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Gay Bars Madrid: LL the Place to Start Your Weekend!
Gay Bars Madrid: LL the Place to Start Your Weekend!
Midnight: what may be the bewitching hour back home -sending crystal-shod princesses scurrying for their carriages- means something very different in Spain. At this hour, many a Madrileño will be just finishing a leisurely...
Chueca Neighborhood: The Gay Barrio - cafes, bars and clubs
Chueca Neighborhood: The Gay Barrio - cafes, bars and clubs
If you take line five to Chueca you will happily pop up smack-dab in the center of the Plaza de Chueca – arguably the epicenter of all things gay, not only in Madrid, but in all of Spain.
photo of the day
Plaza de Chueca
Plaza de Chueca serves up everything from coffee to cocktails - a great place to start your Madrid explorations of gay Spanish life. Centrally located, the plaza is a walk away from all bars, clubs, cafes and restaurants.
Terrazas in Madrid: Argumosa, "Café Street"
Terrazas in Madrid: Argumosa, "Café Street"
In Madrid, when does spring officially begin? For optimists it’s the budding of delicate leaves, for pessimists it’s the banging of annual construction. For the vast majority, however, spring is the beginning of terrazas (sidewalk cafes)...
Photo of the Day
Argumosa, the Street of Many Cafés
Calle Argumosa is lined with terrazas cafes serving juice, coffee, beer, wine and sangria. A couple of hours on this magical street will cure whatever ails you.
Lesbian Bar in Madrid: Friendly, Cheap and Fun
El Truco Lesbian Bar in Madrid: Friendly, Cheap and Fun
This girl bar on the corner of La Plaza de Chueca rates remarkably high on the friendly factor. Truco (trick) has craftily avoided the typical pitfalls of gay culture--don’t bristle, darling, all cultures have their downsides—that is, the...
Photo of the day
The Truco of the Trade
Gay scene: at Truco (trick), you'll find friendly girls, cheap drinks and energetic music. Located on the Plaza de Chueca, you can't find a more central venue to kick off the evening or kick back and enjoy the night. See review for details.
Guide to cafes in Madrid
Cafes in Madrid
Cafes in Madrid are the perfect place to unwind and take in a ¨caña¨or vino tinto.¨ Many cafes in Madrid have star-studded histories claiming writers such as Earnest Hemingway and other celebrities from around the world as famous patrons. Check out our comprehensive guide to cafes in Madrid!
Bars and Cafes with Terrazas in Madrid
Jazz Bar: A Terraza AND Cocktails with a Dose of Magical Realism!
by Andrew Poole
It's only natural that my experience in Jazz Bar starts off on a great note, “Wow, 5.50 for a cocktail! Que Bueno!”
“That’s not all,” continues the bartender, “Since I’m from Colombia, I mix every...
March in review
Check Out All Events in March
March was a busy month full of tapas bars, restaurants and flamenco.
For a peek into the real flamenco scene, see our feature, Flamenco 101- A Lesson in Life . For suggestions on where to catch a bit of flamenco action, see our flamenco page.
...
photo of the day
The Cheapest Tapas in Town at Casa Tortilla
Casa Tortilla, with it's unlimited food and alcohol, is a magnet for merry-makers like those pictured. After sufficient sangria, you too might be inspired to reappropriate that checked table cloth and use it as a fashionable headband. See review.
cafes/bars
Pepe Botella: King of the Drunks - God of Coffee
by Phil Stark
The Pepe Botella café takes its name from Napoleon’s alcoholic brother, José Bonaparte, who was King of Spain during the French Occupation. Nicknamed “Pepe Botella” by the Spanish...
Bars and Pubs - Belgium
Devil Dogs and Bitter Belgian Beer - Are You up for the Challenge?
by Ben Dornan
Tucked away behind the imposing Plaza Mayor on calle Cuchilleros you can find the Belgian Beer Café. If you're a fan of the arts of the Flemish master brewers then this place has to be a regular stopping-off point. They have an excellent selection of beers on tap and in bottles...
art and bar - collage fest
Art Attack in Madrid
You never know what you’re going to find next in Madrid. Walking home last night through the multi-cultural maze of Lavapiés, I wandered by Traveling, one of Madrid’s hippest bars and best kept secrets. The street outside was strangely silent and not so much as a ray of light escaped the door. “Closed? On a Wednesday? Am I not in Madrid?” I had no intention of entering, but as I passed I...
review of December
While You were Out...
Welcome back! Madrid’s international population dipped a bit during December as everyone flew here or there to do this or that. We truly hope your livers and your bank accounts survived the season. Ours did - more or less. Come on, what’s a bit of sclerosis and debt, it’s the f%&king holidays! Anyway, the elves at MAP were busy the whole while happily writing away. Here is a quick update. Spanish current events were...
Parties - New Years Eve is Coming!
Avoid New Year's Eve Pressure - Make Plans Now!
In a very scrooge-like way, I hate New Year’s Eve - always have. No other night puts more pressure on having a robust social life than Nochevieja as it’s known here in Spanish. You scramble to make the biggest, best plans, mostly just to have a confident answer when asked, “Hey, what...
bars - Madrid's Old Man Bars (Bar de viejos)
When in Spain, Do as the... Old Men - Go to The Bar
Yes, the floor is dirty; yes, it’s not comfortable to sit in for hours having a coffee; yes, it’s always full of old men and the occasional roadside bum – but it has the best tapas I have eaten in my 15 months...
