Calle de Argumosa – The Street of Sidewalk Cafes

streets & hoods — By admin on May 13, 2007 12:00 am

The Best Way to “Sunday”

So, it’s been another strenuous weekend of socializing in Spain’s topsy-turvy capital. After all the activity of the weekend subsides, there’s no better place to recuperate and relax than Calle de Argumosa. On a sunny day, it seems as though this little street has more terrazas (sidewalk cafes) than the rest of Madrid combined.

Finding a table can be a bit of a trick, but, considering there are several blocks of terrazas literally back to back, it usually doesn’t take more than one or two passes before you find a place. And, once you settle in, this being Spain, there is no pressure to be quick about your coffee, caña or tapa, so just kick back and enjoy the sun. And while you’re enjoying the sun, you can people-watch like few other places in Madrid. Lavapiès is Madrid’s impoverished, bohemian, immigrant neighborhood – it’s where everything mixes and comes out a little bit more colorful.

Another bonus is that it’s probably the easiest street to find in Madrid. Directions: exit metro Lavapiès – see, wasn’t that easy. The street not only has restaurants and cafes but art galleries as well, and, if you walk all the way to the end, in front of the fountain you’ll find a little independent bookstore, “La Libreria de Lavapiès”, which has a small but interesting English-language section.

Calle de Argumosa

MAP