Six months ago, I left Madrid behind and moved to London. I don't regret it - for a pavement-junkie like me, London is the ultimate city - vibrant, diverse and brimming with things to do and see. But I still sometimes long for Madrid's chaotic charm, its neverending party spirit and even its extreme weather: freezing in winter, sizzling in summer.
Anyone who, like me, was born in Spain's capital is destined to become a street-life addict. Madrid is an open-to-everyone metropolis where life is carried out late and mainly outdoors. You can admire the Guernica in the afternoon, eat tapas in the evening, party as hard as your body permits... and sleep the Madrid-way: just a few hours in the morning.
Now that I am - happily - stuck in London, let me take you on a ride round the city where you can dine out for less than £4 and, more importantly, bars don't close at eleven.
Eating out
No trip to Madrid would be complete without a generous tapas session. The ideal one would start around 9pm and conclude at 12am, just before going out. Fine tapas bars can be found anywhere around the city, so it's best to put your walking boots on and explore what's on offer. Head into any of tapas bar, down a cana (half a pint of beer) or a chato (small glass of wine) with the tastiest-looking tapa and, if not convinced, find for another bar. No tapas excursion should finish before visiting five or six bars, so there is room for the occasional mistake. However, there is one piece of invaluable advice: avoid any tapas bar with English-fluent staff: it's clear evidence that the house is tourist-oriented and, therefore, bad value.
In case you are not in exploring mood, here are some safe bets. La Bardemcilla (Calle Augusto Figueroa), owned by the actor Javier Bardem's family, offers traditional Spanish cuisine with a modern twist. In Casa Victor (Cava Baja) you can eat some of the best tapas in Madrid for under £4, drinks included. Try their delicious tortilla and mushrooms with ham. El Tartiere (Calle Menorca) is the best place for Asturian food at affordable prices. Everything there is good, but the bollos prenados (breaded cured sausage) and the pimientos de padron (spicy fried green peppers) are excellent.
If you want to escape the tapas routine, try dinner at Gula Gula (Gran Via) a cheeky restaurant-cabaret where food is served by in-house drag queens.
Going out
Madrid, they say, is the city that never sleeps. And it is probably true: there's hardly anywhere in Europe where you can enjoy such a broad (and cheap) nightlife, even if one of the capital's most infamous nightlife traditions, the botellon (drinking supermarket-bought booze in parks and gardens), has recently been banned.
The traditional night out starts at around 12am, after a copious tapas session, in one of the many bars in the city centre. They are usually free, so once again the best plan is to go pub-crawling until you find the one that suits you best. Drinks cost around the same as in the UK (£2-3), but contain around three times more alcohol than your average British gin and tonic. Good value, then.
La Via Lactea (Calle Velarde), renowned for its cheap drinks and fine selection of 60s rock, was founded over two decades ago and has been packed ever since. Chicote (Gran Via) is another veteran, but has been refurbished lately. Once Hemingway's favourite hangout, it has become something of a post-modern cocktail bar where an eclectic mix of people listen to soft electronic and lounge music. Big Bam Boo (Calle Barquillo) plays reggae and dub in an amiable and cocktail-fuelled environment.
Clubs
The range of clubs on offer has grown exponentially in recent years. Cool (Calle Isabel La Catolica) is one of the biggest in the capital, but can be quite expensive if a famous DJ is playing. Nasti (Calle San Vicente Ferrer) is a medium-sized club that holds underground gigs and DJ sessions where you'll listen to contemporary electro and 80s electronica from the likes of The Human League, New Order or Depeche Mode. Superclubs like Kapital (Calle Atocha) or Joy Eslava (Calle Arenal) are celebrity hangouts as well as tourist favourites, so it's wise to give them a wide berth if you've got a tight budget.
Clubs usually close at 6am, but there are always options to keep the party going much longer. Space of Sound (Estacion de Chamartin) is a massive Sunday after-hours club that opens when the rest shut down and remains packed until late in the evening.
