Sacromonte's cave venues offer the most distinctive flamenco experience in Granada. Unlike the polished tablao shows in the city centre, the cave performances (zambra) are smaller, more intimate, and rooted in the Roma community that has inhabited the hillside for centuries. The best venues seat perhaps twenty to thirty people in an actual cave, with the dancers and musicians close enough to feel the stamp of their feet.
The quality varies. The well-reviewed caves — Cueva La Rocío, Venta El Gallo, and a handful of others — deliver performances that hold up to scrutiny. Book through a reputable local agency rather than a street tout. Prices are higher than a drink at a bar but substantially cheaper than similar experiences in Sevilla, and the setting is unrepeatable.