Madrid by Night: a handy guidebook for exploring the city's nightlife

Summer or winter, dusk or dawn, Madrid never rests. It is a city famous for its lively nightlife, where you can start with a quiet walk, enjoy the wide gastronomic offer and finish dancing until you can't dance anymore.

If you are looking for plans in Madrid read on. It is common for people to go out during the week for an "afterwork" to reduce the fatigue of the day and meet in pubs, terraces or bars to have a few drinks and eat a snack before dinner. But these are just some of the many alternatives for nightlife.

If dancing is not your thing, Madrid also offers a number of alternative experiences for all tastes. And, of course, Flamenco shows are a must. Flamenco singers, tapas, a good wine... it is a show that can be enjoyed at any time of the year.

One of the classic customs that can be experienced in the heart of Madrid are the tablaos flamencos that abound in the city. When you book your ticket to a flamenco show you will experience an immersion into the deep Spain that is steeped in an Arab and gypsy heritage. Here are a few options:

• Flamenco show at Torres Bermejas in Madrid, from $36.
• Flamenco showat Corral de la Morería in Madrid, from $58.
• Flamenco showat Essential Madrid, from $44.
• Flamenco show atTeatro Flamenco in Madrid, from $72.
• Flamencoshow and private tapas tour in Madrid, from $160.

If Madrid' s best museums take you on a journey through art and history, the neighborhoods invite you to connect with urban stories and breathe a more bohemian and relaxed air. I tell you the essentials about some of the city's most classic neighborhoods that you can include in your evening plans and that are usually included when booking a historic tour of Madrid with tapas.

• Barrio La Latina: a perfect neighborhood to stay and enjoy Madrid's nightlife. It is famous for having served as a backdrop for numerous films and, in fact, it is not uncommon that in its theaters or bars you can meet movie stars, singers or television personalities. As a curious fact, La Latina owes its name to Beatriz Galindo, who was in charge of teaching Latin to Isabel the Catholic and her daughters. Over the years she was respectfully nicknamed "La Latina" and her memory lives on in the name of this mythical neighborhood of the city.
• Barrio Malasaña: one of the most alternative and avant-garde neighborhoods. It was the axis of the so-called movida madrileña, a countercultural movement that emerged in the late 70s and concentrates a large number of bookstores, bars, markets and restaurants. It also owes its name to a woman, Manuela Malasaña, heroine of the resistance during the Uprising of May 2, 1808 against the invasion of Napoleon Bonaparte.
• Barrio Chueca: for decades, this mythical neighborhood has marked the tradition of nightlife and became popular for being one of the spaces of expression of the LGTBI community. Among squares, art galleries, exclusive fashion stores, tattoo workshops, specialized bookstores or sex shops, you will enjoy a glimpse of Madrid's underground. Take the opportunity to visit the Casa de las Siete Chimeneas, with its ghost stories, or have a cocktail at the Chicote Museum, meeting place of great artists such as Dalí, Frank Sinatra or Ernest Hemingway.

If due to time or itinerary issues, it was not possible for you to see all the magnificent places of Madrid during the day, do not worry, the night can also be the right time to see the main sights of the city, either freely or by booking a night tour of Madrid.

I recommend you to visit the Plaza de Cibeles, which is illuminated at night and from where you can see other symbols of the city as the Palacio Cibeles, nowadays the headquarters of the City Council of Madrid.

Back to the center and near the Plaza de España, you can see the Temple of Debod, one of the best hidden secrets of Madrid. It is an Egyptian building more than two thousand years old, which was transported and rebuilt stone by stone, maintaining the orientation of its place of origin in the city of Aswan.

The Santiago Bernabeu stadium is one of the icons of Madrid, especially for soccer fans, especially now that it is completely renovated and is an absolute work of engineering both inside and out.

Besides being able to book tickets to see a Real Madrid match at the Bernabeu and many other evening or night shows, you can also just stop by to see it from the outside and contemplate its magnitude in the middle of the city.

Or, if you prefer, you can even book a tour of the Bernabéu to learn all the secrets of one of the most important soccer clubs in the world. For this, you have several options:

• Tour of the Santiago Bernabéu stadium, from $39.
• Private tour of the Santiago Bernabéu stadium and the Real Madrid museum, from $133.
• Private guided tour of the Bernabeu in Madrid, from $540.

Madrid is a city full of secrets that you can discover by booking a ghost tour. This type of activity will take you to discover the darker side of the Spanish capital, where ghost stories abound and tales of atrocities that at some point in history filled the cobblestone alleys.

This nocturnal expedition will allow you to relive the legends related to a tragic and bloody Madrid. Normally, the guides are dressed in medieval style clothing and the light of oil lamps make this a highly recommended experience.

