As I say goodbye to a city that has somehow become a part of me, I can’t help but reflect on what I will miss most. There is a pulse that beats through the veins of the city, that most tourist cannot see or feel. In fact, I am surprised by the amount of people I meet, who say they found Madrid “boring” or “not as nice as Barcelona”. Of course, no one can deny the beauty of the beaches in Barcelona, but Madrid has something different. Something I will always struggle to describe. A life, a culture, a feeling…
Although there is really no way of describing what makes Madrid so great, I have done my best to compile a list of what I will miss about Madrid……..
The Sherry Bar or should I say the Jerez Bar. In Spain, Sherry is simply known as Jerez because Jerez is the region where Sherry is from. In Madrid, the best place to sample some of the finest Jerez is La Venencia. Once frequented by Republican rebels, La Venencia is authentic as it gets. Stepping into La Venencia is like stepping back into the 1940′s. Old, curt, men pour Jerez from old barrels and write up your tab on the wooden bar in chalk. Taking photos is out of the question stemming back to the Spanish Revloution when spies would try and take photos of Republican sympathizers. Tips will be angrily waved off so don’t even try (trust me we tried on numerous occasions) – the socialist Republican ideals still run strong to this day! If the only Sherry you are familiar with is Bristol Cream, forget everything you know. I would recommend starting with the lightest Jerez (a Manzanilla or a Fino), and work your way down the list. Olorosso is my personal favourite. Be sure to order some olives, cheese, and chorizo to go with the Jerez.
*Note pictures were taken before being shouted at to not take pictures!
Affordable Wine In Vancouver the land of overpriced, government controlled alcohol, affordable and wine almost never fall in the sentence. In Spain, however, drinking wine is as important as drinking water, therefore there are thousands of affordable wines to choose from. One of our 
favourite everyday drinking wines was Pirineos from the Somontano region, which cost only €3 and I preferred it to the popular Marqués de Cáceres that was €6. If you are willing to spend €10 – €15 you can get some amazing wines. Most of my favourite wines were usually from Ribero Del Duero and I also loved white Verdejos from the Rueda region.
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Some of my Favourite Wines (prices ranging from €3 – €15)
The Local Markets For those of you who know me, or have read my previous blogs, you know that cooking was neither something I really enjoyed nor was very good at. In Madrid, I discovered my passion for cooking and I think that is largely due to the accessibility of fresh and delicious foods. Most Guiri’s (foreigners) shop at El Corte Ingles or the Mercado de San Miguel – still a must visit if you only have a few days in Madrid – but if you want to shop like a local do go to Mercado Antón Martín. Mercado Antón Martín has a great selection of jamóns, cheeses, butchers, fruit and vegetables and is a lot cheaper than the tiendas (grocery stores) or the more touristy markets. Basic Spanish and/or a Spanish dictionary is a must here as most of the vendors don’t speak any English.
The Squares You can’t walk two blocks in Madrid, without stumbling upon a cool square that is packed full of Madrileños sipping €1 Cañas (glass of beer) or Copas Vino Tintos (glass of red wine) and nibbling on tapas. Every single night of the week (even Sundays) these squares are packed till the wee hours of the morning, making the city feel alive. Although every square has it’s charm, here are three squares you can’t miss.
Tim at 100 Montaditos with a Caña & Tinto de Verano
Plaza Santa Ana is my personal favourite as it is both beautiful and has great food. For an incredibly cheapo lunch, eat at Cervecería 100 Montaditos. The sandwiches are small but tasty and €1 – €3. Try the Tinto de Verano to pair with the sandwiches which is similar to a Sangria. For dinner go to Lateral. Lateral has awesome tapas that are always prepared perfectly and it is extremely well priced.
Plaza Santa Ana at Night
Cool Barrios Madrid has some of the coolest, most diverse barrios (neighbourhoods) and the best part is they are all within walking distance of each other. My nights of wandering from barrio to barrio would begin in the trendy gay barrio of Chueca. Nothing whets your appetite like shopping and cocktails and Chueca is packed with awesome shopping and uber hip cocktail bars. After working up an appetite in Chueca I would head to La Latina.
La Musa
La Latina’s winding streets are packed with tapas bars that are so full, people are literally spilling out of restaurants onto the streets. Every time I’ve gone to La Latina I’ve discovered a new fantastic restaurant. You can’t go wrong in almost any restaurant in La Latina and an easy way to pick out the good ones is whichever restaurants are most busy. Two favourite restaurants in La Latina are La Musa and Taberna Tempranillo. Of course, I would finish my barrio tour with dancing in Malasaña, Chueca’s more edgy and gritty sister. If you want to see Malasaña in full action head there after 1:00am as most of the places don’t get going till after 2:00am and are pumping well into the morning.
Taberna Tempranillo
In closing if you are heading to Spain, or Europe for that matter, you must visit Madrid. It will not disappoint. No one can sum up Madrid as eloquently as one of my favourite writers, Ernest Hemingway. “In Madrid on cold nights you can drink sherry brandy and go to bed. To go to bed early at night in Madrid marks you as a little queer. For a long time your friends will feel a little uncomfortable about it. Nobody goes to bed in Madrid until they have killed the night. Appointments with a friend are habitually made for after midnight at the earliest. In no other town that I have ever lived in is there less going to bed for sleeping purposes.”
