A toast to Jerez: where art abounds and glasses are full!
There are cities where you drink and others where you dance, but in Jerez de la Frontera, in southern Andalusia, you can do both. Here, the wine is steeped in history and the flamenco is pure. It’s not a scene created for tourists or your typical picture postcard; Jerez is alive with an authenticity that oozes through the cracks of its streets, into the improvised flamenco dancing in the bars and into every glass of fino artfully raised.
In the heart of this city in the province of Cádiz, there’s a route that’s not too well known outside of Spain, but which is an absolute must: the Tabanco Route. A journey of flavour, singing and feeling that connects you with the essence of Andalusia in its purest form. So are you packing your suitcase and ready to go on this journey of the senses? Come on, then!
What is a tabanco and why should you seek one out right now?
First of all, what is a tabanco? Well, imagine a combination of a traditional shop selling wine in bulk and a bar with heaps of character. Tabancos are traditional sherry bars where the wine is served straight from the barrel, accompanied by homemade tapas, and where a flamenco performance, as spontaneous as it is passionate, may start up at any time.
Its name comes from merging the words “estanco” (a shop selling state-controlled goods) and “taberna” (a bar or tavern) and dates back to the 17th century. Whilst many have disappeared over time, in recent years they’ve been making a steady comeback, reclaiming their place in the cultural nightlife of Jerez. Nowadays, they are places where locals and visitors meet up, where time flies between a soleá and a sip of amontillado.
Flamenco at floor level: art without a stage
Flamenco in the tabancos is not watched, it is felt. There are no spotlights or theatre seats. There are no choreographed steps or glamourous costumes here. A singer bursts into song because he feels like it, a guitar is played soulfully and hands all clap as one like a heartbeat. In many tabancos small performances are scheduled (normally free of charge), but sometimes the best experiences are those where flamenco just happens spontaneously. Because in Jerez, art is all around you.
Seeing flamenco in a tabanco is an intimate, almost mystical experience. You’re so close to the performers that you can see the sweat on the singer’s brow, the guitarist’s fingers trembling, the eyes of the listeners brimming with emotion. It’s not a show, it’s a spiritual experience.
Fino, oloroso and palmas: what to drink in a tabanco
Here, you don’t just ask for “a glass of sherry”. In Jerez, every wine has its own character, and sherry is in a world of its own. There are dry and delicate finos, amontillados with nutty notes, olorosos, which are more robust, and sweet sherries such as Pedro Ximénez, tasting of raisins and heaven.
Most tabancos serve their wines straight from the barrel, in low tumblers, and you can drink them accompanied by a tapa or two: pork rinds, potato omelette, mature cheese, cured tuna… Everything you associate with an Andalusian grandmother’s cooking and a family-run bar.
If you don’t know where to start, ask for a “degustación de jereces” (a sherry tasting). Many tabancos offer small tastings with an explanation included, and there’s no better form of initiation into this world than allowing yourself to be guided by someone who’s spent their whole life serving history in a small glass.
Obligatory stops: three tabancos you can’t afford to miss
Every tabanco has its own character, its own patronage, its own soul. Here are three stops that can make the perfect start to your route:
Tabanco El Pasaje
This is the oldest tabanco still in operation, opened in 1925. Located right in the centre, just a short walk from the Plaza del Arenal, El Pasaje combines a traditional setting with daily flamenco performances. The walls are covered in old photos and fair posters, and the atmosphere is one of pure Jerez magic.
Tabanco Plateros
Located in the quiet Calle Algarve, this modern tabanco with an old soul is renowned for its extensive wine list and creative tapas. It usually has live flamenco and a more relaxed atmosphere, ideal for whiling away the evening.
Tabanco San Pablo
Authenticity in its purest form. You don’t come here to pose, but to experience Jerez like a local. This tabanco has the appearance of an old grocery store, and the service is as welcoming as its sherry. If you’re lucky, a local may well burst into song with no microphone needed.
Tips for a tabanco route with no hangover (of the soul)
- Take your time. Part of the charm lies in letting the night (or evening) carry you along. You don’t visit the tabancos, you experience them.
- Make conversation. In Jerez, conversation is also on the menu. Ask about the sherry, comment on the singing, be open to hearing stories; everyone has one to tell here.
- Don’t just stick to the centre. Although many tabancos can be found in the old town, it’s worth venturing out a bit further. The area of Santiago and the neighbourhood of San Miguel harbour some hidden gems.
- Combine the sherry with flamenco, but also with some tapas. Striking the right balance between drinking and having a bite to eat is key. And be careful: these wines are stronger than they seem!
- Visit a winery. If you end up falling in love with sherry (and you will), take a tour of one of the wineries, such as González Byass or Lustau to see how this golden elixir is produced.
Jerez, more than just sherry
The Tabanco Route is just one way (albeit delicious, intense and memorable) of exploring Jerez. But this city has much more to offer besides: its cobbled streets, its baroque churches, the Almohad Alcázar, the Carthusian horses, the vibrancy of its squares as the evening draws in. And that unmistakable aroma of the wineries and the fragrance of the orange blossom that fills the air in the spring.
Jerez is a place where life is celebrated every day. Where you don’t have to wait until the weekend to hear the rapid beat of flamenco, or for a festival to try an excellent wine. Here, every tabanco is a stage, every corner a poem, and every glass a homage to centuries of culture.
In short: come here with your senses wide open
The Tabanco Route is not marked on the map, it’s an emotional trail. A bar-hopping journey, but also a journey of emotions, flavours and palmas. So if you’re looking for a destination where tourism hasn’t erased the local spirit, where art isn’t restricted to theatres, and where wine has a memory, Jerez awaits you with open arms and a finely tuned guitar.
So now you know: if when you step into a tabanco you see a wine barrel, a guitar against the wall and a smile at the bar… you’re in the right place. Ask for a glass of sherry. Stay for a while. Maybe a lifetime.