Another suggestion I can give you is to check the schedule of several of the museums in the city, as sometimes they offer visitors night tours as, for example, the one organized by the Wax Museum.

Visiting one of the cocktail bars in Madrid is another plan that I recommend for your night out in Madrid. More than having a cocktail, you will live an experience in charge of expert bartenders and with a lot of creativity to make you have a very good time.

• The cocktail bar of the Casino Gran Vía, a good option to enjoy a signature cocktail. The place has large windows, from where you will have great views of the city.
• Hemingway Cocktail Bar, a place with a classic look that seems suspended in time, where you can enjoy a daiquiri, favorite drink of the famous writer Ernest Hemingway.

If you are one of those people who are always looking for something different, visiting one of the most popular nightclubs in Madrid may be the experience you've been looking for.

• Medias Puri: located in Tirso de Molina square, it looks like a haberdashery of any neighborhood in Madrid. However, upon entering you will find a space with three dance floors, live shows and cabaret shows with a varied musical offer that has earned it the title of one of the best nightclubs in the city.

• Uñas Chung Lee: is an exotic and surreal experience that mixes theater, circus, acrobatics and cabaret, with an oriental decor full of bright and colorful colors.

And if you want something more typical, I recommend what is considered one of the best nightclubs in Europe, the Kapital Theater, or also Joy Eslava and the Barceló Theater.

Can you imagine dining in the oldest restaurant in the world? Well, it is also one of the evening plans you can enjoy in Madrid.

Founded in 1725, Casa Botín is one of the most prized exponents of traditional Spanish cuisine and the perfect place to savor a roast suckling pig or lamb Castilian style, its two specialties. In addition, great figures of world history have been seated at its tables.

Being so emblematic, you can also get to know it when booking a night gastronomic tour of Madrid, as it is sometimes part of the itinerary of this activity.

Although imported from New York, the trend of terraces and roof tops have become popular throughout Madrid and are a perfect option for those who enjoy open spaces to have a drink and share with friends. Here are some recommendations:

Azotea del Círculo de Bellas Artes de Madrid

I highly recommend you to go up to enjoy the beautiful view of the city from the rooftop of the Círculo de Bellas Artes in Madrid, which also offers a varied agenda of exhibitions, musical and theatrical performances, as well as film seasons. From here you will have a panoramic view of emblematic places, such as the Puerta de Alcalá or the lights of the Gran Vía, while you have a drink, as there is a restaurant service on the roof.

• Monday to Thursday: from 12:00 to 1:00.
• Fridays and Saturdays: from 10 am to 2 am.
• Sundays: from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m.

Hotel Riu in Plaza España

If adrenaline is your thing, you can't miss the vertigo as you go through the 100-meter-high glass passageway of the Hotel Riu in Plaza España. And if after the scare you still have energy left, you can visit the famous skybar De Madrid al cielo, with a 360-degree panoramic view of the Royal Palace, the Almudena Cathedral, the Gran Vía and other iconic buildings of the city, while enjoying a good cocktail.

• Last admission: at 10 pm.

El Viajero

El Viajero, located in Plaza de la Cebada, offers what is probably one of the best windows to old Madrid. A pleasant space that invites you to enjoy one of its famous mojitos. It also has a small market where you can get exclusive products and offers a menu that stands out for presenting tasty and healthy dishes.

• Tuesday to Thursday: from 1:30 to 9:00 p.m.
• Weekends: from 12:30 pm to 9:00 pm

Doña Luz The Madrid Rooftop

Doña Luz The Madrid Rooftop is proof that terraces are not just for summer. With an exceptional view over the Puerta del Sol, this place is equipped with modern heaters that will temper the worst of winter. It brings the flavor of the Caribbean with a menu inspired by the delicacies of South America, offering different types of fried foods, tacos and salads to delight any palate. Of course, I recommend you try to book in advance, as the capacity is usually controlled.

• Monday to Thursday: from 6pm to midnight.
• Friday: from 2 pm to 1 am.
• Saturdays: from 1 pm to 1 am.
• Sundays and holidays: from 1 p.m. to midnight.

As you have seen, Madrid has a lot to see and do. Just walking along the Gran Via in Madrid, you will realize the amount of theaters that the Spanish capital has. My recommendation is that you do not miss the programming they have throughout the year to enjoy a great night of theater in Madrid.

Depending on the play or show you want to see, you can find tickets from 12 € approximately. If you are looking for a more sophisticated evening, I recommend you to check the opera program at the Teatro Real in Madrid, so you can experience a night as you deserve in the Spanish capital.

I hope these options can help you plan a good night tour for every day you spend in Madrid.