Hello fellow travelers,

My husband and I are returning to Madrid for a few days in April. The last time we were there, we stayed in the Barrio de las Letras (aka Huertas, etc.) and really liked it. One of the main reasons for our return is to revisit the museums, so being fairly close to them is desirable.

As much as we liked Huertas, I'm thinking it might be fun to experience another neighborhood. Was looking at places in Malasana, but curious about others' thoughts/experiences. One travel blogger described it as "gritty" and I'm wondering if it's still considered a "rough" area. For reference, if you're familiar with Barcelona, we stayed in El Born and really liked it. We like older neighborhoods, where we can do a lot of walking, both day and evenings. We're not big into the nightlife but love flamenco.

Any thoughts, suggestions would be much appreciated!

Thanks,
Marlene
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If your goal is to be near the museums, you might look at the Mercure Madrid Centro: Hotel Lope de Vega. I stayed there before Mercure purchased the property, so I can't speak to it's current quality (though it gets good reviews and has been mentioned favorably on this forum), but I can say that the location is, IMO, excellent -- near the museums and Retiro Park, near Atocha, near many restaurants, easy walking distance to interesting areas.

Malasaña is a kind of "soho" but good for nice bars and local atmosphere. Chueca, very close by, is the gay district and full of local atmosphere too. Lavapiés would be the "gritty" neighborhood in the center of Madrid, but that does not mean it´s dangerous. In fact, it´s also very lively, where many immigrants have chosen to live, quite multicultural. Flamenco, an art that really belongs to southern Spain, is mostly found in touristy places, mainly, although there are good places, like the Corral de la Morería, Casa Patas, Cardamomo, Café de Chinitas, Villa Rosa, el Teatro del Flamenco, to name a few in the area.

Marlene,
Malasaña isn't a rough district at all, but it is "nightlife central", especially on weekends, so you might consider that. It attracts a young, night life seeking crowd. I see it like mikelg, as kind of Soho-ish, hip, edgy, artsy or maybe Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
It's also the land of inexpensive eats (several vegetarian & even vegan options) and some great, iconic beer & tapas bars, like Bodegas Ardosa from 1892. The queen is said to be fond of the Gastrocroquetería there. We like exploring it during the day, and there's an interesting, industrial looking, hip street food market, Mercado de Sanildefonso there.

https://www.vogue.com/article/where-...id-spain-guide
https://www.mercadodesanildefonso.com.

But since your main goal is to visit museums, I would suggest that you return to Huertas to be closed to the Museum "Golden Triangle" of Reina Sofía, Prado, Thyssen, Caixa Forum and within easy walking distance, further north, of the Fundación Mapfre Sala Recoletos and the new Fundación María Cristina Masaveu Peterson, which is slightly beyond the Plaza Colón.

For excellent, authentic flamenco in Huertas, you have Casa Patas on Calle Cañizares, our favorite of the ones mikelg has listed.
Corral de la Morería, although, now has a 1 Michelin-starred restaurant in the hands of Basque chef David García (formerly of Albora) and also excellent flamenco, with shows choreographed by Blanca del Rey.
www.casapatas.com
https://www.corraldelamoreria.com/en/index2.html

Some small hotels that are handy to the museum mile in the Barrio de las Letras:
moderately priced:
kja's rec of the Mercure Centro Lope de Vega
One Shot Prado 23
Ibis Styles Prado
Vincci Soho

pricier:
Catalona Las Cortes (a favorite)
the new and terrific Room Mate Alba
NH Collection Paseo del Prado
Doubletree by Hilton Madrid (another favorite)
Derby Villa Real

Thanks very much. I'll check it out!

Thank you both, Mike and Maribel.

Was actually thinking of going to Casa Patas, as a great flamenco dancer who we saw in Sevilla (Antonio de las Reyes) also dances there and I know they have a great reputation for talent. But, we could also wait to see flamenco in Sevilla, as we'll be there after Madrid.

I took your advice and went ahead this morning and booked an Airbnb in Huertas, near where we stayed before. We can always go for walks around Malasana and Chueca and explore them. And we haven't even been on Gran Via yet!

Thanks so much for your thoughts and suggestions. I really appreciate them!

