Welcome! We are Luke and Roque, your hosts in the apartment where you are going to stay these days. We want you to feel at home, so enjoy your stay and do not hesitate to contact us for any question.
We have prepared this guide for travelers like you, where you can find not so common tips to make your experience in Madrid unforgettable. We are different, and that’s why this guide is different.
The first thing you need to know
Our «headquarters» is the wine shop Madrid & Darracott. There we hold wine tastings, sell the best wines of Spain and, also, there are many advantages for you. For example: if after check-out or before check-in you need to leave your bags somewhere downtown, you can leave them in the wine shop during our business hours, from 11:00 to 14:00 and from 16:00 to 21:00, Monday to Saturday, free of charge.
Madrid & Darracott
C/ Duque de Rivas, 8
28012 Madrid
Your apartment is equipped with everything you need. However, if you are missing anything, please let us know.
What to visit
You can visit Madrid in one (intense) day, in a week or in a year, and still there will always be special places to discover!
Main tourist areas
Any walk between these tourist areas will take you through narrow streets that will surprise you. Take the time to get to know them, because Madrid’s hidden gems are its corners and alternative spots. Stop for a coffee or a soft drink with tapas just for the fun of it.
Puerta del Sol
It is the center of the city and of Spain. From the floor sign of Kilómetro 0 all roads to the country start, and the clock at Madrid’s City Hall is the festive point where Madrilenians gather to welcome the New Year.
Plaza Mayor
This spot has witnessed the history of Madrid for more than 500 years. Stroll around, watch the swallows in their nests, eat a calamari sandwich, have fun with the mimes.
Gran Vía
The main artery of Madrid, which extends from almost the Cibeles fountain to Plaza de España (Spain’s Square). It still preserves some theaters and cinemas, which show the cultural splendor that once agglutinated for many years. We recommend strolling through the corners at north and south of the Gran Via.
Plaza de España (Spain’s Square)
Recently renovated, it is the link between the Palacio Real (Royal Palace), Gran Vía and Templo de Debod (Debod’s Temple), an Egyptian temple dismantled and reassembled, stone on stone.
Barrio de las Letras
Also known as «Zona Huertas» («Huertas Area»), it is the neighborhood that honors the great Spanish writers such as Cervantes or Lope de Vega. It is full of quiet corners, where you will only hear the sound of your footsteps.
Parque del Retiro (Retiro Park)
The lungs of the city. A huge park with magical places like the Cecilio Rodríguez Gardens and its peacocks, the Rose Garden or the Crystal Palace. Do not miss the pond with the so-called “lions fountain” and go for a boat ride (warning: people are pranksters and can get you wet on purpose).
Other (not so) touristy areas
Do not just stay with the same spots everyone visits. There is a very attractive Madrid that sometimes goes out of the tourist circuit and is worth knowing.
Malasaña
Although this neighborhood is also touristy, a few steps from the Plaza del Dos de Mayo you can find places like Café Ajenjo, an elegant time capsule that takes you back to the 19th century, with the best coffee in the city, which even only accepts cash payments.
Chamberí
An elegant neighbourhood, full of beautiful and stately buildings, with a multitude of great bars for food and tapas.
Ibiza
Surely you know or will know the Retiro Park, but did you know that just behind it you have one of the most elegant and charismatic neighborhoods of Madrid? In particular, the boulevard of Ibiza street, full of terraces and bars.
Where to eat?
Madrid is full of bars and restaurants where you can get lost and enjoy the local gastronomy. In Madrid we love to meet in a bar with friends to catch up and enjoy some wines, beers or vermouth. It’s what we call «ir de tapas». You order some food and share it in a relaxed atmosphere. In almost every street in Madrid you will find one of these bars. Almost all of them offer something to eat and many of them also include a menu of the day that is served at lunchtime, which in Madrid is usually from 2pm to 4pm. Yes, that’s right, in Madrid we eat lunch and dinner much later than you are used to in other places. This menu of the day offers you several alternatives of first course, second course and dessert, with a fixed price, and many of them also include wine, beer and coffee.
We tend to be wary of bars that have pictures of the food they serve at the entrance. They are usually quite touristy and the food is probably not the best.
Dare to discover the bars of Madrid without fear, like a real Madrilenian.
NOTE: This selection of restaurants and bars is personal, and we do not make any profit from these places.
Cava Baja
This is not a restaurant, but a street full of bars and restaurants in the neighborhood of La Latina, we are talking about 50 bars in 300 meters! It’s very close to our wine store, and if you don’t want to complicate your life looking for where to eat, you’ll find good food there, although at prices (let’s face it) that can sometimes be slightly high.
Casa Lucas (Cava Baja)
Creative dishes of the highest quality and a spectacular wine list. One of our favorite places to eat in the center of the capital.
Taberna Tempranillo (Cava Baja)
Mini temple of wines by the glass or by the bottle that also serves very tasty portions and toasts.
