Last Updated on March 31, 2026
Food, Art, and Flamenco in Madrid!
I haven’t been to Madrid since the early 1980s, when I had a couple of hours off before playing a show. It was a Monday afternoon, everything was shut, and I wasn’t a happy bunny. Forty years on, it was time to plug this gaping hole in my ‘cities visited’ list. Still, when mentioning my trip to friends, it became clear that, unlike Barcelona, Venice, Florence, Rome, Paris, Porto, Prague, Amsterdam, Berlin, and many more, Madrid wasn’t high on people’s priority list. If, like me, you haven’t spent time in the city, then it’s one you should consider.
Madrid feels as if it is on the up and exudes a confidence that reflects its imperial legacy. Smart and stylish, the city is crisscrossed by wide avenues lined with buildings, each imbued with unique characteristics.
Unlike London, Madrid isn’t peppered with skyscrapers. Unlike Paris, there is more individuality than uniformity in the architecture, and unlike both, it doesn’t feel congested with traffic and tourists. It’s very walkable, with numerous green spaces, an easy-to-navigate public transportation system, and reasonably priced taxis. There is a fantastic food and drink culture, football, flamenco, and some of the greatest and most iconic artworks of Western culture.
But where should you stay, and how should you organise yourself in the city?
If art is high on your agenda, the NH Collection Madrid Paseo del Prado is ideally situated in the heart of the ‘Golden Triangle’ of museums (the Prado, the Reina Sofia, and the Thyssen Bornemisza), and in the ideal area for your cultural fix.
If lifestyle is more your thing, then the NH Collection Madrid Palacio de Tepa is situated right by the literary quarter, the Barrio de las Letras, which is full of atmospheric bars, restaurants, and stylish shops.
We wanted a bit of both, but we were aware we had limited time in the city, so when we were invited to investigate the Go City Travel Pass, which lets you book tours of top city attractions and experiences at a great price with total flexibility, it was a no-brainer. Go City is the world’s leading sightseeing pass company, operating in 28 global destinations, including London, New York, Sydney, Oahu, Paris, Amsterdam, Rome, Dublin, Prague, Stockholm, Barcelona, LA, Miami, San Diego, San Antonio, San Francisco, Orlando, Boston, Philadelphia, New Orleans, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Cancun!
It’s a straightforward system. You can buy a digital pass – there’s the Explorer Pass, which lets you select a set number of attractions to visit over 60 days, or the All-Inclusive Pass, granting unlimited daily access for a specified number of days. Once you’ve purchased your pass, download the Go City app, scan your pass at each attraction, and enjoy seamless entry, often skipping the regular ticket lines. We chose the All-Inclusive Pass, which offers a choice of three attractions over three days. We were able to select tours in English, accompanied by expert guides who spoke to us through headsets, ensuring we experienced the key highlights of each attraction. Meeting points were clearly indicated, and the whole process was relatively seamless.
Our first destination was the Prado, one of the world’s great art galleries and perfect for your classical Spanish art fix – think Goya, Velázquez, El Greco, and many more. Situated in an area created by King Charles III and originally home to a natural sciences museum, the Prado opened in 1890 and is a must-see attraction. It’s not a problem if you want to stay on after your tour at the museum.
The Reina Sofia museum, named after the present Queen Mother, opened in the 1980s, and the museum’s focus is on modern art. Originally a hospital, the works are arranged thematically and refreshingly, there is a definite feminist perspective. It’s also the home of Picasso’s Spanish Civil War monumental masterpiece, Guernica, a highlight of our visit.
Our final Go City trip and an unexpected pleasure was our tour of the Royal Palace. Bigger than Buckingham Palace and built in the style of 18th-century French palaces such as Versailles, we were given a fascinating lesson in Spanish history (who knew about the Visigoths!?) and experienced the architectural and interior design glories of the palace.
One of the greatest pleasures of Madrid is to go bar hopping. For an unpretentious seafood hangout, try Bar La Paloma. Have a glass of Albariño and try the mussels on the shell, percebes gallegos (Galician barnacles), griddled prawns, or the spider crab.
Madrid’s most famous sherry bar, La Venencia, can be found at Calle de Echegaray, 7, in the Centro district. They only serve six sherries out of cobwebbed barrels, accompanied by a handful of basic tapas to soak up the alcohol. It is the classic old-school sherry bar where Ernest Hemingway used to drink. They have a strict ‘no photo’ policy, and if you don’t enjoy sherry, you shouldn’t go, as they have been known to eject customers for being annoying.
The sexiest vermouth bar in Madrid is Taberna La Concha. Tiny and atmospheric, they serve the most delicious homemade vermouth as well as top-notch tapas. I recommend the bacalhau (salt cod) and sardines.
La Perejila is a classic tapas bar that sits on ‘Tapas Central’, Calle de la Cava Baja. Have a glass of sangria and feast on Galician-style octopus with potato and smoked paprika in this atmospheric place that celebrates Andalusian culture.
One of the great pleasures of city breaks is mooching around the local markets. Food markets are my favourite, and in Madrid, I recommend heading to Mercado San Antón. Stock up on foodstuffs and grab a bite. Madrilenos traditionally eat a hearty bocadillo de calamares (a roll filled with fried squid) while quaffing a tinto de verano, a mix of one part table red wine and one part lemon-flavoured soda. Perfect for a pit stop!
If you’re looking for a more formal dining option, try Sacha Restaurant. Named after the original owner’s child, Sacha, who is now an adult resembling a retired rock band roadie who walks the floor, checking in on everyone. Highlights included a slow-cooked, melt-in-the-mouth ray with black butter, tarragon, and capers; baby squid in a rich, unctuous sauce made with deep squid ink; a salad of raw purple asparagus; and the Ferran Adrià-inspired lazy tortilla, which used crisps rather than regular potatoes. All this was washed down with a fabulous glass of Equipo Navajos Manzanilla sherry and an excellent Godello.
I couldn’t visit Madrid without seeing some flamenco. There are a number of flamenco theatres known as ‘tablaos’ in the city, most of which have dining options, but my preferred venue is the Centro Cultural Flamenco Madrid. With tickets around the 28 euro mark and three shows a night, it’s the perfect option if time is of the essence.
Madrid is a wonderful destination with lots to explore, but also a fantastic place to hang out, relax, and make memories. The city feels authentic, and it’s a privilege to share cultural experiences with the locals.
