Madrid's Royal Botanical Garden sits in the shadow of the all-mighty Prado Museum. The entrance fee is only 1€ and I've never seen a line at the gate.
My favorite area is the olive tree path, though the forsythias and other Asian flowering bushes and trees at the front always get my attention.
A peaceful, slow-paced walk, stopping to stare at all the signs, take a picture, talk about the weather... can last about 1-2 hours.
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For art expos and other cultural events (multimedia, music, film).
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good food, nice people
Family business open since the 40's. I think the place hasn't changed much since then. Service is friendly. Reasonably priced, no-frills homemade Spanish food. The 'crema catalana' is excellent.
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Still not a match for teleporting
I like the Madrid subway. There are some dumpier stations and problematic lines (5 and 6 have been the bane of my existence for years), but overall I'm happy with the Madrid metro system.... on a good day, bad days are another story.
Here are some of the connections I hate the most:
+ Diego de León. Long walk between lines 4, 5 and 6, but usually a necessary evil to make a good connection. Avenida de América isn't much better, but it's a lot more crowded.
+ Cuatro Caminos. Line 6 is probably the closest you'll ever get to the Earth's core, while 1 and 2 are just below the surface. Prepare to spend an eternity on the escalators.
+ Plaza de España. Transferring from line 10 or 3 to 2... are you kidding me? it's a whole other station!
+ Nuevos Ministerios. Not only is it long, but also very confusing. If you're taking 8 to the airport, give yourself a good 15-20 minutes to wander around this monstrous maze.
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Templo de Debod
+34 913 667 415
just married
A great park, a couple of blocks down from the Plaza de España... the view of southern (?) Madrid is lovely. Wonderful place to hang out when the weather's right.
Be there at sunset any time in May if you want to see couples getting their wedding photos taken. Watch the photographers struggle to keep the other wedding parties out of their frame... well, I find it amusing. :-)
The temple that the park is named for was donated by the Egyptian government, it's pretty unique. Read about it here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Templo_de_Debod
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Chocolatería San Ginés
+34 913 656 549
Early Birds and Night Owls
Just when you're ready to call it a night (because, in fact, it isn't anymore) someone in your group will propose "chocolate con churros". Considering the chill of the wee hours and the fact that you don't remember having any real dinner in between cañas.... this sounds good to you.
Though San Ginés is not the only place to pursue one of my favorite local traditions, it's definitely one of the best known and is usually crowded. This might have to do with it's opening hours: 6pm to 7 am. Most places for churros aren't open before 7.
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Tienda de Vinos (El Comunista)
+34 915 217 012
Definitely a keeper
Since it was hidden behind large wooden shutter-doors and advertised as a 'Tienda de Vinos' (wine shop), I'd never thought to enter this enduring establishment. It seems to have survived the invasion of the chic & cheap eateries in the Chueca area. 'El Comunista' is cheap and old school, and the food is the real deal too: Spanish home-style cooking at it's best, in generous yet not overwhelming quantities.
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Madrid Skyline
Amazing view. Just ask to be seated at a table in the glassed-in terrace area. On a busy day you'll have to take a number at the entrance to the cafeteria. Again, make sure it's for the "terraza".