Madrid

Food and Drink

Food

• Zalacain, Calle Alvarez de Baena 4, 28006 Madrid – to begin with, a suit and tie is required if you want to dine at Zalacain; for decades this has been the ultimate restaurant for Spanish cuisine and class. Bookings are essential and you can call them at 00 34 91 561 4840; currently they don’t accept bookings by email!
• Al Norte, Calle San Nicholas 8, Madrid – for something a bit more ‘mille-of-the-road’ you can’t go wrong with the Al Norte. Again, bookings are essential and ask for a table on the terrace. If you’re calling from Ireland it’s 00 34 91 547 2222.
• La Musa, Calle Manuela Malasana 18, Madrid – this is where the young and trendy hang out and graze on salads and tapas; it’s not expensive and if there are no tables available, you’ll just have to queue.

Drink

Unlike the Irish, Spaniards can sit over a beer for many hours. That’s not to say that they don’t know how to party – nightlife starts late and goes on until well into the morning and Madrid has a well-earned reputation as a city that knows how to party.

• Del Diego, Calle de la Reina 12, Madrid – a fun-loving bar, where the young hang out, this is a bright and breezy oasis.
• El Parnasillo, Calle San Andres 33, Madrid – a landmark café in the Malasana area of the city, El Parnasillo is frequented by the cool, artsy crowd.
• Fortuny, 34 Fortuny, Alonso Martinez, Madrid – class, style, great food, a cocktail bar and a cutting edge club all rolled into one. This converted mansion is well worth a visit.

There are two other clubs that we’d also recommend, both of which are on Calle del Arenal – Palacio Gaviria, a 19th Century Palace and Joy Eslava, housed in a former theatre.

Madrid

Shopping

There are distinct shopping areas in Madrid – in Centro head for Plaza de Callao and Puerto del Sol; if you’re in Salamanca the streets between Calle de Juan Bravo and Calle de Goya are where you’ll find the best shops.

If You Do One Thing

in Madrid

• Museum.....Prado
• Church.....Ermita de San Antonio de la Florida
• Flamenco Dancing.....Casa Patas, Calle de Canizares
• Park.....Parque del Retiro

Madrid

Airport to City Information

Barajas Airport is 16km outside Madrid. It is connected with the city centre by bus every 15 mins and takes approximately a half hour.

Taxis are available for hire at the airport for transfer to your hotel.