Cafes
A few years ago, the idea of finding a nice cafe with cool music to spend the evenings in sounded demented. You had to choose between old-fashioned retirement-age cafes or noisy bars with horrible decor. However, now there is a wide range of stylish cafes to choose from. Try the Chueca area, where you can find Acuarela, Cafe Belen or Mama Ines. In the afternoons they are ideal for having a relaxed coffee listening to mindfully selected background music. Later in the evening, they become a perfect meeting point to have a warm-up drink before the night gets going.
Arts
If it's your first trip to Madrid, a visit to Picasso's Guernica in the Reina Sofia museum (opposite Atocha station) is mandatory. You should also take a look at the astonishing selection of classic masterpieces displayed in the Prado (Paseo del Prado), where Goya, Velazquez, Rubens, Bosch and Rembradt share the same 18th-century building. If you are in a hurry, the whole history of western art is wrapped in the stylish Thyssen-Bornemisza museum (Paseo del Prado).
However, for regular visitors, it's worth noting a few events in your calendar. Every June, the PhotoEspaña festival invades the most diverse cultural spots with an audacious range of cosmopolitan photography exhibitions. February sees the wonderful ARCO international contemporary art fair. And every autumn the most prestigious theatre companies in the world head to Madrid for the massive Otono Festival.
Music
Most international tours call in on Madrid. It's a good idea to check if one of your favourite artists will be playing while you visit the city - the tickets will doubtless be much cheaper than in London. Madrid is also full of small live music spots. For a fine jazz and blues selection, visit Clamores (Calle Alburquerque). El Sol (Calle Jardines) offers late-night shows by underground pop-rock artists. Suristan (Calle de la Cruz) is devoted to latin, flamenco and world music with a contemporary approach.
Every May, the Festimad festival is held in Mostoles, a town about 30 minutes outside the capital. This year's event (May 30-31) will be headlined by Marilyn Manson, Audioslave, Deftones and Public Enemy. During the summer Los Veranos de la Villa Festival features a selection of famous international acts at affordable prices.
Shopping
The Fuencarral Market (Calle Fuencarral) is Madrid's take on Camden or Spitalfields: young designer clothes, underground music, trendy hairdressers, outrageous accessories and a swanky basement cafe. And the surrounding area is full of amazing shops. For more conventional shopping, wander around some of the high streets: Gran Via, Arenal, Princesa or Preciados.
El Rastro (Calle Ribera de Curtidores) is Madrid's best street market. Visit it on a Sunday if you want to see it working on full power: cheap clothes, souvenirs, antiques, pirate CDs ... and a handful of pickpockets. If you intend to buy something, pop in on a weekday.
Around Madrid
Some of Madrid's finest attractions are outside the city, less than an hour's drive away. Three towns deserve a visit. Segovia has the best-preserved Roman aqueduct in the world and an astounding late-gothic cathedral. Toledo's streets combine the finest achievements of three cultural traditions: Catholic, Jewish and Muslim. Finally, Avila is rightly proud of its two-mile-long medieval wall. Other worthy sites are El Escorial monastery, a gigantic 18th-century royal building, and La Granja, a Versailles-inspired palace and garden.
If you are travelling in winter, Madrid has a couple of nearby ski-resorts. Valdesqui and Navacerrada, both in the Central Mountains. They might be dwarves compared with the Pyrenees or the Alps, but are big enough for a fine day in the snow.
Accommodation
Madrid's hotels are usually clean, comfortable and reasonably priced. Try the Monaco (Calle Barbieri), in the heart of the lively Chueca area. Once a luxurious brothel, now you can enjoy its kitsch charm for around £70 for a double room. You can, of course, always find sumptuous hotels (Palace, Villa Magna, Santo Mauro), but those who want bargain accommodation should take a look at a handful of hostels like Rubio (Conde de Romanones), Sanz (Calle Mayor) or Mino (Calle Arenal), all well-situated and good value.
Way to go
· British Airways (0845 7733377) and Iberia (0845 601 2854) fly from Heathrow to Madrid.EasyJet (0870 6 000 000) flies from London Gatwick and Liverpool.
Further information
· The Spanish Tourist Office (020 7486 8077, brochure line 09063 640630, tourspain.co.uk, tourspain.es).
