Madrid
The places we’d take a friend: where to eat, what’s worth seeing, and a few plans for getting to know the Madrid we actually live in. All of it in list and map form, whichever you prefer.
Tips
What we’d tell a friend coming to Madrid.
Transport
From the flat you can walk to most of the city centre: nothing is more than 20-25 minutes on foot.
If you take the metro, a 10-trip Multi card can be shared between two people without any issue.
Runs from 6 am to 1:30 am, with trains every 2-5 min at peak times. Until the end of 2026 there are occasional weekend closures on line 6 (the Circular line) for automation works, with a free replacement bus. Before heading out, check the service alerts on metromadrid.es or in their app.
Food and drink
Madrid's tap water is excellent and asking for a glass of it in restaurants is completely normal: no need to pay for bottled.
On weekday lunchtimes, almost everywhere offers a set menu: two courses + a drink for much less than à la carte. Make the most of it.
If you're not used to Spanish hours, this will catch you out: lunch here is at 2–3 pm and dinner starts from 9 pm. Before those hours, many kitchens are closed.
If you're not used to it: tipping isn't obligatory here — leave it only if you enjoyed it, and rounding up or leaving €1–2 is plenty.
Other tips
The Prado, Reina Sofía and Thyssen all have daily free-entry time slots. Arrive 30 min before it opens to skip the queue.
Rastro market in the morning, vermouth at midday, a stroll through the Retiro in the afternoon, and even some shopping: in the centre, plenty of shops open on Sundays too.
