Restaurants, bars & clubs

Madrid enjoys the reputation of being the city with the longest nights in Europe. You will find bars, pubs and discos throughout the city, it is impossible for us to list all of them here, but we can guarantee that there is something interesting for everyone. The same applies for restaurants: you will find everything from simple pubs to true gourmet temples and of course the popular tapas bars. Here a small selection of the most popular localities.

Restaurants
The cuisine is very international, you will find almost every country on the culinary world map of the city. The selection grows constantly and even though Asian, South-American and African restaurants gain slowly in popularity, it is still the restaurants offering traditional cuisine that are the number one for locals as well as tourists.

Botín
If you are searching for a special experience, we can recommend the restaurant Botín, which opened its doors in 1725 and is registered as worlds oldest restaurant in the Guiness Book of Records. It is said that Goya worked in this restaurant before he become famous, and that Hemingway was a regular guest. It is a tourist magnet but you will also find locals enjoying the excellent cuisine.
Address: Cuchilleros 17, close to Plaza Mayor
Subway: Sol
Website: http://www.botin.es/Web-De/index.html

Gula Gula
You can enjoy the exquisite salad buffet but also eat warm à la carte. Guests can choose from a range of creative dishes. After dinner everyone waits for the gogo-show, which makes it also a very popular place for bachelorette parties. An unforgettable evening is guaranteed!
Addresses: C/Gran Vía 1, C/Infante 5
Subway: Sevilla, Sol
Website: http://www.gulagula.net/home.html

Arrocería Gala
This paella restaurant is definitely worth a visit. You sit on round tables in a room decorated as garden and eat from big paella pans. Wonderful atmosphere and relatively reasonable prices: an insider tip!
Address: C/Moratín 22
Subway: Anton Martín
Website: http://www.paellas-gala.com/

Casa Mingo
A classic since 1917 – even though you are (almost) only offered chicken and salad – and sidra (cider) to drink. The Madrilenians love it and sit on one of the many tables on the street when the weather is good.
Address: Paseo de la Florida 34
Subway : Príncipe Pío

Las Cuevas de Luis Candelas
The caves of Luis Candelas is one of the oldest taverns in Madrid. You can settle back on one of the wooden benches and enjoy tapas and sangria or you can walk further into the caves and reach the restaurant, where you are offered specialities from the grill.
Address: C/ Cuchilleros 1
Subway: Sol
Website: http://www.lascuevasdeluiscandelas.com/

El Corral de la Morería – Flamenco Restaurant
The oldest flamenco show restaurant in Madrid. This “tablao flamenco” restaurant offers exquisite cuisine and performances of outstanding artists e.g. Blanca del Rey, Antonio Gades, Lucero Tena, Pastora Imperio, Mario Maya also called “el Güito”. Make a reservation!
Address: C/ Moreria 17
Subway: Sol
Website: http://www.corraldelamoreria.com/

Tapas-Bars
Tapas bars are to be found throughout the city and there is nothing better than enjoying delicious appetizers after an exhausting shopping spree. The inexpensive way of indulgence!

Automático
A tapas bar in the most popular street of the district of Lavapíes. In summer you can sit on tables outside and enjoy the famous ensaladilla rusa (Russian salad) – the best of Madrid according to a survey of a local magazine!
Address: C/Argumosa 17
Subway: Lavapiés

Museo de Jamón
A chain that has also stores in Madrid. The name “museo” might come from the fact that dried ham hangs from the ceiling. Here you can find tapas – surprise, surprise - made of ham! Interesting!
Addresses: Gran Vía 72; Alcalá 55; Atocha 54; Marcelo Usera 14; Escoriaza 1;Alcorcon
Website: http://www.museodeljamon.es/

El Txoko (Taberna Vasca)
One of the best tapas bars in Madrid specialising in Basque cuisine. Friendly atmosphere but always crowded. The entrance of the bar is to be found in the basement of a traditional Basque building.
Address: C/Jovellanos 3
Subway : Sevilla

More tapas bars at: http://www.softdoc.es/madrid_guide/eatingout/tapas.html (English) and http://www.softdoc.es/guia_madrid/comer/tapas/tapas1.html (Spanish)

Vegetarian Restaurant – La Biotika
A popular vegetarian restaurant in the area of Huertas with relatively reasonable menus. You will find macrobiotic vegetarian cuisine, especially vegetarian burgers. Make a reservation before visiting this restaurant!
Address: C/Amor de Dios 3
Subway: Antón Martín

If you are looking for a quick bite, you can try the Spanish fast food chains e.g. Vips, which is also a supermarket, café, book shop, etc. Find a variety of sandwiches (bocadillos) and salads at Pans & Company or Rodilla.

Specialities of Madrid
Typical dishes of the city are the Cocido Madrileño, a stew made of noodles, chickpeas, meat and vegetables and the Callos Madrileños, tripes with blood sausage or bacon and chickpeas. Sopa de Ajo, garlic soup is also very popular. You will often find beef and lamb on the menu as well as fresh fish and seafood, even though Madrid is not surrounded by the sea. It is daily imported from the coast and sold at the second biggest fish market in the world.

