The capital of Spain by Night: Madrid Nightlife

Madrid by night - some people say that Madrid is “the city that never sleeps”. It’s true that the Spanish are more likely to stay outside eating and drinking into the small hours than any other Europeans.  It’s not just young people in their twenties and thirties that adopt this sort of behavior. Young children and grandparents like to have fun too! In the lead up to Christmas and during the Spanish fiestas and public holidays, it is not uncommon to see people up and about at 6am – this nocturnal behavior has earnt the madrileños the nickname gatos (the Spanish word for “cats”).

Café De Chinitas
Madrid is a family-friendly city: it is usually fine to bring your young children into pubs and bars – although it is considered polite to ask the barman/lady first. There is an excellent selection of bars and restaurants in Madrid especially surrounding the Gran Vía area. Café de Chinitas is a popular flamenco restaurant in the grounds of a mansion and is one of the most famous tablaos (flamenco restaurants) in the world. It serves Mediterranean food and puts on a flamenco show every night.

Cafeterias
It is possible to divide the different types of entertainment establishment available in Madrid into various categories. Firstly, cafeterias – or bars as they are more commonly known in Spain – are commonplace on Spanish street corners. The Spanish love to be on the street – it’s free and the weather is generally warm and dry. Spaniards often sit outside a cafeteria in the summer sipping a beer and having a bite to eat. It is not uncommon for the Spanish to go to a bar or cafeteria for breakfast or Merienda (equivalent to the English Elevensis) on a daily basis given that these establishments are usually very reasonably priced and often conveniently placed by people’s places of work.

Pubs
The second type of entertainment establishment is the pub. These stay open until the early hours and serve a much wider range of alcoholic beverages than the cafeteria or bar. “Copas” are typically a spirit and mixer type drink and are usually cheaply priced. You may find that these drinks are much stronger in Spain than they are in England and often cheaper too. Irish pubs have become popular in Spain in recent years.

Terrazas & Discotecas
During the summer months, “Terrazas” spring up around one of the most famous parks of Madrid, El Parque Del Oeste, so that people can eat, drink, dance and socialize out of doors. Disco-pubs are a relatively new phenomenon and are particularly popular with teens who take advantage of their extremely late closing times – between 3 and 7am!! Another advantage of these places is that they don’t charge an entrance fee! “Discotecas” on the other hand, charge you to get in and are often picky about which people they let into their club. For example, if someone isn’t deemed to be dressed in the latest fashion, they may be denied entry! A general rule for these establishments is “dress to impress” and this is relevant to men as well as woman.

Madrid Nightlife Tours
An increasingly popular option with party goers is to pay for guided tours in Madrid’s Nightlife. If you are just in Madrid for one night, for example, this is a great option to fit as much as possible into a short space of time. For example, there is a Tapas Tour, a Flamenco Tour and an Irish Bar Tour to name but a few.