Madrid attracts over six million foreign visitors annually, yet many never experience the city beyond its tourist hotspots. This guide reveals how to see Madrid like a local, drawing on two decades of personal experience in the Spanish capital.
Start with food: markets and classic bites
The centre of Madrid is thronged with bars and cafés, offering plenty of options for refreshment. A market visit is a great choice for cheap-and-cheerful eats. While the famous Mercado de San Miguel has excellent local wines, cheese, cured meats and tapas, it also gets extremely crowded. Locals prefer the Mercado de San Antón in the trendy Chueca district or Mercado de la Cebada in the equally hip La Latina neighbourhood. These markets have many tapas bars and ready-to-eat snacks, and locals still do their grocery shopping there.
For world-class calamares, head to El Brillante across the square from Atocha railway station. Ask for a 'mini de calamares' because the full-blown sandwich is a meal for two. Be prepared to hold your ears when the barman shouts your order across the room to the kitchen.
A walk through history
Madrid is a walkable city. Many of the most historic buildings can be viewed over a two-hour stroll, including the Los Austrias district with some of the oldest buildings of the Hapsburg court, the Royal Palace and the main square, the Plaza Mayor. From there, it is a short walk to the Barrio de las Letras, where the writers and poets of Spain's Golden Age lived. Visit the house of prolific playwright Félix Lope de Vega.
If your visit falls in the hot season from mid-June to mid-September, spend a refreshing afternoon at Madrid Río Park Beach urban water oasis in the Arganzuela district. There you can enjoy wading pools, water jets and mist sprays — an excellent and cost-free way to cool off.
Art beyond the Prado
The Prado Museum is one of the world's great picture galleries, and standing in front of Velázquez's Las Meninas is an experience to be treasured. To avoid the crowds, head to the newly opened Royal Collections Gallery, daringly built into the cliff above the Manzanares River — the sort of architectural audacity in which Madrid delights. Great little museums include the Museo de Romanticismo, whose rooms are beautifully laid out with paintings, furniture and decorative objects capturing the vibe of romanticism. Not to be missed is the Museo Cerralbo, ensconced in a 19th-century neo-Baroque palace close to Plaza de España. The Marquis of Cerralbo's paintings and antique furniture are piled up almost exactly as he left them. To see craftsmanship in action, visit the 300-year-old Royal Tapestry Factory, still producing handmade tapestries and carpets for historic buildings, royal palaces and cathedrals, weaving on looms used for almost 150 years.
Evening drinks and supper
For sherry lovers, your first port of call must be La Venencia in Calle de Echegaray. This sherry bar opened its doors in 1922, and since that day the plaster peeling off the walls has not had a lick of paint. Be aware of the strictly enforced house rules: no photography allowed, if you leave a tip it will be thrown back at you, and should you dare ask for a glass of beer or wine, you will summarily be shown the door.
A favourite restaurant is Julián de Tolosa, offering Basque dishes that follow the formula: high-quality ingredients cooked in a simple style. The menu choices are limited, but the chuletón rib steak or piquillo peppers are likely to be the best you have ever tasted. For great veggie dishes, head to La Huerta de Tudela. Much of the produce comes from Tudela itself, the vegetable garden of Spain. The restaurant does a range of amazingly tasty dishes based around celery, onions, potatoes, peppers and beans.
Cocktails with a view
Your time in Madrid must end by indulging in the cocktail capital of Spain. Head for the Círculo de Bellas Artes rooftop bar and put your feet up in a chaise lounge with a gin and tonic while taking in a splendid view over the city centre. At street level, cocktail bars offer sophistication and exotica, from the super-chill Lovo lounge with expertly crafted drinks to the vibrant, Alice in Wonderland-themed Rosi la Loca, where the signature cocktail is served in a porcelain dragon's head spewing smoke from its nostrils. An off-the-beaten-track terrace is El Jardín de Diana on the roof of the Hyatt Centric Hotel in the heart of the Gran Vía. This unique setting offers superb signature cocktails to enliven the spectacular views of one of Madrid's most dynamic thoroughfares.
Getting there and where to stay
Heathrow and Gatwick operate an average of twenty direct flights a day from London to Madrid. The Metro from Madrid's Barajas Airport is the best option for a speedy trip to the city centre. For accommodation, the One Shot hotels offer budget boutique vibes in central locations. The NH Hotels chain have two comfortable, mid-range hotels a few minutes from Atocha. A quiet four-star hotel just behind Retiro Park and a short walk from the city centre is the H10 Puerta de Alcalá. If you are prepared to push the boat out, the five-star Hotel Palace facing the Spanish Parliament is a 115-year-old gem, topped only by the similar vintage Hotel Ritz, which once refused Jimmy Stewart a room because they did not admit actors. He resolved the problem by having the US Embassy book him a room under the name of Colonel James Stewart.
