48 hours in the buzzy Spanish capital
Often overlooked for Paris or Rome, Madrid beats both for a weekend break. It has world-class art, amazing architecture and perhaps the best food scene of any European capital. If Barcelona feels international, Madrid is resolutely Spanish: shops close in the afternoon, restaurants don’t open until 8.30pm and at midnight the streets are still buzzing. The city is a patchwork of different neighbourhoods: wealthy Salamanca, hip Malasaña and La Latina – crammed with tapas bars – are the ones to explore.
Friday 1pm: Lunch like a Madrileńo Drop your bags at the Ocean Drive hotel and head for El Labriego (ellabriego.es) for your first hit of Madrileño cuisine: grilled scallops, paella, rice with lobster, a crisp white Rioja.
3pm: Gallery hop The city’s three world-famous galleries, the Prado, Reina Sofia and Thyssen-Bornemisza (shorter queues), are within walking distance of each other down the Paseo del Prado.
6.30pm: Taste the capital Devour’s Madrid Tapas, Taverns & History Tour glances at the city’s history, and stops at six classic tapas bars, wine included (3½ hours, £92pp, devourtours.com).
10.30pm: Take in a flamenco show The Tablao Flamenco 1911 claims to be the oldest in the world (tablaoflamenco1911.com).
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Saturday 9.30am: Pop a pastry Enjoy excellent coffee and a crispy pastry at Santa Eulalia, a short walk from Ocean Drive hotel (santaeulaliapatisserie.com).
10.30am: Shop like a local Explore Malasaña for vintage shops, retro cocktail bars and moodily lit coffee shops. Buy espadrilles from 150-year-old Antigua Casa Crespo (antiguacasacrespo.com).
1pm: Dive into a traditional food market Avoid the Mercado de San Miguel (super-expensive) and head to Salamanca’s Mercado de la Paz, then stroll along Calle de Claudio Coello for cool designers.
2pm: Take in an absolutely huge palace Visit the Royal Palace (patrimonionacional.es), filled with antiques and paintings by artists including Goya and Velázquez.
5.30pm: Dunk a doughnut Madrileños eat late, so bridge the gap with crispy churros and hot chocolate at Chocolatería 1902 (chocolateria1902.com).
7.30pm: Raise a glass to Picasso Take in the skyline with cocktails at Azotea Circulo, a rooftop bar above the Circulo de Bellas Artes de Madrid where Pablo Picasso once took painting classes.
9pm: Dine with Ramón Madrid’s star chef Ramón Freixa has two dining rooms in his eponymous restaurant, Tradición for simpler dishes and Atelier for avant-garde fine dining (ramonfreixa.net).
11pm: Indulge in a nightcap Try the Punch Room at the Edition hotel for low-key glamour and serious mixology.
Sunday 11am: Take a walk in Retiro Park Madrileños flock here to gossip, skate and row on the lake in front of the monument to Alfonso XII. Too busy? The Botanic Gardens (rjb.csic.es) is a more peaceful spot.
1pm: Enjoy a casserole Don’t leave without trying the city’s classic dish, cocido Madrileño, a casserole in three courses: a broth, then vegetables and chick peas, then meat, at Taberna de Daniela.
In brief
Stay Ocean Drive Madrid hotel is great value, with slick unfussy rooms, a central location and a rooftop terrace (od-hotels.com)
Eat Try one of the four branches of Taberna de Daniela (tabernadedaniela.com) for flaky pastry empanadas, succulent jamon iberico and the best cocido Madrileño in town
Don’t miss Sunset views from the Temple of Debod, an ancient Egyptian monument in the Parque del Cuartel de la Montaña
Photograph by Getty Images
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