I recently found myself in the South of Spain with a little time on my hands. Like any sensible guitarist visiting Andalucia, my first thought was to find a Flamenco show and check out some of the amazing guitar playing.
Unfortunately, the internet was fairly short on useful suggestions, even though I speak a fair bit of Spanish and had the help of a couple of native speakers. So I thought I’d write a quick post to help anyone looking for Flamenco in Jerez.
Flamenco in Puerto de Santa Maria
I was actually looking for Flamenco in Puerto de Santa Maria, where I was staying, but a few phone calls to the places on the local Tourist Board’s Flamenco Page turned up nothing. The only one we got a response from was Pena El Chumi which was closed because it was moving to a new location. I’ll check it out if I come back here. They say they’ll be open again by June 2015.
Flamenco in Jerez
After my lack of success in Puerto de Santa Maria, I widened my search to look for Flamenco in Jerez, which is a 25 minute taxi ride away. We found 3 options:
– Tablao Flamenco Puro Arte
– La Taberna Flamenca
– Bodega Casa Del Marques
So here’s my run down of each, not perfect, but better than anything else I’ve found in English online
Tablao Flamenco Puro Arte
Address: Calle Conocedores, 28, Jerez de la Frontera
This is in a beautiful big old Bodega warehouse. High ceilings and artfully decorated and lit. The stage was large, high and very impressive. Drinks and tapas were very reasonably priced. They will do a dinner if you want a full meal. Dinner at 9pm, then the show at 10pm, although this is Spain so everything has a tendency to run late.
On the day we went there were several tables reserved, but plenty free too, so it’s entirely possible to turn up here on the night without booking in advance.
We didn’t actually stay for the show here because we’d already booked at the Bodega Casa Del Marques, which is just down the road. However, I really liked the place and I’m really keen to go back to catch a show there in the future.
La Taberna Flamenca
Address: Angostillo de Santiago, 3, Jerez de la Frontera
I didn’t go here myself but my Dad has been. He said the food wasn’t amazing but the show was great. The night he went they had a male Flamenco dancer as well as two women. Dad said he was fantastic, and having a male dancer as part of the show is slightly unusual, so it’s a bonus if the show has one.
I can’t be sure they have the same performers every night, so they might not have a male dancer on the night you go, but it’s good to know they do it sometimes. I’m hoping to visit this one one day too.
Bodega Casa Del Marques
Address: Calle Conocedores, 28, Jerez de la Frontera
This is the show we went to in the end. In fact it’s more of a night out with drinks, a meal and a show at the end. It’s all hosted in an old 19th Century Mansion. It’s very impressive.
There are drinks in the courtyard section – as many as you want with a selection of local sherries – sweet, medium and dry. They also bring around a seemingly never-ending array of aperitifs – local cheese, ham croquets, almond cream cheese on toast, deep fried whitebait, jamon serano, and more.
You then go through to the warehouse / bodega section at the back where you get a 3 course meal followed by a 1 hour Flamenco show. The food was great, the show was very good, but possibly not as good as the other two.
It’s not cheap though, it’s around 70 euros a head. But it’s an experience you’re unlikely to forget. The place opens at 9:30 and the show finished around 1:15am, so it’s a good night out. Make sure you book in advance and I think you’d need to be in a group of at least 4.
Booking Site FlamencoTickets.com
There’s a website I came across called www.flamencotickets.com. This sells tickets to La Taberna Flamenca and Bodega Casa Del Marques. This allows you to book tickets and view descriptions of the two places in English.
I didn’t use it myself because I was lucky enough to have some people with me who could speak Spanish, so we called the places directly. However, if you are struggling to make yourself understood then FlamencoTickets.com might make your life easier.
I know I haven’t been able to give you a complete review of each place, but hopefully it helps you make a decision. Naturally they all claim to offer ‘The Best Flamenco in Jerez’.
My advice is that if you’re most interested in the Flamenco rather than the food then go to Tablao Flamenco or La Taberna Flamenca. If you want a luxurious night of wining and dining with some Flamenco to top it off, Bodega Casa Del Marques is a fantastic option.