Pez Tortilla (Cava Baja)
Modern and cool bar famous for its omelettes and croquettes of different creative flavors. A place to stand for a while during the tapas.
Posada de la Villa (Cava Baja)
Forget the Sobrino de Botín restaurant. This old inn from 1642 specializes in grilled meats and good wine.
Taberna la Concha (Cava Baja)
Closet-sized bar that is known for its homemade vermouth. It has good prices, considering the area and the high demand.
Restaurante Algarabía
A very small restaurant of 4 or 5 tables with great local food. Due to the very small capacity, it is mandatory to book in advance. The owner is also very fond of us, so if you say you are coming on our behalf, you will be treated very well.
Taverna Averías
A modern and cozy bar in the Chamberí neighborhood, with a wide variety of wines and tapas to taste. They also have craft and imported beers.
Llagar El Quesu Madrid
Asturian restaurants are synonymous with good food. And if they are preceded by the success and prestige of the original «Llagar El Quesu», then it becomes an obligatory stop in Madrid.
La Castela
Specialists in vermouth and wines, with a constantly renewed menu. It has a dining room where they serve typical Madrilenian food, with a modern touch.
Taberna La Catapa
Traditional food with meats and seafood, and exotic dishes such as sea urchins or marrow, accompanied by a large and varied wine list.
Restaurante La Montería
A restaurant with a traditional menu where they usually offer a game meat dish. Don’t leave without trying their famous inverted prawns!
Taberna Laredo
Restaurant where you can enjoy high quality dishes and a large cellar full of wines and sparkling wines. It also has a terrace that you will appreciate in the hottest days of Madrid.
La Raquetista
A small restaurant (we recommend you book in advance) where you can enjoy traditional and modern dishes, cooked with a personal touch that makes them unique in the area.
La Venencia
A historical temple dedicated to the mythical Sherry wine. Hemingway drank there, bullfighters and republicans during the war drank there. There is only sherry. No tipping and no photo opportunities. Pure history.
Angelita Madrid
Medium-high end restaurant with a huge wine and liquor list. There is also a basement where you can eat and have a cocktail.
De Vinos
Very cool wine bar run by the magnificent Yolanda. They also serve cheeses, cold meats and other creative tapas.
Vinoteca Vides
A wine bar in the Chueca neighborhood with a wine list longer than «War and Peace». Cheeses, cold cuts and cured meats.
Arrocería D’stapa Madrid
One of the best places to eat paella in Madrid, and many other dishes. The staff is attentive and friendly, and the portions are very generous.
Sukaldea Atotxa
Traditional fusion cuisine, with a large presence of pintxos (or pinchos) inspired by the Basque Country and a varied wine list.
Cinemas, theaters and museums
It’s not all about walking and eating. In Madrid you can go to the movies or the theater, and the offer of museums is huge, so much so that you could spend weeks just looking at art.
Cinemas
Si quieres ver los últimos éxitos y los estrenos más taquilleros, te recomendamos el Cine Yelmo Ideal, en versión original con subtítulos en español. Está situado en la Plaza Jacinto Benavente, muy cerca de nuestra tienda de vinos. Si lo que buscas son estrenos españoles y europeos, cerca de la Plaza de España tienes los Renoir Plaza de España y otros más como los Golem. Y si estás algo más lejos del centro de Madrid, también puedes acercarte a los Cines Verdi, o los Cines Embajadores, ambos con mucho encanto y grandes películas.
Theaters
Si te gusta el teatro, tienes muchas opciones, incluso gratuitas. Desde los grandes musicales de la Gran Vía o el Teatro Real, hasta salas de teatro independiente en el barrio de Lavapiés (como por ejemplo, el Teatro del Barrio). Y si estás en Madrid entre mayo y junio, en la RESAD (Real Escuela Superior de Arte Dramático), los alumnos exponen sus montajes de fin de curso gratis, muchas veces con un nivel totalmente profesional.
Prado Museum
To talk about Madrid is to talk about this museum. It is the great art gallery that brings together the great classical masters such as Velázquez, Goya and Murillo.
If you want to visit the Prado Museum with tickets included, an exclusive guide for you and a specific wine tasting about the works of art you have seen, contact us and we can offer you this experience in our wine store.
Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum
Classic and modern art in this museum, with first class temporary exhibitions, take the time to get to know it!
Reina Sofía Museum
A museum full of art focused on the 20th century, with great works by Dalí or Picasso, including his masterpiece «El Guernica».
Sorolla Museum
The man known as the «painter of light» left a legacy of incalculable value, in a house that today houses this museum, with gardens reminiscent of those of the Alhambra in Granada.
Emergency numbers
Always keep these numbers handy:
General emergencies: 112
(If you dial 911, you will be redirected to 112).
Local Police: 092
National Police: 091
Civil Guard: 062
Firefighters: 080 o 085
Healthcare emergencies: 061
Red Cross emergencies: 915 222 222
Red Cross food poisoning: 915 620 420