September 2025
We stayed 3 days at the 7 Islas Hotel in the Malasana neighborhood and walked/took the metro everywhere in the city. It was slightly quieter than the very touristy area it buts up to. It is close to Plaza Mayor and next to better shopping (read: not cheap souvenirs).
Activities/Places
- Plaza Mayor: Hub in the center of the city with lots of activity, food and drink nearby lots to explore and it is the heart of the city from its founding in the 850s.
- Meson del Champinon: Great mushroom tapas place located in the original walls of the city from the same time period.
- Flaminco show: There are lots of options, pick one and enjoy. Ours had two dancers, three musicians, and one singer. It also came with a little history lesson on the origin
- We went to Essential Flaminco, it was excellent and came with a glass of wine
- Real Madrid game: See a game. Wild energy and culture wrapped up into a city’s love for sport and their team. But they don’t sell beer at the game. Arrive early and drink a few tall cans of Mahou in the streets outside the stadium before heading in. We got tickets via StubHub and they weren’t fake.
- Santiago Bernabéu tour: Real Madrid stadium tour, worth it for the spectacle of an 84,000 seat stadium.
- Plaza Mahou: In stadium local brewery, grab a drink with a box seat view of the field
- Parque Del Retiro: Massive park in the center of the city, great for a long walk
- Golden Triangle of Art: The three major art museums in the city, apparently you can buy a package that gets you access for cheaper
- Thyssen-Bornemisza: Our favorite of the two we hit, less art than Prado, but more of it than we enjoyed.
- Museo Del Prado: This places is huge and packed with paintings and sculptures, carve out an afternoon if that is your thing and you want to see it all
- Reina Sofía: We missed this one
Food/Drink
- Mercado de San Miguel: Food and drink market where you can jump from vendor to vendor and taste/drink delicious food. Good for a whole meal or just a snack.
- Tapas Tour: Started near San Miguel and ended at a beautiful rooftop bar.
- Extrem Puro Extremadura – Cured meats and red wine
- Meson del Champinon – Mushrooms and Sangria with Brandy
- La abacería del príncipe – Garlic shrimp and white wine
- Casa Varona – Beef cheeks and red wine
- Note: Check out the 100 years in business placard on the street outside
- Azotea Cibeles – Cava (Spanish Champagne) with a cool roof top view
- Salmon Gurú – Eccentric and tasty cocktails
- Chocolatería San Ginés – Lots of places have chocolate and churros, this seems to be one of the best ones
180 Lunches 