City guide Madrid: tips for eating, drinking and sleeping in the Spanish capital
Surely when you think of a holiday in Spain you think of Mallorca, Ibiza, Barcelona, Malaga... Well, maybe you're even longing for a holiday in Benidorm again (it has to be said: Benidorm is also really quite nice). But forget, even in the summer months, the Spanish capital Madrid not. In the middle of the country, yes. And so no sea, no. That's true, but that doesn't mean Madrid doesn't have a great heat plan! Certainly. Roof terraces with cooling sprinklers, swimming pools and - of course - refreshing drinks. This is where you should go: the City Guide with tips for Madrid.
It is always pleasant, pleasant and easy The SocialHub. The Social Hub Madrid in a very special building; the former office of the Spanish tabloid 'Semana', around the corner from Plaza de España and Gran Via. Super central, you can reach the center within a few minutes' walk. But it is also happening in this hub. From parties on the rooftop terrace to events in the co-working space and the community organizes weekly drinks that you can participate in. Plus, on the rooftop you also have a swimming pool where you can relax between work (or... any other time of the day) you can take a cooling splash.
We'll start right away: Aloft Madrid. To sleep. The right way. This hotel is located right in the center (to be precise, near the Gran Via shopping district), so you can cover everything on foot. The hotel is located right next to the iconic Plaza de España and the glitzy neighborhoods of Malasaña and Chueca. Location wise so you are in the best position with Aloft. The rooms are also very spacious, especially for a city hotel, and the breakfast buffet is extensive (extra bonus points for the avocado smash and hummus at the buffet). Aloft is equipped with all kinds of technical gadgets such as the Mobile Key with which you can open the door of your room via an app. The icing on the cake has to be the rooftop with swimming pool and a lovely view all over the city. Free tip: order in WXYZ Rooftop Bar the cocktail (very appropriate name).
Not for nothing Salmon Master secured a spot in the top 50 best cocktail bars in the world. Here cocktails are served in fish, bees, frogs, cacti, you name it glasses and the taste also gets a big ten. Inside it is a bit mysterious and there are nice corners everywhere. Good to know is that it is always busy, so standing in line for ten minutes is the most normal thing in the world here. Something we are slightly less good at, but still completely worth it.
The reasons why you would prefer to stay cooped up here all weekend are the chic sixties Mad Men-atmosphere in the restaurant, the good bites and relaxed brigade, the rooftop bar with breathtaking views over the city, breakfast with hams, cheeses and delicious date cake and the nice lobby for a pre dinner drink. And – drum roll – for the secretly hidden ones speakeasys in the cellar, with red velvet on the walls, a generous cocktail menu, seductive leopard lounge, and a cuddly seating area covered from floor to ceiling with leopard velour! Yes!
Would you like to experience a 'bit of' culture while you are in Madrid? count Duke is one of the city's largest cultural centers with film screenings, exhibitions and – that's where Bart comes in – pop-up food markets. The building encloses a large square where regular (food) events are organized and since the center opened its doors, more and more nice businesses have popped up in the area. You can reach the Federal Café in no time, and creperie Olive and Greek restaurant Dionisos are also not to be missed. Rent a bicycle: from the center towards Conde Duque you cycle past the Royal Palace, which is also done immediately.
La Vaquería Montañesa: glad we were there! First of all, the restaurant looks really beautiful: sleek, white and full of large black and white posters. Furthermore, good service and delicious food; everything was fine. However, the rest of the Spaniards still have to get a closer look at this hotspot - it is still very quiet. Really very quiet. A new addition, definitely, so: vamos!
Madrid had no distinct bread for a long time.scenes, until graphic designer Javier Marco decided to become a baker in 2012 and opened Panic. Since then, people have been lining up for his six basic sourdough breads, and that line leads nowhere. In addition to the bread, cakes and pastries baked goods that are at least as good, and every now and then sandwiches pop up – sandwiches – which are just as legendary as the loaves themselves. The Pan Tomate is a must. And feel free to ask about the bread baking workshops, as they organize them every now and then.
In the hip Malasaña neighborhood, where old-school hipsters Hangouts Where new concept stores exist side by side, sits El Moderno. A spacious, airy shop in a former grocery store, the original centuries-old menus still hang from the beams above the front door. Concrete floors, wooden shelves, white brick walls, and a selection that hovers somewhere between home decor, design, and art. Think lamps by the Scandinavian Schneid, paper decorations by the Japanese Traveler's Company, and handmade ceramics from Barcelona. On the ground floor, you will find graphic art grouped by artist. A shop to walk through slowly.
