Trip: December 2016
Below is our Top 5 Things To Do in Madrid, part of the Just Carrying On – Top 5 Things To Do series. These lists are our favorite activities, eats, and drinks from our travels around the world.
1. Ruda Coffee
Delicious hipster coffee place tucked into the side streets of La Latina. It is simple and cool without trying too hard. They are a multi-roaster shop (often our favorite kind) and so sell a variety of beans. During our daily coffee stop we bought several bags to take with us back to Tanzania.
2. Mercado de San Fernando
In the bustling city of Madrid, in the sometimes too touristy neighborhood of La Latina, is this market with a relaxed and local vibe. We purchased ramen for lunch from Yan Ken Pon and ate it at the counter of La Buena Pinta (with one of the best on draft microbrew selections in the city), chatting with the bartender over our meal. There are a variety of affordable stands to chose your meal from, the Spanish version of the Portland Food Carts.
3. Vinícola Mentridana
Our first couple experiences with food in Madrid were a bust, which surely contributed to our over-the-moon elation at finding this charming wine bar filled with delicious tapas, on-tap vermouth and local Spanish people. It was busy and warm with low lighting falling on wooden tables. It embodied the spirit of Spain we came to love. Not enough seating? No problem. A couple with their stroller cozied up to our table and we shared the space as they fed their toddler tapas. Was this an establishment for kids? No. Was this Spain? Yes.
4. Tablao Flamenco Las Tablas
We debated, perhaps for too long, on which Flamenco show to go to and how much to pay and what time should it start, or if we should even attend such a touristy attraction. We eventually landed on this one (the 8pm show for 29 euros), after heeding the advice that paying at least something for the show was likely to result in a higher quality performance. The ambiance inside made us worried we might have stumbled into a tourist trap but as soon as the Spanish guitarist started to play and the dancing began we were no longer afraid. The show was mesmerizing and the only disappointment was that it ended.
5. Casa Camacho
I took us on a “Vermouth Tour” that I found online, and this was the first stop. We had to wait to be let in because it was at capacity. As we entered the bustling and brightly lit space we moved up towards the counter. A charming old Spanish man in his 70’s helped facilitate our order of vermouth on tap and olives, handing each of us our glasses with a broad smile. As his wife took his photo we offered to take one of the two of them and she looked aghast at the thought, all of us laughing. We loved everything about this crowded, bustling, local, friendly vermouth joint–a clear establishment of the neighborhood.
Honorable Mentions
We did some of the classic Madrid things, visiting Plaza Mayor, Chocolateria San Gines, the huge parc. Maybe it was because of the holidays but we found them far too busy, overrun with tourists, and lacking in Spanish charm we had heard so much about. Once we veered off the main boulevards and into the neighborhoods like Malasaña and Chueca we found the Madrid we came to love. Lastly, if you like museums, don’t miss Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía (free from 7-9pm most days) with one of Pablo Picasso’s most famous pieces, Guernica, which he painted as a protest piece in the lead up to World War II.
Just Carrying On – Top 5 Things To Do in Madrid is part of our Top 5 Things To Do series, which offers our best travel recommendations from around the world.