Madrid

Adolfo Domínguez

Flagship store of the Spanish fashion designer. Another branch is in Calle Serrano 96.

Mon-Sat 10:00-21:00, Sun 12:00-20:00

Alhambra

This is a good place to drop by on a hot afternoon to enjoy a cold beer and some Andalusian tapas. Sample the sausages and cheeses.

Sun-Thu 12:00-01:00, Fri Sat 12:00-02:00

Antigua Huevería

The very best huevos rotos ('broken eggs') and croquetas. Cheap, beautiful and delicious! The chicken-adorned tiled front dates from the 19th century.

Tue-Thu 20:00-23:00, Fri 20:00-24:00, Sat 13:00-24:00, Sun 13:00-16:00·Mains €8-14

Arco de la Victoria

Puerta de la Moncloa

Francoist triumph arch erected 1950–56 to commemorate the Nationalist victory in the Battle of Ciudad Universitaria of the Civil War.

Areia

Very cool chill out bar decorated with deep colours in a Moroccan style. Dark and inviting. The seating includes cushions on the floor, traditional tables and chairs, or if you’re lucky, grab the four poster bed at the back.

Mon-Fri 16:00-03:00, Sat Sun 14:00-03:00·Drinks: €7 before 22:00 and €8 after 22:00

Atlético de Madrid

They play in La Liga, the top tier, and are one of the most successful teams in Spain, having won both La Liga and the Copa del Rey on ten occasions. They were European Cup runners-up in 2014 and 2016 and won the UEFA Europa League in 2010 and 2012. Since 2017 their home ground is Estadio Metropolitano, capacity 67,700, also known as Wanda Metropolitano. It's 10 km east of city centre in San Blas district, with its own metro station. The women's team play in Liga F (their top tier) at CD Wanda in Alcalá de Henares northeast of the city.

Auditorio 400

The main venue for contemporary music, dance, and theatre performance.

Auditorio Nacional de Música

National Auditorium of Music

The main concert venue for the Spanish National Orchestra and the Madrid Symphony Orchestra, as well as the main venue for touring classical artists and orchestras.

Ticket office: Mon 16:00-18:00, Tue-Fri 10:00-17:00, Sat 11:00-13:00; closed Sat in July and the month of Aug

Auditorio Nacional de Música

National Auditorium of Music

The main concert venue for the Spanish National Orchestra and the Madrid Symphony Orchestra, as well as the main venue for touring classical artists and orchestras.

Ticket office: Mon 16:00-18:00, Tue-Fri 10:00-17:00, Sat 11:00-13:00; closed Sat in July and the month of Aug

Bacchus

Right in the middle of Lonja, an area filled with places to dine and drink. It is still close enough to city centre but offers a more relaxed ambience, making it one especially suitable for families, though all types of customers can be encountered. Bacchus offers a mixture of innovative and traditional-style tapas. Very good though expensive wine list. It can get very busy on weekends. Nice outside seating area makes up for the fact that inside it is rather small and, in traditional tapas-bar style, somewhat littered.

Daily 09:00-02:00

Bar Jaén III

An excellent tapas bar and restaurant. A nice place to enjoy Spanish food and lifestyle without spending too much. Located in a business park in the far-east of the city, it's far from being a tourist trap and you can enjoy good food and true raciónes (portions). The pleasant owners are very willing to share stories about Madrid and Spain more generally. In summer time it has a superb terrace, within a stone's throw of the Olympic Stadium.

Mon-Thu 12:30-02:00, Fri Sat 11:30-03:00, Sun 11:30-02:00

Bar Jaén III

An excellent tapas bar and restaurant. A nice place to enjoy Spanish food and lifestyle without spending too much. Being located just outside central Madrid, it's far from being a tourist trap and you can enjoy good food and true raciónes (portions). The pleasant owners are very willing to share stories about Madrid and Spain more generally. In summer time it has a superb terrace, within a stone's throw of the Olympic Stadium.

Mon-Thu 12:30-02:00, Fri Sat 11:30-03:00, Sun 11:30-02:00

Bar Tambayan

Located in the northern reaches of Tetuán, this is arguably the best Filipino restaurant in Madrid, located in the heart of the city's Filipino neighborhood.

