It’s only 30 years since the stifling dictatorship of Franco ended, and Madrid is still riding the wave of artistic freedom that exploded after the first democratic elections since 1936 were held in 1977. Madrid is an anything-goes city crackling with creative fire and vivacity, and Madrileños have an innate talent for partying so pack your dancing shoes.
Whether you are strolling along one of the elegant boulevards or diving into one of the tiny streets of the ancient centre you will never be far away from fabulous shopping
Salamanca
The Karen Millen store in Madrid is located at Jorge Juan 9 in Salamanca, packed with local couture and boutiques for the globetrotting girl-about-town.
Karen Millen, C.Jorge Juan 9, Madrid, Spain (0034 91 575 8670)
Chueca
Chueca, Madrid's Soho, is undoubtedly the hippest area in town, in particular Calle Fuencarral. An epicentre of cool, come here for funky designs and snappy local labels. Chueca is the throbbing heart of Madrid's vibrant gay quarter with a dazzling array of bars, cafes and shops.
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Palacio del Retiro
Alfonso XII, 14Find out more about Palacio del Retiro
Book Palacio del Retiro with Mr & Mrs Smith
This newly-renovated park-side bolthole offers five-star service, a gorgeous leafy location, a rated modern restaurant and understated, elegant interiors. The hardwood floors and high ceilings contrast with ultra-modern touches like neon accent lighting and contemporary cubic furniture, producing an effect that is both hip and historical.
Room Mate Hotels
Various addresses
www.room-matehotels.com
Owned and run by Madrid's Mr Big, Kike Sarasola, there are 4 hotels to choose from: Mario, Laura, Alicia and Oscar. All are high on design but low on price. Expect an international crowd of knowing cosmopolitans who share a philosophy - that when we touch down in a city with friends we want to dive in and have an adventure and not just observe the goings on from the sidelines. At Alicia, on Plaza de Santa Ana, Kate Moss-inspired video artwork by Guillain Oppi greets you in the lobby making this a firm fashion favourite.
Hotel Puerta America
Avenida de America 41
Tel: + 34 91 744 5400
Nineteen of the worlds top designers and studios were commissioned to create the various floors of this hotel as well as the bar, lobby and restaurant. Ranging from Zaha Hadid's first floor of rooms, entirely stark white, to Norman Foster's rooms decorated in luxurious leathers and dark woods to the minimalist chic of John Pawson and Mark Newson, this hotel is a delight for design lovers the world over. The public spaces are not overlooked either with a beautiful Christian Liaigre designed restaurant serving updated Spanish cuisine and a reception given a feeling of almost Zen-like calm by the smooth lines and water fountain. Whilst not in the centre of town, the Puerta America has to be seen to be believed.
De Las Letras
Gran Via, 11
Tel: + 34 915 237 980
This Design Hotel is decorated with inscriptions of literary quotes by famous writers and poets on the walls. Warm, cosy and intimate, there's also a fabulous summer terrace up on the roof.
Come Prima
Calle Echegaray 27
Tel: + 34 91 420 30 42
This is the best Italian restaurant in town, right in the old centre of Madrid, serving top quality Italian dishes which pull in a classy crowd of Spaniards and Italian gastronomes. Don’t miss the risotto and mushrooms.
Pan de Lujo
Jorge Juan 20
Tel: + 34 91 436 11 00
Popular with the fashion crowd, serving modern Spanish fusion in a cool design-led interior.
Club 31
Calle de Alcala 58
Tel: + 34 91 531 0092
Retro classics such as fois gras lasagne have been a hit with Madrid's high society since the 1950's at this recently refurbished little gem. There's a classy cocktail bar too.
Fast Good
Calle Padre Damian 23
Tel: +34 91 343 0655
The name is a bit naff but this venture by Spain's hottest chef Ferran Adria of El Bulli aims to bring healthy gourmet fast-food to the well-heeled set. Everything is made fresh and light.
Me Madrid
Plaza de Santa Ana 14
Tel: + 34 91 701 6000
Once a hotel to bullfighting stars this modernist 1923 building is in the Conde Nast Traveller Hot List 2007 with a killer rooftop bar by Rande Gerber (Mr Cindy Crawford) and 360 degree views of Madrid. The outdoor deck is glamour central.
Museo Chicote
Gran Via, 12
Tel: + 34 91 532 6737
The cocktail bar where Ernest Hemingway and Grace Kelly hung out, this old-timer has been a hit with the movers and shakers of Madrid since the 1930s. The city's trendy set still love the place.
Suite Café Club
Calle de la Virgen de los Peligros 4
Tel: +34 91 521 4031
Madrid's beau monde come here for the retro furnishings and summer terrace planted with cypress trees. It's a meeting place before people go off to the clubs, that's 1.30am Madrid time. The clubs don't really get going until 3am so pace yourself.
Retiro
Rather like New York's Central Park, Madrid also has a beautiful green space in its centre. Frolic amongst the fountains and the magnificent gardens or go off-piste and have a picnic in the shade underneath a leafy tree. There's a lake too should you wish to go for a paddle.
Art
Madrid has 3 world class art palaces, the Prado, the Thyssen and the Reina Sofia all within walking distance dotted along the Paseo del Prado. In October 2007 the Prado opened a spectacular €152 million addition by architect Rafael Moneo who has incorporated the crumbling cloisters of a 17th-century church into the building. It has 8,600 paintings in its collection, ranging from the Spanish masters Goya and Velazquez to Italian and Flemish greats, and also boasts thousands of drawings, sculptures and other decorative objects.
