Sara In-Madrid

New spot to hear the latest Brit pop and party til the sun comes up. It's inside Sala Bogui in Chueca, and the crowd is hip without being pretentious.

etiquetas: chueca , copas , dancing , drinks , nightlife

This place is so great in the summer...it's a rooftop bar with good little tapas and cool people. If you want a break in the middle of a sunny day take a book and some sunglasses and look out over Lavapiés.

etiquetas: cañas , food , lavapiés , nightlife , tapas

There are three great reasons to go to El Juglar. 1. The excellent djs, who spin funk and soul from yesteryear. 2. The flamenco on a Sunday night. 3. The curry houses opposite -- the cheapest and best in the city.

etiquetas: copas , lavapíes , nightlife

Supercool indie and pop music and a kitschy design gets everyone tapping their feet at this bar in Malasaña.

etiquetas: bars , copas , dancing , drinks , malasaña , nightlife

A Bit of Everything...

When Malasaña gets too much at the weekends, cross Noviciado to find this gem of a venue, split between a cosy bar and an even cosier live space hosting lo-fi international groups and the best of the local underground.

etiquetas: copas , malasaña , music , nightlife

Mojitos and Music

You’ll have to fight for them, but if you manage to get one of the sofa-beds that are dotted around Areia, chances are you won’t leave until they’re throwing you out. The best chill-out bar in the city. The bartenders mix a mean mojito, and the DJs play an ecletic mix of sounds to keep you nodding your head all night.

etiquetas: chueca , copas , music , nightlife

Food with a Side of Cross-Dressing

Looking to spice up your night? Visit Gula Gula, with its unique cuisine and a distinctive cross-dressing waiters, who not only serve up delectable dishes such as salmon with almonds and passion fruit sauce, but also a racy show. Be prepared for an experience unparalleled to any other restaurant in Madrid.

etiquetas: copas , food , nightlife , restaurants

Über Trendy

Before dinner, make your way to the über-cool Glass Bar in the stylish Hotel Urban for a pre-prandial cocktail. In contrast to your average bar, almost everything -- tables, chairs, fittings -- is made of glass and, while it may be pricey, being seen (get a seat near the window) in this effortlessly hip establishment will increase your street cred no end.

etiquetas: bars , copas , nightlife , trendy

Mexican Food

First of all, this is the first Mexican place I’ve been to that gives you free chips and salsa right off the bat. (There might be more, but I haven’t found them.) Points in my book right away. La Taqueriá de Birrä has two locations; we went to the one in the secluded Plaza de la Comendadoras. It’s got a great terrace, lots of space and not too much noise.
The menu is huge; for starters there are four kinds of quesadillas and quesos alone. We’re not complaining, though. It’s nice to have a big selection.
We had a margarita to start, which was hand-shaken at our table (My friend is an ex-bartender, she assures me it was properly done.) It was really strong but had a smooth, sharp taste. There are also six different Mexican beers on the menu, if tequila isn’t your thing.
To start, we chose the quesadillas with flor de calabaza; I couldn’t actually taste the flor de calabaza because of all the melted cheese that oozed out. (Again, not complaining. I love cheese.)
We picked the tamales with pico de gallo and the enchiladas Rancheras with mole. (Entreés between €8-10). The tamales were perfect, and the presentation is cool; there are four, and each have a different little sauce on them which is then smothered by amazing pico de gallo. The chicken enchiladas with mole sauce were also really good – the mole was sweet but not spicy – but were covered in cheese, which even for me was a bit overwhelming.
For dessert, we wanted the fried platanos, but they were out. Good thing, though, because we might not have gotten to try the Georgina cake, the house specialty. It was amazing; a homemade light, fluffy cake layered with creamy lemon and drizzled with raspberry sauce. Amazing. We also had the crepes de cajeta, which were swimming in dulce de leche and very rich.
The portion sizes were perfect, and the place is lively and fun. It would be a great place to have a birthday or get-together (just not with all your Spanish friends if you don’t want to shell out for everyone’s dinner!)

etiquetas: food , malasaña , margaritas , mexican , nightlife , restaurants

The coolest hotel ever

The newest trend in Madrid is luxury hotels with groovy rooftop bars for beautiful-people. Book a night for a couple, a friend or your other half, and pretend you’re a high-roller for the evening. Each floor was designed by a different designer or architect, and you can take a virtual tour online before deciding which room you want to book. The top floor is a wraparound bar with some of the best views of the city you can find. So order some room service, watch cable and bask in the general decadence of your surroundings.

etiquetas: expensive , hotels , luxury , modern , nightlife