Marlene

When you take your Gran Vía stroll, if you have a sweet tooth, you might want to stop in at the new Palmeritas Original by Mamá Framboise shop inside the Hotel Hyatt Centric. Our niece clued us in on this, her favorite new dessert. They come in a dozen different flavors, and they're "to die for" delicious.
https://www.instagram.com/palmeritasoriginal/.

If you wish to try the hottest snack that is served in Madrid go to La Pollería and ask for a 'pollofresh'. It is a waffle shaped like the male organ. The waffles come with differed toppings but white chocolate is the most popular.
La Pollería at 3 Gravina Street (Chueca) https://www.instagram.com/lapolleriachueca/

What's on in Madrid https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer...293999697&z=14

I was afraid to mention that one, Revulgo! It's quite the sensation

Once we´ve reached this point, it must be said that La Polleria may mean, in Spanish and with a double sense, The Chicken Place, or maybe more accurately for this particular place, The Cock Place, referring to the male organ. Quite trendy in the past few months!!!

Maribel,
Definitely have a sweet tooth and really appreciate your suggestion. I wrote it down. This is the kind of place that you might walk right by, if someone hadn't clued you in! We will definitely make it over there

Best,
Marlene

Hahaha Revulgo!

I'll keep that in mind. Growing up in San Francisco, with a prominent gay culture in the "Castro", it sounds like the kind of place I'd see there. I might have a go at it, but my husband probably won't want to! Thanks for the tip

Marlene

Marlene,
I just purchased tickets for the wonderful Sara Baras flamenco show, Sombras, at the Teatro Nuevo Apolo on Tirso de Molina in Madrid (a short walk from where you'll be staying).
We've seen this legendary flamenco artist from Cádiz in many theaters, including the Théâtre Champs-Elysées in Paris, and her shows are fantastic--wonderfully choreographed, the lighting, the costumes, the music, everything about this spectacle.
Her partner, José Serrano, who dances with her, is equally talent.
She'll be performing there on April 3,4,5, on April 17,18, 19 and on April 24, 25, 26, if your dates coincide.

Vuelve SARA BARAS con su espectáculo SOMBRAS.
www.sarabaras.com

We always stay in fab. Salamanca just north of Retiro:
upscale. leafy, elegant, 10 min. to Prado, best shops, nice architecture..

Maribel,
Thanks for the recommendation of Sara. She looks fabulous! Unfortunately, we're going to be in Madrid during the time right between her performances. It's too bad.

When we were in Sevilla we went to a place called Casa de la Memoria and saw some outstanding flamenco. It's a no frills place, just great music and dance. We saw a guy named Oscar de los Reyes there. He had incredible footwork. (and was easy on the eyes ;-) Very memorable evening.

Best,

Marlene

Danon,

Thanks for mentioning Salamanca. I've heard it's a beautiful area and we will definitely do some walking around there (and window shopping!)

Best,

Marlene

I know you have booked your lodging already but just for others following this thread we stayed at a very reasonably priced hotel almost right next to the Mercure Madrid Centro, Calle de Lope de Vega called Hotel Mexico, Calle del Gobernador, 24, 28014 Madrid. We booked it because they have private parking. It is more of a 2 star property with simple rooms but the location can't be beat for a room at around $100 USD

Hotel Mexico - Madrid -España - Spain - Habitaciones Baratas - Habitaciones tranquilas - En pleno triangulo del Arte

Thanks, I'm sure others will appreciate this and it's good to know for future reference!

For window shopping in Salamanca head mainly to these streets: Serrano, Claudio Coello, Jorge Juan.
Then, Platea Madrid food court https://plateamadrid.com/en/

Marlene,
That's too bad that your dates don't coincide with a Sara Baras performance. I also love the Casa de la Memoria shows, as it's such an intimate venue.

For those with a sweet tooth taking a walking tour of the Salamanca neighborhood, the venerable La Mallorquina pastry shop on the Puerta del Sol has opened a new and stylish branch on the corner of Hermosilla and Velázquez, a posh address for a pastry and coffee stop.
https://pastelerialamallorquina.es.

And there's a Mamá Framboise shop for elegant pastries in the Platea gastronomic complex on Plaza Colón (their counter at La Paz market has closed).
https://www.mamaframboise.com.