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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.
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...
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...
Art Spaces - Caixa Forum
Caixa Forum: Corporate Responsibility or Long-Term Publicity Stunt?
By Andre Nakazawa
Any recent stroll down the Paseo de Prado has surely been interrupted by the sight...
cafes in Madrid
Cafe Estrella - One Star that Keeps it Real
El Café de las Estrellas Calle Martín De Los Heros, 5. Don’t let the name fool ya. El Café de las Estellas (Café of the Stars) isn’t the place of Hollywood pomp. It does happen to be located in Banco de España, the cinema neighborhood, but, in spite of this, it maintains a humble presence: relaxed and arty. This small café sits beneath the street level, and, with “not-too-dark-not-too-bright”...
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...
Cinema in Madrid
Cine Doré and The Filmoteca - for the Rarified, the Arty, the Quirky, the Camp and the Profound!
A true Madrileño weekend consists of the 5 C’s: Cañas, Clubbing, Chilling in Retiro and Caressing in a Cinema. In...
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...
cafes - N. del T.
N. del T.: A Good Café Deserves a Footnote
Nicely tucked away from the busiest streets in La Latina lies N. del T., a quiet and relaxed get-away from the neighborhood’s castizos. Good coffee (with a chocolate, hurray!), homemade cakes or a nice caipirísima will recharge your batteries and enable you to deal with any further exploration of this bustling part of Madrid. Somehow, N. Del T. just oozes tranquility and calmness. Is it the brick walls that are painted white? Perhaps the alternative, scarce furniture gives...
Coffee Shops
J and J Books and Coffee Madrid - Free Spanish, Cheap Drinks – A Winning Combination
If, like me, you find the Spanish people and their language eluding you in their native land, you might be interested in the “intercambio” concept; in theory it’s a group that fritter the hours away conversing in each other’s tongue...