In our first Madrid post, we told you about all of the things we did during the day. In this article, we tell you all about the interesting things we did at night in Madrid. Also, let’s not forget the food.
Raw Passion in a Small Room
Our first evening event in Madrid was to catch a live show at Essential Flamenco. I have to agree with the name because the experience felt raw and authentic. It reminded my the the Fado experience we had in Lisbon.
We started off upstairs with a couple of glasses of sangria. Afterward, the staff escorted us down into a cozy basement room that held about 40 people total. The show started simple with a guitarist, a percussionist, and two singers. In fact, the entire show had far more singing than expected. Then the lead female dancer stepped onto the stage. Her skill, intensity, and passion were immediately clear.
She commanded the floor without castanets, relying on sharp finger-snapping, precise stomping, and dramatic dress work. Later, a male dancer joined her for a intense duet before performing his own solo. His footwork was incredible, almost reminiscent of Irish dancing but with signature Spanish flair. The entire performance lasted about an hour. Sitting just feet from the stage, we felt every ounce of emotion they poured into the art.
Fight Night at Las Ventas
For another evening outing, we headed over to the Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas. The bullring sits right next to two subway lines, making transport simple. Diana had very mixed feelings about going to a bull fight but I figured we might not get another chance, so she agreed to go.
The plaza outside was packed, but we made our way inside and climbed two flights of steep stairs. I rented a seat cushion at the top, which turned out to be a wise investment for concrete benches. The 95-year-old arena remains in great condition, though the seating is aggressively tight. When we arrived at sunset, half the ring was baked in sun while the other half sat in 75°F shade.
The event consists of six bulls faced by three matadors and their retinues. The entire exhibition is filled with rigid ceremony and dramatic posing. Once a bull is brought down, a handler severs its spinal cord to end its life as quickly as possible, and draft horses haul it away. It is an interesting cultural spectacle, though undeniably morbid. I am glad I went to experience it, but I certainly do not need to repeat it anytime soon.
Navigating Madrid’s Tapas Scene
After spending a few hours at the Thyssen Museum earlier in the week, we needed a solid food break. Diana had her heart set on tapas, so we used Google Maps to track down a quiet neighborhood spot.
We sat down and ordered a few pinchos. What we didn’t realize was that each order automatically came with two portions. We nearly ordered way too much food, but we managed to cancel half the ticket before the kitchen prepared it.
Their Russian salad was exceptional. Honestly, if I could get Russian salad like that back home, I would eat it weekly. Paired with a pitcher of sangria, it was the perfect midday reset.
Red Wine, Rabo de Toro, and Churros
We ate well during our time in Madrid. Beyond sangria and tinto de verano, we became completely obsessed with the local homegrown tomato salads. They were very good everywhere we went.
We found a few stand-out restaurants during our neighborhood strolls:
- Peñalver: Served an incredible rabo de toro (braised oxtail) that melted off the bone.
- Caluana: An interesting spot in a former baroque chapel that allowed us to pay a corkage fee for our leftover cruise wine. We paired our bottle with duck ravioli, steak, and another tomato salad.
For our final food stop, we visited Chocolatería 1902. Unlike the thick churros we usually see in Mexico, these were thin, light, and crisp.
The venue has a neat turn-of-the-century vibe where you can watch the dough being piped and fried. The dipping chocolate was thick and dark. The churros were outstanding, though the default chocolate sauce was just okay, IMHO. Diana noticed on the way out that they offer several different chocolate sauces, which gives us a solid reason to return next time.
Which do you prefer: big churros or little churros?
