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Shopping Madrid: Kling Downtown - The Spanish SoHo
Shopping Madrid: Kling Downtown - The Spanish SoHo
by Heather Hart
With summer rapidly approaching, it may be time to invest in some new breezy wear for those long lazy...
Concerts in Madrid: Amelia is a Ray of Light on the Local Scene
Concerts in Madrid: Amelia is a Ray of Light on the Music Scene
By Laurie Smolenski
Tonight, I appreciate the absence of the things familiar...
food - Cheap Tapas in Madrid
Another Madrid Secret: Casa Tortilla, Unlimited tapas and drinks for 12 Euros!!!
by Andrew Poole
Believe it or not, tackiness is actually an admirable quality at Casa Tortilla. In a world...
food - Brazilian
In Search of the Ultimate "Hole-in-the-Wall"
In spite of several frustrated buzzes, no one answered the doorbell. Why? Although it looked like an ordinary housing block, I was sure I had the address right – was there a secret knock? a password? a hidden video camera? Discouraged ...
Gay - cheap bars!
Bar Nike - Where to Start Your Night
Like so many gems Bar Nike is encrusted in a crude and craggy geode-like shell. Walking by, nothing would catch your eye except possibly the hordes of cute gay boys on the curb. Inside the décor is about as charming as your high school cafeteria – industrial tiles cover the floor, florescent lighting seems intent on destroying the ambiance...
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.
Clothes - Second hand Vintage
"The The": It's It's Hip Hip
With a name like “The The” this little shop might sound hopelessly redundant and not worth your “time time”, but don’t be so quick to judge – inside it’s downright “hip hip”...
clubs - the 80s
Garage Sónico: The Darker Side of the 80s
Although this week the magazine is full of “flamenco summits” and elegant evening art events, make no mistake about it - Madrid gets just as low brow as the next town. Malasaña is the “barrio” of all things uncivilized and “Garage Sónico” is the perfect point of entry...
cafes - chill out
The Unwind Underground
So as summer is officially out and autumn is on its way in, you may be heading out to look for warm and cozy cafés. Our suggestion? Check out ‘Alqamaru – El Café De La Luna.’ If you’re in the Malasaña neighborhood, you’ll spot what looks like old sofas thrown around this Alqamaru place. Enter and you might feel like you are in a locale where everyone has left behind their laziness and moved on to bigger and brighter and places. The venue has the potential to be that groovy hang out that you all want to frequent deep down inside, but there is a rare staleness in the air that will probably turn you off – UNTIL...
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?...
Cafes
Cocktails Just Like Mom Used to Make!
Entering the Anti Café, you might assume that its name stems from heartily rebelling against any conventional concept of café...
Gaudemus Café
A Heavenly Hole in the Wall
Like some appalling vision from the evening news, the large, church-like structure looks like it has been heavily shelled in some war-torn region of the world. The roof, for example, is missing and many windows are simply absent.
Café de las Indias
India tea house
Stumbling around the neighborhoods of Madrid seldom let’s me down. The sheer quantity of side streets and the speed with which the establishments on them change keep me in a never-ending state of discovery. Gems are to be found. Such a find is the Teteria de las Indias Number Two - curious space if ever there was one.
Hole in the Wall Bar
Aguja Taberna - Hole in the Wall Bar
Here is a prime example of "Hole in the wall". Rushing here and there, I’ve passed the Aguja on several occasions – I ‘ve always noted, almost subconsciously, that it seems to bustle just a little more crowded than other places on the block; however, I was always in too much of a hurry to stop by and check it out...