Just went to Madrid for the first time for 4 days and it was so great to discover the Spanish capital. And I really fell in love with the architecture, vibe of the city and the food too. Here’s the top things to do while in the city.
THINGS TO SEE
Prado Museum
The Prado Museum is a huge part of Madrid and the most visited museum in Spain. The outside of the museum is currently being renovated but will be done during 2019. The most famous painting in the museum is the Gernica by Picasso. I don’t really like going to Museum when visiting a city but if you love doing it, or you have a rainy day, it’s a must visit.
Royal Palace
Madrid is the capital of Spain so of course it’s where you have the Royal Palace. The palace is just beautiful and it’s really a must visit. The line can be pretty long, so I recommend going there early to avoid the crowds.
Park Retiro
The Retiro park is the lung of Madrid. It’s the perfect activity for a sunny day in Madrid. You can do small boats on the lake, visit the Palacio de Crystal or the Palacio de Velazquez, see the garden and the rose garden. There’s so much to discover in this park. If you want to take pictures in the Palacio de Crystal, I recommend going there early to have the place to yourself.
Plaza de Cibeles
Plaza de Cibeles is a very important part of Madrid, it’s the place between the Retiro Park and the Gran Via street. But it’s mostly famous for the beautiful City Hall that you can see at the roundabout. The architecture is just gorgeous, you’ll totally fall in love.
Plaza Mayor
It’s a huge town square where you can find a lot of restaurant, and they also have some celebrations during the summer and Christmas time. It’s the heart of the city, it’s definitely worth a visit.
RESTAURANTS
Federal
Federal is my favorite cafe in town. The decoration of the place is gorgeous, and the food is amazing!!! You also have an area if you want to work with your laptop there. Perfect place for a brunch.
📍 Plaza de las Comendadoras, 9, 28015 Madrid
HanSo
HanSo is a little coffee shop, not too far from Gran Via. It’s the perfect stop for breakfast or a coffee. They have a lot of toasts, sandwich and bagel, I went for the ham & cheese croissant with a chai latte and it was delicious.
📍Calle del Pez, 20, 28004 Madrid
Pum Pum
Even if the cafe isn’t on the most popular neighbourhood of Madrid, it’s totally worth it. The place is vegan, and everything is homemade and SOOOO yummy. I recommend the Pumpum Benedict that are amazing.
📍 Calle Tribulete, 6, 28012 Madrid
Habanera
Habanera is THE instagram worthy restaurant of Madrid. The decoration is gorgeous and the food is good. I don’t recommend the brunch that wasn’t the best, but you should absolutely go for a lunch or dinner.
📍 Calle Genova, 28, 28004 Madrid
Ornella
If you’re craving Italien food, this is the place to go. The restaurant is super cosy, the pasta are delicious and the staff is the nicest. As a fan of Italian food, I had to try a restaurant during this trip, and I really wasn’t disappointed. The Truffle Tortellini are so delicious. And 2,90 euros for a glass of wine, I say YES!
📍 Calle de Velazquez, 18, 28001 Madrid
Lateral
If you’re looking for tapas, this is a really nice place to go. The place is a little fancy but the food isn’t expensive. Patatas bravas, tortilla, meatballs, croquettas, everything is so yummy. They have different location in the city so you’ll be sure to find one around you.
📍 Paseo de la Castellana, 89, Madrid & more locations
Toma Cafe
Very small coffee shop with good food, and small prices. It’s not the best decoration to be honest, but the food is really good and you can have a brunch formula for 11 euros.
📍Calle de la Palma, 49, 28004 Madrid
Picalagratos Rooftop
If you want to enjoy a drink at the end of the day while enjoying the sunset, this is the place you need. The Picalagratos is the rooftop bar of a NH hotel, located on the Gran Via. The view is gorgeous and the bar is open even in winter. Really loved this place, they have music (even a DJ in the summer I guess), they also give you candy or crackers with your drink.
📍 Calle Gran Via 21, 28013 Madrid
HOTELS
Hyatt Centric Gran Via
The Hyatt Centric is located on the Gran Via, the Champs Elysees of Madrid. It’s just in front of Primark, and it’s very central in the city. The hotel is so beautiful and the room are beautiful and comfortable. I’ll do a full review of the hotel soon.
I was very surprised by Madrid, it’s a lovely city. Even in winter, the city is really moving and living, and the architecture is just beautiful. The city is really charming and hard not to love. There’s so much culture and history here, that’s what I love about a city.
