Madrid
Madrid nightlife for visitors: La Latina, Lavapiés and Malasaña, the local way
Short answer
Madrid goes out late: dinner at 21:30, bars fill around 23:00-00:00, clubs are empty before 2 am and run until 6. Young locals bar-hop in La Latina (Calle Cava Baja), Lavapiés (Calle Argumosa) and above all Malasaña (around Plaza del Dos de Mayo), with Chueca for the LGBT scene. A caña costs 2-3 euros away from Sol and Plaza Mayor. Ignore the promoters handing out free-shot flyers in Sol; those places are tourist traps by design.
The timetable
Show up at a bar at 21:00 and you will think the city is dead. Spaniards have dinner at 21:30-22:30, go for the first drinks at 23:00-00:00, and think about a club at 2 am. Clubs close at 6 am. The metro closes around 1:30 am; night buses (búhos) run from Plaza de Cibeles all night, and taxis and ride apps are easy to find.
Neighbourhood by neighbourhood
- La Latina: tapas bars and old taverns on Calle Cava Baja and the streets around. Best for the early part of the night and for Sunday afternoon after the Rastro market, when it is one big street party.
- Lavapiés: cheaper, more alternative and multicultural. Calle Argumosa has terraces full of students and a young crowd; a good place to start.
- Malasaña: where most twenty-somethings end up. Around Plaza del Dos de Mayo, Calle Espíritu Santo and Calle Manuela Malasaña you cannot really go wrong; pick a bar full of Spaniards.
- Chueca: the LGBT heart of the city, welcoming to everyone, with bars of every kind and a big terrace square.
- Huertas (Barrio de las Letras): central and lively but more touristy; fine for a first night.
- Salamanca: dressier, pricier cocktail bars and clubs for a different crowd.
Prices and what to order
A caña (small draught beer) is 2-3 euros in a normal bar, a glass of wine similar, a mixed drink (copa) 8-12 euros in a bar and more in a club. Many bars give you a small tapa with each drink. Order a caña or a doble, not a pint; ask for a tinto de verano (red wine with lemon soda) rather than sangría if you want what locals drink in summer. Entry to clubs usually includes one drink.
The tourist-trap map
- Plaza Mayor and Mercado de San Miguel terraces: for a photo, not for drinking.
- Promoters in Puerta del Sol and Gran Vía offering free shots or a free drink: walk on.
- Bars with a printed cocktail menu in English and photos of the drinks outside: walk on.
- If you want one big famous club with a group of friends, Kapital near Atocha is the well-known seven-floor one; touristy but fun. Check its website for entry and dress code.
Staying out of trouble
Drinking age is 18 and you may be asked for ID. Drinking on the street (botellón) is banned and fined. Keep your phone in a front pocket in crowds and off the terrace table; pickpockets are Madrid's only real night-time risk. 112 is the emergency number, with English-speaking operators.
Quick questions
What time do clubs open in Madrid?
Most open around midnight but nobody arrives before 1:30-2:00. They close at 6 am.
Is Madrid nightlife expensive?
Not in bars: 2-3 euros for a beer and often a free tapa. Clubs and cocktail bars in Salamanca or on Gran Vía are where it gets expensive.
How do I get home after the metro closes?
Night buses from Plaza de Cibeles, official white taxis with the red stripe, or Cabify, Uber and FreeNow. Walking through the centre is also normal at weekends, the streets stay busy.