Madrid
General Info
General Information
As the capital city, a cosmopolitan city, a business center, seat of government, Spanish Parliament, and residence of the Spanish monarch, Madrid is also the political centre of Spain. Madrid is characterized by intense cultural and artistic activity and a very lively nightlife.
According to legend the original name of the city was “Ursaria” (“land of bears” in Latin), due to the high number of these animals that were found in the adjacent forests, which, together with the arbutus (“madroño” in Spanish), have been the emblem (The Bear and the Strawberry Tree) of the city from the Middle Ages
Where to visit
The best attractions of Madrid
• Royal Palace
• Royal Theater
• Almudena Cathedral
• Plaza Mayor Square
• Prado Museum
• Queen Sofía Museum
• Gran Vía Avenue
• Puerta del Sol
• Thyssen Museum
• Cibeles Square
• Plaza España Square
• Alcalá Gate
• Santa Ana Square
• Jerome Church
• Santa Cruz Palace
• Santiago Bernabéu
• Archaeological Museum
• Bullfighting Las Ventas
• National Library
• Descalzas Reales
• Fine Arts Museum
• Debod Temple
• El Rastro Market
• Buen Retiro Park
• Casa de Campo Park
• Sabatini Gardens
• Caprice Park
Where to eat
General info about best restaurants
September 2018 Update
As always, some places must leave the list to make room for others. Here are a few of the highlights:
La Castela and El Doble are always good choices, but they step aside for La Ardosa and El Boquerón, two tapas institutions that equal their grandiosity. Sanlúcar also departs the list due to a recent drop in the quality of its dishes.
The homemade stews from Los Asturianos, Alagarabía, El Mollete, and Los Caracoles make room for old-school favorites such as the veal tripe at San Mamés and La Copita Asturiana’s trademark fabada.
Market stall La Hora del Vermut at the San Miguel Market switches places with Antón Martín’s Yoka Loka and its affordable Japanese food. For an upscale experience, Kappo’s omakase menu unseats 99 Sushi Bar.
Carbohydrates are now a Madrid staple thanks to the sourdough bread at Panic, which replaces the calamari sandwiches at El Brillante.
All-time classics such as Viridiana, Horcher, and the most recent upgrade in the culinary offerings at El Corral de la Morería join the list, while La Buena Vida and Triciclo leave for Lakasa’s focus on game meats and Bistronómika’s obsession with wild fish.
Takos al Pastor is our choice to represent affordable tacos, so we say goodbye to Punto MX’s take on Mexican haute cuisine.
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