Dear Hotel, we enjoyed our stay so much. At first, Dear Hotel, we chose your central location, the beautiful view (we already saw that online) and the fact that you have a swimming pool (!). Pure luxury of course in the center of bloody hot (in the middle of summer then) Madrid. On the 14th floor of the Dear Hotel The pool floor is only for guests, this is only in the summer, the rest of the year you 'share' your hotel with non-guests, although that is not very pleasant. That said, in the summer months it is super luxurious with sun loungers plus a small cocktail bar. And it was true, Dear Hotel, that we regularly dipped ourselves in the pool with a mojito in hand, on the roof of a hotel the heart of Madrid. Good luck, if you want to see (even more of) the city…
If someone asks about your favorite restaurant in Madrid, you can rest assured Celso Y Manolo to call. Plus recommend. Celso Y Manolo, a restaurant with a beautiful 50s floor and ditto bar, combined with a modern interior; immediately sets the right atmosphere. Celso Y Manolo certainly does not disappoint: everything you taste, you want more of. So, let's just order some dishes again without thinking (or at least that's how we went).
If you want to have a drink or a bite to eat with a view over the city you can go to the top floor of the Principal hotel. Here they have a beautiful rooftop bar with a view over the largest shopping street in Madrid. If the weather is not good you can always stay inside while still having a view over Madrid.
Happy food spot in the heart of Chueca (with a typical Spanish colorful decor). Frida, where you can sit for dinner, or wine, or tapas. It's here with Frida all wood everything, from the floor to the tables and the paneling around the kitchen, with a palm tree wallpaper, a jumble of chairs and a nice FRIDA logo with lights. The terrace is also nice here, great for people watching. The atmosphere is up-up and cheerful. A no-brainer:.
The name suggests a tourist trap and it is, a bit, if it weren't for the fact that it is packed with Madrilenians around seven o'clock. They come here for just one euro each cup (beer) and a ham sandwich the latter being a crispy slice of delicious, Spanish raw ham. One euro! How brilliant? You are standing in the butcher's shop, around a U-shaped bar, where the ham legs hang decoratively from the ceiling. There are several branches in the city, but the one in Carrera de San Jerónimo is beautifully old-fashioned and centrally located.
Bart ate here filet steak, an extremely tasty piece of beef with crispy crust and coarse sea salt, based on a Brazilian recipe, that will make you want to fly to Madrid every weekend. We don't, but still. Cannibal Raw Bar in the chic Justicia district, it is - unsurprisingly - running like a charm.
In the La Latina neighborhood, on Carrera de San Francisco, stands a bakery where locals are already lining up at half past eight. Obrador San Francisco makes artisanal bread from natural flour and organic ingredients using natural fermentation, and the selection is deliberately kept small. No unnecessary items, just a streamlined menu of things they do exceptionally well. The focaccia and the palms his legendary chocolate bread Also – if you are lucky enough that there is one left. Come early, or come for nothing.
Chueca is not only the vibrant heart of Madrid's LGBTQ+ community, it is also one of the city's nicest shopping districts, with a slightly more accessible price level than the posh Salamanca. A good starting point is Ekseption, an established name in Madrid's boutique world. The focus is on quality and design, with a particularly strong collection of shoes and accessories, menswear from top brands, and home objects you didn't know you needed until you saw them. Afterward, head into the neighborhood for tapas, as Chueca has plenty to offer in that area too.
Toma Cafe is a bit living room-like and messy. Tasty laid-back, although the urgent recommendation on a blackboard to 'drink your coffee without sugar' reveals that they are dead serious about their black gold here. Cute hang-out for the day.
When you say Spain, you say tapas. Finding a truly authentic place to eat tapas in a big city can be a bit of a search. You want that one place where not all the tourists come, where the owner's grandmother is in the kitchen and makes the patatas bravas for you. We got you. At Taberna 4 Tapas there may not be a table available right away, but it is definitely worth the wait. The staff is friendly, the food is good and the beer is tasty.
Restaurant opaque is known – quite rightly as we now know – as one of the very best (fish) restaurants in Madrid. Every morning the fresh catch is brought in where next finger licking good dishes are made from it. Smoked salmon is smoked salmon? Wrong. You have never tasted smoked salmon like that from Opazo restaurant before, and that is a promise. In a nutshell? Spanish elegance and pure pleasure at its finest.
Gotta love The hat, for the low prices (hostel) but above all – literally – for the rooftop. Please note: food is only available from 20 p.m., but until then there are small snacks and plenty of beer, wine and cocktails.
Tiny coffee shop for a quick pick-me-up (coffee, matcha latte) and a tasty homemade is a sweetener Bianchi Kiosko Caffé. Located on a cozy and busy square in the Malasaña district. Blackboard with menu on the wall, furniture made of wood flake boards, relaxed atmosphere: it all feels very familiar, and therefore loved.
The tent, whose owners come from Australia, is pleasantly light with a slightly Scandinavian aftertaste. A sleek concrete floor, white walls, gigantic windows all around, retro wooden school chairs with a metal base stand around an oversized wooden table, which native Australian art and clumps of plump ocher vases. During the day the place is full of laptops and a hipster crowd. Also a great spot for pre dinner drinks.
Yes, you also visit the crazy tourist spots in Madrid, but as with any metropolis: you really get to know the city among the locals. In Madrid it is in the cool, gay-friendly Chueca district. Fashionable it is there. It Only You Hotel & Lounge is also a great tip for sleeping: boutique with a big blue bow. Just having a drink in the bar is also recommended.