T-Sun 12:00-0:00

Basílica La Milagrosa

Church from the 1900s in Neo-Mudéjar and Gothic revival style, dedicated to Our Lady of Miracles.

Cafetería Nebraska

Known throughout Madrid for their hot dogs, this Tetuán diner is the last of an old chain of restaurants dating back to 1955.

Mon-Fri 08:00-23:30, Sat Sun 08:30-23:30

Café Comercial

Opened in the 1880s, this is the oldest cafe in Madrid, and has been run by the same family since the early 1900s. There's a modern internet café upstairs, but the downstairs remains traditional.

Café Gijón

A historic literary cafe. The outdoor terraza is nice in the summer.

Café Restaurant El Espejo

El Pabellón de El Espejo

Opened in 1978, but looks much older. Has two divisions: a more casual café and a restaurant. Good food and very crowded during lunchtime.

Daily 09:00-01:00 (café); daily 13:00-24:00 (restaurant)·Café: €14-15 (midweek set menu), €19-20 (weekend set menu); Restaurant: set menu €11-17

Café Ziryab Tablao Flamenco

A Flamenco venue with daily shows at 21:30 by first line artists, in an intimate ambiance. Kind staff, nice drinks and tapas, personalized attention and the artists right in front of you.

shows at 21:30·€22

Café de Oriente

Overlooks the Plaza Oriente and faces Palacio Real. Outdoor tables in summer, cozy indoor rooms in the cold months. Basement banquet room with a glass floor over ancient remains. Excellent food.

CaixaForum Madrid

A private centre particularly well-known for the 'vertical garden' by Patrick Blanc installed on a wall in front of the museum, as well as the quite special architecture of the building itself. The vertical garden can be seen from the street outside, just a block south of the Thyssen-Bornemisza and across from the Prado. The museum only displays temporary exhibitions, usually of a very high quality, in fields ranging from archaeology to contemporary art and architecture.

Daily 10:00-18:00, open holidays·€6, free (La Caixa account holders), free on 15 May, 18 May, 9 Nov

Caleido

Madrid's newest shopping mall, the podium of the Torre Caleido office tower in the Cuatro Torres Business Area is home to exclusive stores, several art installations and a variety of restaurants and bars which close later (until 02:00 the next day) than the mall.

Mon-Thu 10:00-21:00, Fri Sat 10:00-22:00, Sun 12:00-20:00

Calle Cava Baja

This narrow street in La Latina is by far the most famous and popular place for tapas.

Calle Cava Baja

This narrow street in La Latina is by far the most famous and popular place for tapas. It is also the place to go for the traditional Sunday-noon "Vermouth Hour" (after mass or shopping on El Rastro flea market).

Calle Fuencarral

The high street that is right inbetween Malasaña and Chueca, is the main shopping and promenading route in this part of Madrid. The 500-metre long strip between Gran Vía and Calle Hernán Cortés is closed to motorised traffic which makes it ideal to stroll along. Fuencarral itself is mostly lined by branches of well-known international fashion, cosmetics and accessory chains. Have a look into the side streets on either side if you are looking for something more individual.

Cardamomo Tablao Flamenco

Cardamomo Flamenco Show

Authentic Flamenco show in the center of Madrid, one of the greatest tablaos flamencos all over Spain, typical Spanish food during the performance.

Shows daily at 18:00, 20:00, 22:00·€32-39 (without drinks/dinner)

Casa Gallardo

Imposing and highly ornamental Art nouveau (or modernismo) building at the western corner of Plaza de España, designed by Federico Arias Rey and completed in 1914.

Casa Loewe Madrid

Flagship store of one of the world's oldest luxury fashion brands, founded back in the middle of the 19th century in Madrid.

Casa Lucio

Pricey but worth it. The Spanish Royal family sometimes entertain guests here and you may run into a few sports figures and movie stars. You should definitely book ahead on the weekends, and reservations are recommended even for the weekdays. Known for their cocido, their roasts and their huevos rotos.

Daily 13:00-16:00 20:30-24:00

Casa Toni

Very solid local option for small dishes/tapas. Recommended are chorizo, pig ears, tortilla with chorizo (omelette with chorizo), morcilla, sepia a la plancha. Casual non pretentious place.