Freeway and other Madrid, Spain Nightlife Tips

Nightlife Spot: Freeway bar

I'm afraid I could not be objective at all about this bar; I love the place, the owners are good friends of mine, the DJ always seems to know what music is the more suited to my mood and I know many of the local crowd.

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Theme: Nightclub
Address: San Vicente Ferrer, 7
Directions: Malasaña district. Tribunal Metro station

Nightlife Spot: La Catrina

This Mexican bar has become lately in one of my favorite in Malasaña neighborhood (the trendiest quarter in Madrid). It always amazes the number and diversity of people that can join together in this small, charming and always packed bar. The selection of Mexican beers is excellent, as well as the music (Latin rhythms), but the attribute that gives this place its unique identity is the colorful decoration; and incredible tribute to the Mexican Santeria (candles, Virgins, altars)...

Summarizing: A bar with strong personality. Exactly my type of bar. ;-)

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Theme: Eating and Drinking
Dress Code: Completely open. Just dress as you are.
Phone: 91.522.57.59
Address: Corredera Alta de San Pablo, 13
Directions: In the heart of Malasaña

Nightlife Spot: Yasta Club

I hesitated before placing this tip in the Nightlife section, and not in the “Warnings and Dangers” one, but after all, Yasta is a nightclub and a good example of the chameleonic Madrid party scene.

When I was in my teens (not so long ago, if you were wondering), this used to be the reference disco for the Goth local people. Then, after been closed during some years, it suddenly become a tacky “rave party” disco club, with scary gorillas in the entrance and frenetic music… not the kind of place to bring a date, if you know what I mean ;-)

And in it last “mutation” it has become an eclectic-techno music-disco. Their flyer (in the picture) suggest that you could explore there the “artistic frontiers of the psicodelic” … whatever that means.

Anyway they are open until very, very, very late (10 AM), so it is an option if you are a morning party person. ;-)

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Theme: Dancing
Address: Calle Valverde 10
Directions: Metro Gran Vía
Website: http://tribunapachamana.galeon.com
Other Contact: Admission costs 12 €

Nightlife Spot: Café del Mono

I know, I know, the entrance of the bar is not exactly appealing. The external aspect of this small and cozy bar is so... unusual, that it's a very common thing to miss it while looking for a late drink in the Latina neighborhood. But once you pass the doorman that looked twice to the street before allowing you in, you'll find the real place. Excellent music and great ambience!

Ups, I almost forget to mention that they serve the BEST gin & tonics of the city ;-)

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Theme: Nightclub
Phone: 91 364 06 40
Address: Cava Alta, 19
Directions: Latina district

Nightlife Spot: Discos

As I have been accused recently to be a “bailongo” (I will not provide a translation for this term :-p), I’ve just decided to present right now my favorite “dance all night” spot in Madrid. Larios Café has two completely different floors. The ground floor has a unique and excellent decoration, which I personally found similar (or influenced) to the Gaudy style. There’s also live Cuban music until 3 a.m.

The lower floor is a typical disco dance floor, the kind of place that a friend of mine usually describes as a “meet market”. I usually prefer the first floor, but it dependents on my mood. Sometimes I prefer to be downstairs, you know ;-)

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Theme: Dancing
Dress Code: I will dare to suggest you to visit the nearest Zara store before appearing there ;-)
Phone: 915479394
Address: Calle Silva, 4
Directions: Close to Callao square. Metro Callao
Website: http://www.accua.com/larioscafe/

Nightlife Spot: Capote

This tip is for night creatures, that will not even glimpse the Spanish intense sun during their visit to Madrid (trust me, there are lot of people like that visiting us) ;-) If you're in the mood for dancing until the sun is high in the sky, Capote is your place. The DJ that they have during the Saturday nights has simply become my musical guru. He always surprise with new and diverse rhythms (Latin, Brazilian or just plan and simple techno). Just one advice: Avoid the drinks there. They have the horrible custom of mixing your spirits with rat poison... just kidding, but they certainly wont serve you scotch whiskey when you ask for one. That's what we call "garrafón".

By the way, the name of the bar has nothing to do with bullfighting. It's just a homage to Truman Capote.

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Theme: Dancing
Phone: 91.319.01.38
Address: Santa Teresa, 3
Directions: Alonso Martinez metro

Nightlife Spot: Sala El Sol

I confess I'm totally ignorant about the well-hidden secret that had allowed El Sol for been the reference of the Madrilian nightlife scene for the past 20 years. The music is just fine, the drinks are unreasonably expensive and the decoration is nothing out of this world. Explanations aside a pact between the owners and the Devil seems less that probable. But still, the most heterogeneous crowd joins together in the place every single night of the year (notice I'm not saying every weekend night)...

Actually, one of my most fervent passions is "cerrar El Sol", meaning to remain at the place until the music is over (6 A.M) and the security guys of the local indicates you the exit ;-)

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Theme: Dancing
Dress Code: Quite open: trendy, casual...every style seems to fit there.
Phone: 91.532.64.90
Address: Calle Jardines, 3
Directions: Metro Sol, near the infamous Calle Montera

Nightlife Spot: After Sun

As the name of this after-hours state, Aftersun is the place to go when El Sol closes its doors... at the unthinkable early hour of 6AM. This is a dive bar, of the worst kind you're likely to find in Madrid, so don't get me wrong: I'm not heading you to a glamorous and cool nightclub when you can have a drink surrounded by the crème of Madrilian nightlife. But the music is probably the BEST you're going to find at this hours, and the local crowd, though a little bit scary, is quite fun nonetheless.

Anyway, as a particularly accurate verse from one of my favourite groups says: "Is the lack of love what fills up the bars"... Those words always came to my mind whenever I’m at Aftersun ;-)

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Theme: Nightclub
Dress Code: Honestly, at 8AM nobody cares about the state of your dress :-p
Address: Calle Abada, 2
Directions: Plaza del Carmen (Metro Sol)
Other Contact: Open from 6AM to 10 AM

Nightlife Spot: Le Cock

Le Cock is a nice place to start a good decent party night in Madrid. They have everything you can dream about: a selection of well mixed cocktails that would rise your alcohol levels in blood to acceptable limits, an interesting atmosphere created on the base of high ceilings and plenty of cigarettes smoke, waiters that will treat you as if you were a piece of dog *** placed under their shoes, unreasonable high prices, a noise level that would make it impossible to maintain a conversation below the shouting level... errr, I guess the only reason I have for recommend the place is because of its cocktails: they really deserve the rest of the inconvenients ;-)

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Theme: People Watching
Dress Code: ...
Phone: 91 5322826
Address: Calle Reina, 16
Directions: Chueca area (Metro Chueca or Banco de España)

Nightlife Spot: Clamores

Clamores is THE institution among the live music venues in Madrid. Performances are scheduled for every day of the week, offering styles ranging from Jazz, Latin rhythms, song writers, folk music, and a long etcetera. So, it's almost impossible not to find there a concert suiting your tastes.

Apart from the often excellent music, the main reason for giving Clamores a try if for the great atmosphere of the place... all that late night concerts has given the place a great imprint... of the seedy kind, to be more precise ;-)

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Theme: Concert
Dress Code: Dress code is pretty open
Phone: 91 445 79 38
Address: C\ Alburquerque, 14
Directions: Metro Bilbao (Lines 4 and 1)
Website: http://www.salaclamores.com