When you say Spain, you think Paella. Right? Since it is such a popular dish, you might think: how difficult can it be? A bit like what applies to a pasta bolognese when you are in Italy. Wrong! Because strangely enough, in the case of Paella; Paëlla (pronounced suppressed) and Paëlla (emphasis on the P and E, exclaimed enthusiastically). For the latter variant you have to go to one of the two in Madrid St. James are restaurants. Outside on the small terrace – if you can score a spot – or inside the Mediterranean-colored rooms. Always good, always party.
Coconut, in the middle of the Chueca district, is recognizable by its fresh, mint green entrance. A bright hut with white brick walls, a wall with pastel-colored scrap metal, bulbs on sturdy wires, weathered metal tables and colorful chairs - everything cool, airy and light. Light-hearted and upbeat tent with Spanish classics on the menu (Ibérico ham, grilled artichoke and octopus), plus dishes from all over the world.
They can bake sweet rolls in Spain. And they do that best La Mallorquina Pastry Shop, since 1894, pontifical on the famous square Puerta del Sol. La Mallorquina is a typically Spanish and actually quite unsightly place. A marble floor, wooden bar with brown-pink stone top and brass details for standing up to drink a coffee, and meters of display cases full of confectionery - crumble with you sweet stuff is mandatory.
Casa mono stands for good food. A Tuna Tatami that is really not to be sneezed at, for example. And for service – even hands-on if your Spanish is very limited – it is overly friendly. Plus, so nice and flirty. First a wink, then linger at the table and at the end of the evening you are asked out. Our blonde locks probably did it for him. We'll never know. But it is clear that Casa Mono is pleasant for an evening meal.
Rughara Concept Store Madrid is a sleek concept store with cool streetwear and fashion, funky accessories (such as the necklace with a gold-plated heart - the real organ - from Porca Miseria), paper goods – such as the notebook with a tree bark cover from the Madrid paper brand Imborrable -, beautiful interior decorations such as plaids and cushions with modern graphic prints (Esto es MINE!) and striking ceramics - sounds silly, but that white rat with a trident on its head from Aitor You really want Saraba or the earthenware cake tin with a chimpanzee hanging from the edge by Yukiko Kitahara.
Hotel Totem: A bit of Rock & Roll, always marble (lots of marble, white or black, both good), good, somewhat dark music from the speakers, hosts and ladies who may walk around in jeans, but who understand what hospitality is. Well, there is the Hotel Tótem in Madrid, in the fancy Salamanca district. The small hotel is located behind a discreet entrance to a 19th-century building among a variety of chic and hip small fashion boutiques. Deep, warm colors, five floors, 64 rooms, lots of wood, lots of depth, moody blue and many large windows overlooking the city center of Madrid. Or about the bar in the courtyard of the building. Yes, a place like that.
Snack restaurant Aunt Rivera doesn't seem that special from the outside - and to be honest, also from the first few meters inside - but just wait until you enter the very cozy courtyard. Surprise! The garden with various seating areas, high and low, is full of plants and full of colored lights. And those Spanish tappas are delicious; not ridiculously tasty, just tasty. Ridiculously cheap.
Outside the entrance to a bag and offering shop somewhere in the heart of Madrid, you will find a sign stating that there is a roof terrace on the fourth floor (or was it fifth?). Uh okay… We'll check. On the fourth (or was it fifth?) floor there is indeed a roof terrace with so much greenery that it almost looks like a botanical garden (almost). Jardin Secreto so, that's the name. Jardín Secreto Salvador Bachiller in full, has a good and extensive menu, which makes ordering difficult. Paired with a large jug of sangria, that lunch there can last an hour or so. Be warned.
More Spain tips on your screen? Read here the best of Menorca
(Fish) restaurant La Trainera is by far one of the favorites among the locals. And well, if they say so… We tried en we tested and fully agree (literally) with the Madrid people. Then it must be so, immense? The place itself is simple, as befits a good Spanish restaurant, but don't be fooled: the dishes are beautiful and delicious.
Taberna La Carmencita is first of all a beautiful restaurant: beautiful tiles on the wall, beautiful bar at the entrance, nice Article and industrial lamps. Not all Spanish (there are French plates on the table and the waiter speaks French too), but the atmosphere (look at those tiles!) breathes Spain. Secondly, the food: paella is well represented on the menu, plus a number of (we are told) classics from Madrid. We have not (yet) tasted those, but the best, most juicy meatballs made according to a very special recipe (hours of preparation) with lamb.
De patio it looks beautiful here and it almost feels like you've ended up in an urban jungle El Patio del Fisgon. The menu is perhaps not that special: like more restaurants in Madrid. There's a great one thunder tartare, burrata and salads, all perfectly prepared. However, the design really works here! Would you like to enjoy a wonderfully romantic dinner in the middle of Madrid?
