Whilst every effort is made to ensure accuracy, please confirm event/venue details in advance.
Spain : Madrid - January 2009 Country Code: Dial ++34 for Spain
Madrid goes totally crazy with the
post-Christmas sales, which start
on 7 January, and there are real
bargains to be found in the
enticing boutiques. In between
fi lling your shopping bags,
discover great food, wine and art,
including the Caixa Forum’s
fascinating look at 30 years of
Chinese abstract painting. Scott
Adams fl exes his plastic
Getting around
Barajas Airport
Bus: There are regular buses from the airport to Avenida de America (which connects with Metro lines 4, 6, 7 and 9) until 11pm. The journey takes between 30 minutes and an hour (emtmadrid.es). Train: Terminal 4 is covered by line 8 of the metro system. The journey to the city centre takes about 45 minutes and a single ticket costs €2.
Taxi: The journey to the centre takes around 20 minutes and costs around €28 (which includes the taxis’ airport charge of €5,25).
Tourist information: The main office is at 27 Plaza Mayor (tel. 915 881 636, www.turismomadrid.es) but there’s also an information stand at Terminal 1.
SOL
The commercial nucleus of the city,
there’s always something happening
around this historic square 24/7.
Pause to watch the buskers and mime
artists before moving on for some
shopping, culture and food.
Sleep soundly – Great value for
money, the Hotel Moderno offers stylish
rooms and communal areas as well as
a good breakfast.
Culture vultures – Discover what
religious life is like in the still operational
Descalzas Convent (Plaza de las
Descalzas). The 16th-century rooms
house art, jewels and tapestries.
Must eat – Perfect for discovering the
Madrid tapas scene, En Busca del
Tiempo (4 Calle Barcelona, tel. 91 521
9801) serves plenty of more-ish morsels
like shrimps in champagne sauce and
charcoal-grilled meats, along with good
local wines by the glass.
Must drink – Mama Ines (14 Calle
Barcelona) has live music at the weekend.
Dance the night away – One of the
best places to go dancing in Madrid, Torero (26 Calle de la Cruz) gets busy
after midnight and pulls in a sleek crowd.
Shop til you drop – La Violeta (6
Plaza Canalejas) is the only place you
can buy Madrid’s most traditional
sweet, a candy made with real violet oil.
You can also pick up gift packs of glacé
fruits and handmade chocolates here.
ALONZO MARTINEZ
This red brick neighbourhood is
packed with fashionable restaurants
and boutiques. Soak up the
atmosphere over a hot chocolate in
one of its cosy cafés.
Sleep soundly – Right in the thick of
things, the NH Embajada Hotel
is great value.
Must eat – Nabucco (108 Calle
Hortaleza, tel. 913 100 611) does good
Italian food in a rustic setting. Come here
for pizza, pasta and slightly more
elaborate regional dishes.
Dance the night away – Still one of
the most popular clubs in town, Pacha
(11 Calle Barceló) is spread over three
dance floors. Its eclectic
music policy spans disco,
techno and flamenco,
and there’s also the
occasional live band
playing here.
LA LATINA
The narrow streets in this old part of
town, just a short walk from Sol, are
packed with trendy restaurants, bars
and historic churches.
Must eat – Full of old-world charm,
Oliveros (4 Calle San Millán, tel. 91
354 6252) is perfect for a quick
dinner. Choose from a wide variety of
traditional Spanish favourites, such as
fabada (white bean stew with sausage,
black pudding and bacon) or chipirones
relenos en su tinta con arroz blanco
(stuffed squid served in its own ink
with white rice).
Must drink – El Viajero (11 Plaza de
la Cebada) has a rooftop terrace with
great views of the city.
CALLE HUERTAS
Stroll along this leafy street lined with
good restaurants and plenty of bars
before investigating the nearby art
scene in Paseo del Prado.
Sleep soundly – Treat yourself to
some old-fashioned elegance at the
Hotel Ritz . The Goya restaurant here serves
up the best cocido (chickpeas and
potatoes stewed with chicken, smoked
sausage and cured ham), Madrid’s
favourite winter warmer.
Culture vultures – Housed in a
stunning new building, the Caixa Forum
(36 Paseo del Prado) will be staging a
major exhibition of Chinese abstract art
spanning the last 30 years all month (on
until 16 February).
Must eat – Try El Caldero’s (15 Calle
Huertas , tel. 91 429 5044) excellent rice
dishes, including a delicious paella.
Must drink – Squeeze
into packed little Los
Gatos (2 Calle de
Jesús), big on
kitsch, tasty tapas,
vermouth and wine.
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