Bars and discos
The night life in Madrid is so versatile that we can guarantee that everyone will find something for his taste. It is very common, like everywhere in Spain, to go out very late. Most Spanish people start the evening around 22 o’clock in a bar or in a tapas restaurant and they leave it at 1 o’clock at the earliest. Most of them stay until the bars close around 3 o’clock and then go dancing in the clubs and discos until 7 o’clock when most of them close. It is also very common to let the night die away over breakfast in one of the many cafés.

The most popular area can be found around Plaza Santa Ana. It is favoured among tourists, but there are also lots of madrileños. You will find one bar next to the other.

Along the Castellana you will find mainly chic bars and clubs and you can hardly see students. The age group is 25 plus. Same is true for the district of Retiro and Salamanca, a meeting point of the pijos, the Spanish version of yuppies.

In the district of Malasaña you can find a lot of simple bars with favourable prices and a very young audience; it is clearly the favourite district of students and pupils, who spend their nights in this area. Many rock concerts take place here.

Chueca is the district of gay people and very popular. You will find many places with lively atmosphere.

Fans of Jazz and Salsa find their favourite places in the district of Huertas. You will find smaller bars and clubs with live music in the weekends. Santa Ana – Huertas is one of the most popular districts to go out in Madrid. Here you will see all age groups and nationalities in the numerous bars and pubs.

In the district of La Latina you have the possibility to enjoy wine and tapas and move from one to the next cosy bar.

Also very popular among students and young people are the districts of Alonso Martinez and Argüelles – Moncloa.

Here a small selection of bars and discos.

Discotheques

CATS
This club attracts mainly a young audience between 19 and 27, as it is located in the student area. You will find different types of music and fiestas with fancy themes.
Address: C/ Julian Romea 4
Subway: Guzmán el Bueno
Website: http://www.catsmadrid.com/

EL SOL (la sala sol)
You can dance here in cool atmosphere to jazz and funk music. Between Sunday and Thursday rock and pop concerts take place. Always crowded. Cult!
Address : C/ Jardines 3
Subway : Sol
Website : http://www.elsolmad.com/portada/home.php

TEATRO KAPITAL
This discotheque is one of the largest in Madrid with seven floors. There is something for every taste, house, R&B, Salsa, etc. You can chill out with a cold drink on the terrace.
Address: C/ Atocha 125
Subway : Atocha
Website: http://www.grupo-kapital.com/newkapitalsite/

PALACIO DE GAVIRIA
This club is to be found in a 19th century palace. Unique atmosphere, different kinds of music and 100% party feeling, especially on Thursdays at the international parties, when young people from all over the world celebrate here. At the entrance you will get a sticker with your home country, which definitely rises the flirt factor.
Address: C/ Arenal 9
Subway: Sol
Website : http://www.palaciogaviria.com/ingles/default.htm

JOY ESLAVA
A mixed audience from tourists and locals to models, actors, singers and athletes parties here. It is one of the most famous clubs of the city in the centre of Madrid.
Address: C/Arenal 11
Subway: Sol
Website: http://www.joy-eslava.com/

Here a tip: There is nothing better than churros con chololate (special pastry, which has to be dipped into warm chocolate) after a night of partying. One of the best places is the Chocolatería San Ginés (Pasadizo San Ginés 5, Subway: Sol) directly in the centre.

Bars

As already mentioned, there is an endless number of bars in Madrid, and it is definitely worth it to walk around and discover the areas of Sol – Plaza Santa Ana – Huertas, Malasaña and Alonso Martinez. You will certainly find your favourite places there.

El Buzcón
A bar where you can enjoy tapas and then dance the night away. Good atmosphere and often very crowded!
Address: C/Victoria 5
Subway : Sol

Villa Rosa
A bar-disco to dance and have fun. It is located directly at Plaza St. Ana, so you can conveniently enjoy the night life directly after visiting some terraces.
Address: Plaza Santa Ana 5
Subway: Sol

Viva Madrid
This bar is worth a visit because of the painted tiles on the walls. You can listen and dance to a lot of Spanish music. Mixed audience.
Address: C/ Manuel Fdez. González 7
Subway : Sevilla

La Comedia
A typical marcha- bar in Huertas to dance the night away. In the weekends even after 5 o’ clock in the morning.
Address: C/Príncipe 16
Subway : Sevilla

Monna Lisa
In this bar you can dance until dawn to Spanish and international music. Nice atmosphere and many Spanish people.
Address: Nuñez de Arce 8
Subway : Sol

The Bourbon Café
You can dance to international music and enjoy a copa (drink) at the rustic bar. Many concerts take place here and every Wednesday there is Noche Mexicana with a lot of tequila and Corona beer (in Spain: Coronita).
Address : Carrera de San Jerónimo 5
Subway: Sol

Ducados Café
This is a restaurant, café and cocktailbar. Upstairs you can enjoy a drink and then go downstairs to dance. Latino atmosphere!
Address: Plaza de Canalejas 3
Subway: Sevilla

At http://www.guiadelocio.com/madrid/noche/ you get information about hot places in Madrids night life, cinema, restaurants and other leisure activities. (in Spanish).