Chillin' Like a Local

Description:

Still a favorite with young, fun ravers, this pioneer bar dates from the late '70s, when the famed post-Franco movida began. The place specializes in rock and hip-hop, and its walls are lined with posters of pop stars of the past 2 or more decades, including the Beatles, the Who, and the Rolling Stones. Open nightly from 9pm.

Description:

Don't be surprised to find this café packed with people at 5a, everyone crowded around the marble-topped tables, dipping their fritters into steaming cups of thick hot chocolate and talking about their night out on the town. Night-owls of all shapes and sizes, ages, colors and classes converge here in the early hours of the morning. Tradition dictates that this is where your night ends. It has been serving coffee, hot chocolate, and Churros (fritters) for years and years.

Description:

Dating from 1887, this old-fashioned cafe continues to serve coffee and hot chocolate on marble-topped tables in its spacious lounge surrounded by faded mirrors and an air of by-gone splendour. You enter through one of those traditional old revolving doors and are met by waiters who still wear formal white jackets signifying their profession. The owners recently decided to enter the 21st century and have installed 12 PCs so clients can surf the net. If you're hungry, choose from the wide assortment of sandwiches and limited range of more substantial dishes. It fills up at weekends when the party crowd meet up before heading out to the bars and clubs in the Bilbao and Malasaña neighborhoods.

Our Local Expert Says:

Find the only statue dedicated to the fallen angel in Madrid.

Description:

It's known as the "lungs of Madrid" and few cities can boast such a large park (118 hectares) in such a central location. There's a large boating lake and the park has three art galleries (Casa de Vacas, Palacio de Cristal and Palacio de Velázquez. On weekends and holidays, it fills with madrileños (citizens of Madrid) and performers of all sorts, including mime artists and jugglers, painters, singers, puppet masters and fortune-tellers. It was built as a royal park in the 17th century, and until 1868 it was the exclusive reserve of the aristocracy.

Description:

Locals consider this bar to be a Chueca classic: its elaborately painted ceiling (think cherubs and wine gods), rows of antique liquor bottles, and giant bar barrels make it a kitschy yet inviting place to have Sunday vermouth-a popular drink that practically flows all day long from the 19th-century metal tap. It's an incredibly small space, so the majority of customers hang out in the doorway or right outside, drinks in hand. The menu of tapas includes such eccentricities as razor fish, deer stew, and canapés with cream cheese and anchovies. The list of specialized drinks-apart from vermouth-includes Guinness and pints of blond beer. - Michelle Campagna