Madrid Nightlife

Best areas to go out in Madrid

The city offers a variety of “nights out” depending on your preferences and what you feel like doing:

• Huertas: One of the liveliest and most famous parts of the city. Huertas is very popular among tourists and foreign students. The streets that offer the best choice of bars and clubs are Calle Huertas and its parallel streets. The area is very close to Puerta del Sol.
• Malasaña: This area is located in the city center. During the 80’s it was the heart of “La Movida”, a socio-cultural movement in Spain. This neighborhood is now quite hipster with trendy and bohemian bars and restaurants. Its clubs are quite small and most play indie music.
• Chueca: One could describe Chueca as Madrid’s “Soho”. This small district is packed with great restaurants, bars and night clubs. It is also considered the best gay area to go out. The liveliest square is called Plaza de Chueca, which is surrounded by numerous terraces.  
• Avenida de Brasil: Very near the Bernabéu Stadium, it is currently one of the best places to go out. The bars and clubs are larger than in Malasaña and Chueca and are usually more expensive. The DJs normally play commercial music and everyone dresses well.
• Argüelles-Moncloa: Moncloa and Argüelles are packed with university students, since a lot of halls of residence are in these two parts of Madrid.   

Clubs in Madrid

Madrid has clubs to cater for all tastes, but the following are some of the most popular:  

• Kapital (Calle Atocha, 125): Kapital is Madrid’s largest and most renowned disco. It is housed in an old theatre with seven floors and each story plays different music. The last floor becomes an open terrace when the weather is nice, and is usually full of young Spaniards as well as tourists.
• Joy Eslava (Calle Arenal, 11): Many famous people have visited Joy Eslava since it was inaugurated in 1981. It opens every day and is packed with international people of all ages.  
• New Garamond (Calle Rosario Pino, 14): New Garamond is a very famous club in Madrid. It is located near Plaza Castilla. This club is for slightly older people (25 years old or more) and you should dress nicely for the bouncer to let you in.
• Gabana 1800 (Calle Velázquez, 6):  Gabana is one of the capital’s most popular clubs, especially for the younger generations. It mixes commercial and Spanish music. Make sure to dress well and hope the bouncers are in a good mood, as it is sometimes difficult to get in.
• Medias Puri: One of the most innovative nights to emerge in recent years is Medias Puria, which combines music, show and a young, fun atmosphere. The show is fundamental to the night, as is the case in the other clubs of similar stripe: Tacones Manoli and Uñas Chung Lee.