Places to go in Madrid

I have visited Madrid twice now – once on holiday in 2013 and once in 2015 visiting a friend on her year abroad there whilst I was living in Barcelona. From Catalunya’s capital, you can take a train from Sants train station to Madrid’s Atocha station and you will be there in three hours. Plus, there is a food carriage which sells cava and crisps (amongst other things), so I was more than happy to settle in and spend three hours with my book and a drink. But I am not really here to talk about the train. If you are visiting or living in Madrid for a while, here are a few of the places you can’t miss.

Azotea

This rooftop bar located above the cultural organisation Círculo de Bellas Artes is definitely worth the visit, especially on a clear day. If you are going to go during summer, a quick word of warning: bring sunscreen. The views from this bar are spectacular, as the city stretches out before you in all directions. There are tables if you want a snack, or you can lounge on the long, almost bed-like seating area if you just fancy a cocktail. As you might expect, the drinks are a bit on the expensive side, but they always are when you get this kind of view included in the price. My recommendation, particularly in the summer months, would have to be the strawberry mojitos: sweet but not cloying, shot through with the zesty shock of lime, cool mint and a good hit of rum.

For the space of a couple of hours, my friend and I lounged, sipped surprisingly well-made cocktails and cava, appreciated the view and generally went into luxury holiday mode. We were not actually on holiday, nor – being students at the time – in a position to go on a luxury trip, but this rooftop jewel can whisk you away into the illusion for a sunny afternoon.

(One of the views from the Azotea bar)

Parque del Retiro

I love a good park. The Jardins de Luxembourg in Paris, Parque Ciutadella in Barcelona, London’s many green spaces (Green Park, Hyde Park, St. James’ Park, etc. ), I adore them all. And Madrid’s Parque del Retiro is no exception. It’s the perfect place to chill out with a book or take a picnic (more on that later) with your friends/family/lover. You can take to the water and row a boat on the lake – very badly, if you are like me and my friend Fiona, but as long as you don’t fall out or bump into people very much, a lack of rowing skills isn’t as important as being able to float on the water and enjoy the sun on your face.

(Our rowing skills were so lacking that we had to be kicked out onto the lake. But it was a lot of fun once we got going! )

There are also things to see here, including a glass house named The Crystal Palace (El Palacio de Cristal); as well as being impressive in its own right, it also holds art exhibitions which you can wander around if you want to take a break from all the fresh air and flora. Buskers play live music, such as jazz, and there are a couple of small outdoor cafés where you can buy a glass of beer and be at one with nature.

(El Palacio de Cristal)

For me, this park is an oasis in the often loud and busy city of Madrid, and I have nothing but happy memories there.

(One of the park's fountains in the sunshine)

Restaurante Vegetariano Al Natural

Spain is perhaps not a country known for its vegetarian cuisine – in fact, it is world-famous for its pork and cheese products. I have also found that by and large, the food tends to stay very much within its traditions; there’s therefore not a great deal of space for experimentation or innovation. However, occasionally you find somewhere like Al Natural. I came here looking for an escape from cured meat and cheese, and found a sweet spot ideal for plant-based diets.

The meal I had there was two years ago now, so my memory of it is a little bit fuzzy, but I do know that it was so good the restaurant has stayed with me to this day. I definitely remember the spiced pear croquetas (sounds weird, but it worked) and falafel with fondness in my heart, and I believe there was also a savoury tart involved, all accompanied by fresh juice. The salad menu, although I did not get to try one, also looked more than satisfactory.

If you are looking for fresh, locally-sourced vegetarian food in a city which sometimes feels full to the rafters with bocadillos de jamón, this restaurant is a must-see.

Mercado San Miguel

As much as I love a good park, I also have space in my heart for a good market. Drifting back to the idea of a picnic in the Parque de Buen Retiro, the Mercado de San Miguel is a fantastic spot to pick up any food you might want for this excursion – especially if you don’t want to faff around making a béchamel sauce for homemade croquetas.

As well as being able to buy a range of take-away tapas from the various stalls in the enclosed market, you can also pull up a bar stool and enjoy them with a bitterly cold San Miguel whilst people-watching (one of my favourite hobbies). There is, of course, the selection of stalls selling fruit, vegetables and meat – not unlike Barcelona’s Boquería or Santa Caterina markets.

Or, if you are like my friends and have a sweet tooth, there are also sweet shops and ice cream stalls. The violet ice cream (topped with a cookie sandwich) is apparently magnificent for those of you who actually like violet, according to a friend who adores the flavour. I have an almost violent dislike for the scent or taste of violet, so you will just have to trust her opinion. I was satisfied with the croquetas de bacalao (salt cod croquettes) and paella de mariscos – a much better accompaniment to a beer or sangria in the dappled sunlight of the park, in my opinion. Each to their own.

(Fiona's violet ice cream - I might not like violet, but I can appreciate that it was pretty)

Jazz Bar

This is my favourite bar in the entire city of Madrid. Even two years after initially finding it on my first trip to Madrid, I could still walk there without a map on my second voyage. My muscles seem to know the way to good music and good gin anywhere in the world. I discovered this place when flicking through a guide to Madrid, and knew I had to go there. I did, and dragged Fiona along with me – both the first and second time, two years apart.

The bar is small and intimate, panelled with dark wood and posters of jazz artists. You can slide into one of the red padded booths or perch on a stool at the bar. The gin and tonic (Hendricks, for preference) was filled with ice, just as I like it, and jazz music – unsurprisingly – quietly fills the cosy space. What more could you want?

The bar is located on a fork in the road, and has a little patio if you want to drink outside. If you stay after dark, you will see this patio illuminated by strings of golden lights contained in jars. Call it hipster if you will, but this was their look at least as far back as 2013 – I like to think it was ahead of the curve in the whole arty-distressed aesthetic. If you want the full effect, stop by this place just before dusk and stay until the sun has fallen: at first, you will be grateful to escape the blazing city sunshine, and finally you will feel the calm comfort of the fairy lights punctuating the balmy darkness of the evening.

(Lights in the darkness)

Having said that, I can’t say there’s ever really a bad time to visit this bar.

(I found this place in a side street when we had a craving for midnight churros and hot chocolate)

Madrid has a bounty of hidden bars, churrerías, terraces and restaurants – more than a blog post could ever describe. The best way of finding your favourite places is just to get out there and explore. One of my favourite things about Madrid, like Barcelona, is the ability to walk around late at night and feel totally safe: even at midnight, people are sitting outside with glasses of wine or chatting over tapas, going for runs in the park or walking their dogs. You very rarely see people falling around drunk or out of control. This feeling of safety after dark just gives you even more hours in the day to hop around the city and have a glass of cava here, a plate of olives there, maybe a Llao Llao (my favourite frozen yoghurt) or a hot chocolate with fresh churros. And when the city gets too much, remember the park is there for a few hours of peace!

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