La Latina - bars
Dragons in La Latina Bar?
Recently MAP Magazine discovered a rather awkward looking animal in a place where it was least expected. Apparently, a green dragon has managed to set up its home in a tiny, La Latina bar that’s already a contestant for the ”smallest place to drink your caña” prize. Experts are now investigating how the beast succeeded in wiggling...
Our Suggestions
Let the (MAP) Force Guide You!
The following will read like a crash course in Madrid culture. No matter what your concerns, questions or proclivities, we think you’ll be able to find something to suit your lifestyle in our medley of suggestions. As you read through the items, if you don't find what you need, check the search box at the right. If you still can't find what you are looking for, go ahead and drop us a line and we’ll try to help you out.
cafe/bookstore
Bacchus International Bookstore: Snug, Simple and Sociable
Named after a wine, there is nothing…umm… to whine about at Bacchus. A second hand bookstore and coffee shop, the place is warm, friendly and just plain comfortable. With its earth tones, cozy sofas, dim lights, great coffee and home-made (vegetarian) tostadas, its one of those places you just...
history - Tertulias (conversation cafes)
The Art of Talking - Tertulias in Old Madrid
Between the end of the 19th century and the middle of the 20th, Madrid’s favorite pastime - talking, talking, talking - was taken even more seriously than usual. Part of a proper bohemian life was engaging in tertulias, informal gatherings to chat about, of course, everything counter-cultural. The newly developed tradition of sitting down at a marble table...
Clubs - Brit Pop
Supersonic Gin and Tonics - Beware!
Small, smoky, electric and eclectic - Supersonic is a grungy, nostalgic mix of misfits, the 80s, indie bands, and electronic music. Think Oasis or The Cure with a mixed-in house/funk beat that makes you dance instead of sing...
Get down!
Laydown Rest Club Madrid
It’s an age-old conundrum: should I languidly lie in bed or head out for a night of revelry? For many, too tired to go out but too restless to stay in, this constitutes a genuine conflict. Fortunately for the indecisive masses, there is now a brilliant compromise: a venue called “Lay Down” - or should that be “Lie Down”? Anyway, usage aside, this club/restaurant – provides an opportunity to do just that: relax in bed with friends while dining out and enjoying live performances and DJs...
Bars - Trying to be Rock 'n' Roll
La Buena: Rock ‘n’ Roll with A Glass of Wine?
Located on Calle Espiritu Santo 38 in barrio Malasaña, La Buena is a new, slightly confused, rock’n’ roll-y bar. I say confused because chandeliers, leaf wallpaper, and (what looks like) the Virgin Mary on their business cards, don’t exactly go hand in hand with the rock’n’roll groove...
Markets - The Rastro
The Bloody History of the Rastro
The Rastro, Madrid’s largest outdoor market can only be described as “a universe unto itself”. With origins that stretch back nearly five centuries, one can only imagine the plentitude of traditions surrounding this massive Sunday event...
Cocktail Bars
The Penthouse - The Top of the Top!
Do you ever get that urge to reach new heights? To be above the fray? To transcend Madrid’s marcha-madness? If you have this urge, and enough pocket changes to pay up to 14 euros per cocktail, we have a suggestion for you...
Cafes - Historical Teterias
La Teteria de Tu Abuela: The Teahouse of Your (Revolutionary) Grandmother
Here is reason 5,212 to fear the Starbuck’s revolution – beautifully authentic and genuinely historic cafes like this one could easily be driven to extinction. La Teteria de tu Abuela, started in the 1950s...
Bars
The Ramones' Fan Club - Are You a Member?
Although fan club meetings aren’t likely a major part of your weekly social calendar, maybe they should be. Don’t think screaming pre-pubescent girls staking out hotels where David Bisbal is rumored to be; instead, think hole-in-the-wall punk-rock pub where the owner has single-handedly canonized all members of the band, The Ramones...
Rock 'n' Roll Bars
Via Láctea: Never Judge a Bar by Its…
Never judge a man by his shadow, a ship by its paint, or a book by its cover - words of wisdom. In the case of “Via Láctea” (Milky Way), we might add: “…and don’t judge this joint by its entrance sign!” The airbrushed Disney-looking ode to tackiness hanging above the door features two vaguely alien-like sex kittens lying on a purple cloud gazing into the Milky Way. And what awaits you inside?...
cafe, bar, club
Marula Café: Get Punked In Style
Marula Café, named after an African fruit commonly eaten by elephants, has one of the best terrazas in Madrid - particularly because of its view. Situated on a corner right under the bridge of Calle Bailen (for the moment, we will ignore the fact that people commit suicide from this bridge), you get a view of gardens and the magnificent arch structure that supports the bridge...See other interesting links such as: Technorati Profile
After-hour Bars
The Mercurio is Rising
So, when was the last time you heard someone spinning Steve Miller non-ironically? On the original vinyl? By the light of lava lamps? Been a long time? Maybe too long? Perhaps it’s time to get back in touch with your inner 70s groovster? Are you ready to blast to the past?
Malasaña Bars
The Tupperware Party Not To Miss!
The word “Tupperware” calls to mind images of prim, post-war wives chatting in immaculate living rooms enthusiastically selecting plastic receptacles while exchanging jell-O recipes – in a word: kitsch-o-riffic.