La Castiza

A Survival Guide to Sidewalk Cafés in Madrid

2011-05-13T12:10:00Z

La Latina

Just about everyone likes to enjoy a drink or a meal outside when the weather's good, and the madrileños are no different. From April to October, Madrid's sidewalks and plazas are taken over by thousands of tables and chairs and bar life becomes terraza life. On a terraza, the cigarette smoke isn't as oppressive, the people-watching is great, and the drinking or dining experience takes on a new, light- and sound-filled dimension.

Madrid's got all sorts of terrazas, but some rules of thumb apply to the vast majority. First, be prepared to pay a bit more than inside. Most bars or restaurants add a price supplement for outdoor service, which is often around 10% (but so worth it!). Second, the best terrazas are nearly always full, so your best bet is to wait patiently, keeping your eye out for tables with empty drinks or plates. Respect the order of others who are waiting, but when it's your turn move quickly and assertively to avoid confrontations. Third, chances are service will be a bit slow. Many of these sidewalk cafés are understaffed for the number of tables they are serving, so, again, patience is a virtue. But relax, you're in Spain, and even in the capital things don't move very quickly.

Which terraza to pick? My main recommendation is to not patronize the ones in Plaza Mayor. Though the square is very pleasant, these terrazas tend to be pricey and low quality because the only people who go there are tourists. You'd do best to keep your eye out for people chattering in Spanish, to stay away from places with photos of the food they serve, and to check out any in the following barrios:

Beat the Heat - Pools to Cool off in Madrid

2011-06-29T12:24:00Z

Summer is up and cities across the globe have planted palm trees and trucked in tons of sand to urban riverfronts to create the feeling of a lazy day at the shore. Urban beaches are a hit and Momondo guides you to our favourites.

Madrid

Canal Isabel Photo: Vic Lic

Madrid is so famous for not having a beach that there's even a song about it. That's right: the Refrescos' ("Soft Drinks") 1989 hit "Aquí no hay playa" ("There's no beach here") mentions all of the Spanish capital's famous sights and characteristic traits but, as the chorus goes, When August comes, oh no, there's no beach! As such, there's a huge exodus in summer to the coasts, but those who are trapped in the city by work or other circumstances have learned to make do.

And making do is not all that bad, considering Madrid has a number of good pools and some lovely swimming holes in the Río Manzanares just north of the city, all of which are accessible by public transport. Plans are also in the works to give Madrid a real beach along the Manzanares on its course through the southeastern part of the city, but that remains to be seen. The area is still a huge dustbowl from burying Madrid's ring road, the M-30, underground. For now, there are still plenty of people who sunbathe in the city's parks.

Fall Gets Cool in Madrid

2010-09-01T09:10:00Z

La Noche en Blanco Photo: Jose.Madrid

Summer takes a while to end in Madrid. Tanned and relaxed post-vacationers start reappearing around town during the first weeks of September, but many of the city's inhabitants take vacation until 15 September, which is generally when classes begin again at most city schools. By October, however, workdays resume their normal length (many offices do an intensive summer schedule) and kids are in school for full days, too. Life returns to the more serious pace that exists beyond the summer months. Days alternate between crisp with blue skies or gray and rainy, and night begins to slowly creep further into the afternoon. But none of this gets the madrileños too terribly down; there are plenty of events to keep people's calendars full throughout the fall months.

Madrid's Bohemian Best: Exploring Lavapiés

2010-11-15T09:40:00Z

Some people say that Madrid really is just a pueblo (a village), and it's true if you take the city neighborhood by neighborhood. All of Madrid's barrios are wonderful in their own right, but I'm partial to Lavapiés, where I now live. I'm starting the series of Madrid walking tours in this colorful neighborhood just south of Sol (the very center of the city).

Lavapiés was home to the city's Jews until their expulsion in 1492; in the centuries that followed, Spanish workers from outside Madrid made their home in the neighborhood. In the 20th century, an increasingly older Spanish population populated the area, and little by little buildings were abandoned and left in states of serious disrepair. Sometime during the 1980s and 90s, young people caught on to the cheap rents (and squats) and started moving into the historical, but run-down, buildings. In the last decade of the 20th century and what's been of the 21st, the barrio has seen a huge influx of international immigrants as well as younger progressive-minded people, who all create the dynamic mix you'll find on its streets today.

Walking Through Moncloa: A Madrileño's Madrid

2010-03-18T11:37:00Z

Photo: IDTP-Europe

To see a worthwhile part of Madrid that doesn't figure in most tourist guides, take your walking shoes up to Moncloa, a barrio northwest of the center. You'll find few tourists here, but plenty of locals: families with children in strollers, elderly people out for a walk, and lots of students thanks to the proximity to the Universidad Complutense, Madrid's biggest university. The streets are wider here than in the center, and there's plenty of traffic. Moncloa was my old neighborhood and it's a great place, but it's about as different as you can get from Lavapiés.