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Do you need some recommendations for your next Madrid trip? Here are some great options!
After living in Madrid for three months I am now starting to adopt the identity of a Madrileña, having found my favourite coffee shops to study, bars to have a cerveza, parks to enjoy the Spanish sun and the other quaint corners of a city that is starting to feel like home. After acting as a tour guide for friends and family who have come to visit, I feel that I have developed a nice list of places to check out to have the authentic Madrid experiences.
One of my favourite pastimes during the week is to try cute coffee shops around the city whilst getting my university work done. There are several independent coffee shops doIed around the city all with their own unique aesthetics, interiors, and menus. My favourite is “Café Manuela”, located in Malasaña, a beautiful café and bar where locals come to work, meet, and play board games. The café has several games, and you can choose from the options. Overall, it is a very lively environment. Nearby there is also “La Bicicleta”, this is the café where all the digital nomads from all over the world come to work and to network over coffee or a cocktail. Due to my habit of frequenting coffee shops, I have tried to change my coffee addiction to one of matcha and have found that “Alchemy” and “En Bruto” have the best matcha laIes in the city.
If coffee, matcha or chai is not your drink of choice, there are also several amazing bars worth visiting when coming to Madrid. It wouldn’t be a list of recommendations of Spanish bars without mentioning “Cien Montaditos”. The best way to explain this chain of bars is that it is the equivalent to Weatherspoon’s, and it is a Spanish staple. If you go on Sundays or Wednesdays, most of the menu is one euro! Another classic place to go to for the typical Spanish experience is “El Tigre”, where you get plates of tapas with your drinks. At El Tigre you will find locales huddled around busy tables with their croquetas, jamon and Tinto de Verano. If you would like to experience a more alternative experience I recommend “Sala Equis” a bar which is also a cinema for old black and white movies. With its stunning décor, cinema themed tapas and beach chairs where you can sprawl and watch a movie, this is one of my favourite bars in the city.
For the foodies, Madrid has much to offer. One of the best restaurants to try is the Spanish staple: “Lateral.” There are several around the city and in my opinion this is where you can get the best tortillas. If you want to try typical churros, the best place to go is “San Gines” as it is the most famous in the city and for a reason. To walk off the food coma, I recommend walking around the city and exploring the various neighbourhoods as each has its own distinctive style, architecture, and history. My favourite neighbourhood is “Las Letras”, where the streets have poems engraved on them as this was the area where several prominent Spanish writers used to live. A must see whilst exploring the city is the Retiro park, often referred to as the lungs of the city, the Retiro has several beautiful gardens, statues, and even liIle libraries to explore. Although the Retiro is the most famous park in the city, my favourite place to see the sunset in the city is the Templo de Debod, a perfect spot to end your walking tour of the city. For those who are fond of hiking, I recommend visiting the “Pedriza”, the mountains surrounding the city with several hiking trails perfect for a weekend walk.
Aside from visiting the tourist hotspots including the Prado Museum, Plaza mayor and Sol, I recommend that anyone visiting Madrid should try the places I have mentioned as they are some of my favourite discoveries whilst living here.