Flamenco and Spanish food have shared a room for a long time. The art form grew up in Andalusia, in southern Spain, and for well over a century it has been performed in places where the audience is also eating and drinking. This guide explains what flamenco is, what a tablao is, and how to read what a restaurant listing says about flamenco.
What flamenco is
Flamenco is an Andalusian art form built from three parts: cante (song), toque (guitar) and baile (dance). Around them sit palmas, rhythmic handclapping that is part of the music, and jaleo, the shouts of encouragement such as '¡olé!' that you hear from performers and the audience. Andalusia's Gitano (Roma) communities are central to its history. In 2010 UNESCO added flamenco to its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Flamenco is organised into styles called palos, each with its own rhythm and mood. The solemn soleá, the bright alegrías from Cádiz and the fast bulerías are three that you are likely to hear at a show.
From café cantante to tablao
In the 19th century, flamenco moved into cafés cantantes, cafés with a small stage where customers drank while artists performed. In the 20th century the tablao took over that role: a venue, often with a wooden stage, where flamenco is performed for seated guests who usually order food or drinks. Madrid and the cities of Andalusia still have well-known tablaos.
How to behave at a show
- Palmas are music. The handclaps follow precise rhythms, so clapping along off the beat can get in the performers' way. Join in only if the performers invite it.
- Applause and olé. Clapping at the end of a piece, or a well-timed '¡olé!' during a strong passage, is the normal way to show appreciation.
- Order before it starts. Get your food and drinks in before the performance starts, so you aren't flagging down a server in the middle of a song.
- Ask about photos. Some venues allow phones, others don't. Flash is distracting in a small room.
Live shows and flamenco music in our listings
Restaurant listings use 'flamenco' in different ways. Some describe live performers. Others mention flamenco music in the room without saying whether it is live or recorded. Here is how the records in our directory put it:
Listings that mention live flamenco performances:
- El Payés, Medellín: traditional decoration and Spanish food, with live flamenco music and dance shows.
- Salero Tapas & Bodega, Dubai: at the Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates, with flamenco performances or a guitarist and singer every week, according to its record.
- Treinta y Tres, Gdańsk: Spanish cooking 140 metres above the city, with live flamenco performances and special events. Its record says it received a Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2024.
- Socarrat Paella Bar, Nolita, New York: its record says it is known for flamenco shows every Tuesday.
Listings that mention flamenco music, without saying whether it is live:
- Capote y Olé, Rijeka: decorated with a bullfighter's cape and burladeros, with flamenco music playing throughout the day.
- La Puerta de Alcalá, Bogotá: tapas, hams, paellas and sangría, and in the record's words, a lot of flamenco music.
- Madrid 1995, Shanghai: hanging hams, Spanish wines and soft flamenco melodies at Qiantan Park Lane.
Schedules change, so contact the venue before you plan an evening around a show.
