MADRID In association with


Touristy thing to do again


almonds, it is worth sampling a few of them. Another good stop on a tour of the city is Casa del Abuelo, a tiny, ornate bar that you stand up in and eat little prawns fried in garlic. The tapas bars in the Plaza de Santa Ana are also great.


venerable espadrille makers, selling beautifully made shoes in a huge range of styles and colours. They range from the traditional Spanish styles to more unusual designs.


One more night


The Prado: Rediscover old masters


One thing I always do when I’m in Madrid is visit the Prado and look at the Velázquez and Goya rooms. I always find it interesting in Madrid to look at the historical art in the museums and the contemporary art in the galleries and see how they relate to one another. Every time I go to the Prado I look at the same paintings and I always find something new to discover about them. Velázquez’s paintings of the royal family help you understand the history of Spain in the 17th century and how court life must have been, so you feel very immersed in that time which makes you feel very connected to the city. I don’t think you can see anything like it anywhere else in the world.


After dark Bar Cock: Different sides of society


For late at night I recommend Bar Cock - you see all different kinds of Madrid society coming and going and time tends to disappear. I’ve walked out and realised it’s four in the morning but the street is crowded, there are people everywhere and cars are honking their horns. Madrid really is one of those cities that just doesn’t stop. So you never really feel that you’re staying up late.


Save suitcase space for


I always buy ham. I have been known to bring back a whole leg. Make sure you taste a few before you decide. For clothes and gifts there’s a lovely shopping area called Salamanca. It’s very chic and a great area to walk around at the weekend. The shops are mostly small and are on beautiful leafy streets. There is a great espadrille shop there called Castañer. They are the


Reina Victoria: Great rooftop views


One of my favourite hotels in Madrid is the Hotel Me Madrid Reina Victoria on the Plaza Santa Ana. It is a grand old hotel that looks like a wedding cake.


Local lingo


There’s a phrase I like that was coined by the countercultural La Movida movement in the 1970s: ‘Madrid nuncio duerme’ - Madrid never sleeps.


frieze A to Z of Contemporary Art is published by Phaidon


La Casa Del Abuelo: Tiny and ornate


In the evening I like to visit the tapas bars in the city. I think that this itinerant way of having dinner is quite specific to Madrid. And it means that the night just goes on and on from one place to another. A good place to start is La Venencia, a tiny bar where they have the barrels of fino and manzanilla on display. All they serve is different varieties of sherry with some olives and


5 COMPANION


Ham: Try before you buy SPRING 2017


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