Madrid has every ingredient for a brilliant trip, writes Jules Stewart (Picture: Alexander Spatari/ Getty Images)
The morning I first set foot in Madrid, I was greeted by a scene that could have served as a model for one of Francisco de Goya’s Black Paintings.
You know, some of the bleakest, most disturbing artworks ever made.
Civil Guardsmen in black patent leather three-cornered hats, submachine guns cradled in their arms, patrolled the streets with dark glances.
The desperate, singsong mantra of a score of blind lottery vendors echoed across the square: ‘Twenty tickets left, only twenty! This is your lucky day!’
Ragtag beggars crouched in doorways, sheltering from the merciless summer sun belching down on the Puerta del Sol.
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Mind you, that was in 1962, and proved to be the unlikely beginning of a love affair with a city where I was to spend 20 years of my life.
Even now, on my monthly visits to the Spanish capital, I marvel at the transformation it has undergone over the decades.
Once largely overlooked by the tourist invasion of Spain, with millions seeking sun, sand and sangría flocking to the Costa Brava and Costa del Sol, Madrid today attracts more than six million foreign visitors a year.
But how well do most people get to know it?
This is Spain we are talking about, so first things first: to food.
Chef Nacho Talavera attends the presentation of La Real Gilda’s Gallery at the San Anton Market on 16 December, 2025 in Madrid (Picture: David Benito/Getty Images Europe)
The centre of Madrid is thronged with bars and cafés, so plenty of options for refreshment.
A market visit is a great option for cheap-and-cheerful eats, and while the famous Mercado de San Miguel has some excellent local wines, cheese, cured meats and tapas, it also gets extremely crowded.
The food is just as delicious at the Mercardo de San Antón in the trendy Chueca district, or Mercado de la Cebada in the equally hip La Latina neighbourhood.
These markets have plenty of tapas bars and ready-to-eat snacks and are where the locals still do their grocery shopping.
Up for some world-class calamares? Head to El Brillante across the square from the Atocha railway station.
Best to ask for a ‘mini de calamares’ because the full-blown sandwich is a meal for two. Be prepared, though: you might need to hold your ears when the barman shouts your order across the room to the kitchen.
Customers outside Bar El Brillante in Madrid, known for serving delicious and affordable Spanish tapas in a lively atmosphere (Picture: Derick Hudson/Getty Images)
Madrid is a walkable city, and many of the most historic buildings can be viewed over a two-hour stroll.
This includes the Los Austrias district, with some of the oldest buildings of the Hapsburg court, the Royal Palace and the main square, the Plaza Mayor.
From here, it’s a short walk to the Barrio de las Letras, the streets where the writers and poets of Spain’s Golden Age lived, offering a visit to the house of prolific playwright Félix Lope de Vega.
If your visit takes you in the hot season of mid-June to mid-September, you can spend a refreshing afternoon at the Madrid Río Park Beach urban water oasis in the Arganzuela district.
There you will be able to revel in wading pools, water jets and mist sprays. An excellent and cost-free way to cool off.
And what about art?
Visitors during the celebration of the Night of the Museums at the Museo Cerralbo, on 21 May, 2022 in Madrid (Picture: Fernando Sanchez/Europa Press via Getty Images)
The Prado Museum is one of the world’s great picture galleries and there is no denying that standing in front of Velázquez’s Las Meninas is an experience to be treasured.
But to avoid the crowds, head to the newly opened Royal Collections Gallery, daringly built into the cliff above the Manzanares River, the sort of architectural audacity in which Madrid delights.
Great little museums include the Museo de Romanticismo, whose rooms are beautifully laid out with paintings, furniture and decorative objects, capturing the vibe of romanticism and the society that gave rise to it.
Not to be missed is the Museo Cerralbo, ensconced in a 19th-century neo-Baroque palace, close to the Plaza de España.
The Marquis of Cerralbo’s paintings and antique furniture are piled up almost exactly as he left them.
To see craftsmanship in action, visit the 300-year-old Royal Tapestry Factory. They’re still producing handmade tapestries and carpets for historic buildings, royal palaces and cathedrals, weaving on looms in use for almost 150 years.
That’s culture done and dusted. It’s time for supper.
Weavers working on the loom at the Royal Tapestry Factory (Picture: Jules Stewart)
Wherever your evening plans may take you if you enjoy sherry, your first port-of-call must be La Venencia in Calle de Echegaray.
This sherry bar opened its doors in 1922 and since that day, the plaster peeling off the walls has not had a lick of paint.
Be aware of the strictly-enforced house rules: no photography allowed, if you leave a tip it will be thrown back to you and should you dare ask for a glass of beer or wine, you will summarily be shown the door.
A favourite restaurant of mine is Julián de Tolosa, which has a choice of Basque dishes that work to the formula: high-quality ingredients cooked in a simple style.
The menu choices are limited but the chuletón on the rib steak, or piquillo peppers are likely to be the best you’ve ever tasted.
For great veggie dishes, head to La Huerta de Tudela. Much of the produce comes from Tudela itself, the vegetable garden of Spain.
The restaurant does a range of amazingly tasty dishes based around celery, onions, potatoes, peppers and beans.
Your time in Madrid must end by indulging the cocktail capital of Spain.
A gorgeous view from the Círculo de Bellas Artes rooftop (Picture: Círculo de Bellas Artes)
Head for the Círculo de Bellas Artes rooftop bar and put your feet up in a chaise lounge with a gin and tonic, while you take in a splendid view over the city centre.
At street level, cocktail bars offer sophistication and exotica, from the super-chill Lovo lounge, with expertly crafted drinks, to the vibrant, Alice in Wonderland-themed Rosi la Loca, where the signature cocktail is served in a porcelain dragon’s head, spewing smoke from its nostrils.
An off-the-beaten-track terrace is El Jardín de Diana on the roof of the Hyatt Centric Hotel in the heart of the Gran Vía.
This unique setting offers superb signature cocktails to enliven the spectacular views of one of Madrid’s most dynamic thoroughfares, and an end to a trip you won’t forget.
The essentials
Getting there
Heathrow and Gatwick operate an average of twenty direct flights a day from London to Madrid.
The Metro from Madrid’s Barajas Airport is the best option for a speedy trip to the city centre.
Where to stay
The One Shot hotels offer budget boutique vibes in central locations.
The NH Hotels chain have two comfortable, mid-range hotels a few minutes from Atocha.
A quiet four-star hotel just behind the Retiro Park and a short walk from the city centre is the H10 Puerta de Alcalá.
If you are prepared to push the boat out, the five-star Hotel Palace facing the Spanish Parliament is a 115-year-old gem, topped only by the similar vintage Hotel Ritz, which once refused Jimmy Stewart a room because they did not admit actors.
He resolved the problem by having the US Embassy book him a room under the name of Colonel James Stewart.
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