The Real Madrid
Spain’s capital remains unexpectedly under the radar — Anthea Gerrie explores the city’s two faces, from cultured elegance to vibrant style
It will be news to noone that Spain, with its tempting sunshine and rich culture, is Britain’s favourite holiday destination. But it might come as more of a surprise to learn that Madrid has been voted the world’s fourth best tourist city. When it comes to urban Spain, the capital has for decades been overshadowed by hip, laid-back Barcelona. Yet first-time visitors inspired to travel the 300 miles further west will find they have been missing a treat.
“Madrid is still a bit under the radar,” explained the vintage shop owner I chatted to in El Rastro, the city’s uberlively flea-market district after I confessed I had no preconceived notion of what to expect of the city. And indeed Madrid, with its impossibly broad boulevards and plazas built for socialising is more reminiscent of the great Latin cities of Buenos Aires and Mexico City than other European capitals.
In some ways there are two Madrids to discover: the stately city of treasure houses which draw art aficionados from across the globe, and the party town, its maze of narrow lanes peppered with eclectic little shops, bars and restaurants opening onto one unexpected plaza after another.
With its pleasingly compact city centre, it’s easier to navigate by foot than on four wheels too, strolling and soaking up the street life along the way.
You could have a great weekend break without ever venturing into a gallery, but most visitors come to see at least one or two of the city’s big three: the Prado, Thyssen Bornemisza and Reina Sofia. This last has one of the world’s most emotionally affecting paintings, Picasso’s huge Guernica canvas depicting the anguish of the Civil War which still divides the country nearly 90 years on. The Prado is famous not only for its holding of Goya’s Black paintings, with more tormented war commentary, but also Hieronymus Bosch’s huge psychedelic triptych, Garden of Earthly Delights, featuring the thousands of fantastical creations which would go on to inspire album cover and video game designers 600 years later. The Prado, with its garden café, is as inviting a building as the Reina Sofia is forbidding, while the Thyssen, with its own terrace, is another airy and attractive building housing a fine collection of American art.
All three museums are connected by the Paseo del Prado, a boulevard with a delightful park in its centre. From the top end of the Paseo it’s a three-minute walk to Circulo de Bellas Artes, currently showing a fabulous retrospective of the late Jewish film director Stanley Kubrick; allow plenty of time to take in all the movie clips from The Shining, 2001: A Space Odyssey and other movies documented in depth, along with his early life as a New York photographer and family life in London, where he kick-started his career in cinema.
An easy stroll from all these venues, the Mandarin Oriental Ritz has the most enviable position in Madrid for art-lovers, with a special art lover’s package until the end of March, including breakfast, meal or spa credit and tickets to one of the big three museums. Book through tour operator Kirker and you also get useful extras like free fast track entry to the other two museums, city map and guide.
Built in 1910 as the city’s first hotel fit for visiting royalty, and recently reopened after a threeyear multi-million-pound refurbishment restored it to its Belle Epoque glory, this elegant spot is also an obvious choice to add some extra luxury to your stay.
For an equally historic but betterpriced option, the Hyatt Centric Gran Via is set in one of Madrid’s many fine art deco creations, whose ground floor started life as a famous 1920’s bar — it’s still a good location for bars, restaurants and shopping today. From here it’s just a five-minute stroll to the Puerta del Sol, the half-moon-shaped plaza that’s not only the central point of Madrid but all of Spain; out-of-town Spaniards queue to be photographed with their feet on the brass plaque which marks the spot. Here too is the bear statue symbolising Madrid which is a favourite meeting point for locals.
And while hotel restaurants are not often the most exciting dining choice, the best meal we ate in Madrid was at the Hyatt’s excellent restaurant, Hielo y Carbon. Not much to look at, it nevertheless takes vegetable cookery to new heights with its Josper-grilled giant leeks and baby baked potatoes with green mojo sauce from the Canaries. Or head to Botin, the oldest restaurant in the world according to the Guinness Book of Records, where feasting on fat white asparagus or roasted red peppers with tuna belly in the vaulted wine-cellar is a treat.
At the nearby Mercado de San Miguel, the lively food hall is packed with tapas bars open till nearly midnight, underpinning the lively La Latina area. Come on Sunday to enjoy the nearby El Rastro flea-market, or a more peaceful browse on other days of the vintage furniture and fashion stores which have made the neighbourhood their permanent home.
Wander in the opposite direction and the huge Plaza Mayor is only minutes from the Mercado de San Miguel, and one of the most magnificent open spaces in the world. Completed in 1619, it was reconstructed nearly 200 years later; its buildings’ uniformity of height and style heighten the sense of grandeur even further. Once the site of bullfights and executions, it is now a place for visitors to promenade and collectors to seek out old coins and other treasures in the weekend morning market.
Stop at the Chocolateria San Gines, where churros are served for takeaway or at tables in a cafe that’s more than 100 years old. After lingering over those classic doughnut sticks dipped into dense melted chocolate, follow the pedestrianised lane to the wedding-cake of the Palacio Real. No longer hosting the royal family, who have kept a low profile since returning to head up the state post-Franco, it attracts visitors mostly for its beautiful gardens, view across the river and proximity to the cathedral.
From here, it’s a half-hour stroll back to another wedding cake: the equally curlicued multi-storey main post office at the Paseo del Prado end of town, or let an Uber whisk you the extra mile or two to Salamanca, Madrid’s poshest neighbourhood. Here the international designer boutiques are punctuated by upmarket restaurants and the low-key Mercado de la Paz, a great place to shop for culinary souvenirs like wonderful Spanish cheese and saffron, as well as enjoying a traditional tortilla, the potato omelette which is the country’s national dish. Like Madrid itself, it’s understated but once tried, you’ll be tempted to return for another bite.