Madrid Nightlife
Madrid is one of the most vibrant cities in the world and really comes alive at night. With the late dining times, night owls are sure to find the Spanish capital a paradise every night of the week as many of the night establishments are opening into the small hours.
Madrid's nightlife has something to offer everyone, whatever your age, preference or nationality and many of Madrid's cafeterias and restaurants and some bars freely welcome children.
In order to ensure that you have covered all areas of the city, Madrid offers a nightlife coach tour, which stops at all the hotspots in a safe and secure way with no queuing.
Much of Madrid's nightlife is focussed on the many dance halls, cafes, theatres and music halls but visitors are warned to be careful as many of them are only for Spanish-speaking locals. In the summer there are many more events and the city becomes a free festival as Madrid sponsors a series of plays, concerts and films.
Clubs, or discotheques as they are more commonly known in Spain, tend to be fairly expensive and entry fees can be as high as €15 (£10) in the trendiest areas. Bear in mind though that this is for entry into the club for a long period of time as many of them are open until the small hours.
The most popular nightspot in Madrid is the Plaza Mayor, which is full of small tapas bars and cuevas or drinking caves. The locals tend to start their bar crawls or tasca crawls from here, where they go from tavern to tavern to sample the wine in each along with a small selection of tapas. In each of the bars the 'contestants' can order pinchos y raciones or tasty snacks and tidbits.
For a cheaper night out, the bars in the districts of Arguelles and Moncloa are generally frequented by a younger, student crowd because of the cheaper drinks, as well as ale houses and fast-food restaurants. The area is bounded by Pintor Rosales, Cea Bermudez, Bravo Murillo, San Bernando and Conde Duque.
The famous Cafe de Oriente is well worth a visit and is situated in the tourist area of the Plaza de Isabel II. The area also contains a number of smaller cafes and restaurants and most of the after-dark action takes place in the nearby Gran Via, where some of the city's theatres and music halls can also be located.
The majority of the gay nightlife in Madrid can be found along such streets as Hortaleza, Infantas, Barquillo and San Lucas. There is a handful of high-quality clubs, as well as a host of cheaper restaurants and bars. However, tourists should be warned that this area can become potentially dangerous at night, although the increased police presence has recently made the area a lot safer.
In the summer months and especially at night, tourists are advised to take a trip to the area of Paseo de la Castellana and the Parque del Oeste, where there are a number of open-air terraces where you can enjoy a glass of sangria and a plate of tapas. The streets of Paseo de Recoletos and Paseo del Prado also boast many restaurants, cafes and popular nightspots.
Madrid is a vibrant and happy city that really comes alive at night. From the subdued cafes and terraces that can be enjoyed in the warmth of the Spanish evening sun to the avant-garde nightclubs in the centre of town, Madrid is a Mediterranean city that should not be overlooked when it comes to nightlife.
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Nightlife
