Itchy Oxford article

Itchy does Madrid

Our angle on the very best of the Spanish capital

Madrid is just about the perfect autumn getaway. No bull.

If your only experience of Spain to date has been more about beer than Iberia, it’s time to think again. Read on to find out how Madrid tops anything you’ll find on the Costa Del Anywhere.

Eat
The Spanish are a generous lot, and many bars will give you free tapas to go with your drinks. El Tigre (c. Infantas 30) is particularly tapas-tastic when it comes to free munchies. For an unusual experience, visit the Museo de Jamón (c. Mayor 7), where you can have beer and tapas among the legs of ham lining the walls and ceiling. Traditional Spanish cuisine can often be a bit bland, though restaurants such as The Bazaar (c. Libertad 21) have more contemporary, diverse menus to explore.

Drink
As in any European city, drinks in Madrid will seem wonderfully cheap to anyone used to British standards. Watch as the barman haphazardly fills your glass half full of spirit, hands you a bottle of mixer and only charges you €5 for it.

Most tourists head for Plaza Santa Ana or c. Huertas for evening drinks, but if you want to mix it up with the locals rather than British stag weekenders, try areas such as Lavapiés, La Latina or Malasaña, which are all teeming with bars. There are also plenty of outdoor terraces where, thanks to the warm weather, you can enjoy a drink outside until well into November.

Dance
Tourists and well-to-do university students are likely to pick one of Madrid’s super-clubs such as Pacha, Kapital or Joy as a venue for dancing like a loony ‘til dawn.

If you prefer somewhere slightly less commercial where you won’t lose your friends on the vast and numerous dancefloors, you should try a more intimate venue such as Café Palma (c. Palma 62), El Sol (c. Jardines 3) or Via Lactea (c. Velarde 18).

Shop
Don’t spend a weekend in Madrid without paying a visit to El Rastro, the flea market that takes over the streets of La Latina every Sunday until around 3pm. Be prepared to battle the crowds to find bargains among the stalls selling jewellery, clothes and a load of other things you didn’t realise you needed.

There’s a huge variety of good value, fashionable high street shops to be found in Madrid, particularly around Puerta del Sol, c. Preciados and Gran Via.

Art
Madrid is known for its three great art museums. The Reina Sofia is a huge gallery of modern art where you could spend the best part of a day admiring the work of artists like Picasso, Dali and Miró. If more traditional art is your bag, The Prado and El Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza are not to be missed.

The Centro Cultural Conde Duque is a lesser-known gallery set in an imposing former army barracks. It houses a permanent collection as well as temporary exhibitions of sculpture, video and anything a little bit different.

Park Life
El Retiro is Madrid’s enormous super-park and is particularly popular on Sunday afternoons. You can cool off by taking a rowing boat out on the lake or be entertained by the buskers and street performers who are forever coming up with more bizarre ways to illicit spare change from passers-by.

Sport
If you like seeing bulls being slaughtered by men in ridiculously tight trousers, head to Plaza de Toros de la Ventas for a traditional bullfight.

Madrid’s best sporting experience is the Bernabéu stadium, home to Real Madrid. Matches are usually on Sundays and tickets can be bought from 4pm on the Friday before for as little as €30.

Sleep
The hotels in the Petit Palace chain (www.petitpalace.com) range in price from average to expensive and are recommended if you require a bit of luxury. For those on a budget, one of the many high-end hostels such as Hostal Cruz Sol (www.hostalcruzsol.com) are clean, modern and excellent value for a weekend break. If you really want to save pennies, get a bed in a dorm room at a hostel like Los Amigos (www.losamigoshostel.com).

Most hostels are centrally located around Puerta del Sol or Gran Via. There are many to choose from but the best tend to get booked up early, so call ahead.

Travel
At the moment, easyJet is the best choice for low cost flights to Madrid, flying from Liverpool, London and Bristol for as little as 56.

Madrid is a compact city so you can easily walk between most key areas. If you can’t be bothered to use your own two feet you’ll find the excellent Metro is just the ticket.

Useful websites

Nightlife is what Madrid does best. See www.in-madrid.com/entertainment for current nightlife listings. The fab Itchy hotel finder will sort you out. Click www.hotels.itchycity.co.uk

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