, so you can hold a time without paying today and still change it if your trip moves. Check the exact conditions on the option you're choosing before you book.
Do I need to book in advance?
In the busy months, yes. Flamenco nights that throw in tapas and wine are in demand in Madrid, and Los Porches only runs a handful of shows an evening, so the popular times go first. Booking ahead pins down the slot you want, and with free cancellation there's not much reason to leave it to chance.