Hitting the town in Madrid doesn’t have to rip into your bank balance faster than a speeding bull. As in all good cities, nighttime budget-friendly options abound!
Here’s our cheapo guide to living it up for a night in Spain’s vibrant capital.
Get in the mood
Start out near central Plaza de Chueca, an area where there’s no shortage of trendy clubs and restaurants, many of which are cheapo-friendly. Considered to be the premier gay area of Madrid, Chueca and its main square are full of people hangin’ out in cafes and bars almost every night. In fact, if you hang out in the square long enough, chances are decent that you’ll make some new friends and find yourself involved in some last-minute plans.
Dinner
While daytime lunch specials certainly abound around Chueca (a good midday meal can be had for between €5-8), it can be a bit challenging to keep dinner prices low. We’d recommend checking out the trendy and delish Bazaar Restaurant, located just south of Plaza de Chueca on C/Libertad, 21. The menu runs the gammut from goat cheese salad to Thai-style noodles with grilled meats, and can be digested with ease for under €25.
And a movie…
Next stop: Filmoteca’s Cine D’Oré (Santa Isabel, 3, next to Metro Anton Martin) where the Spanish film archives are housed and any number of old greats from Ingmar Bergman to Luis Buñuel are showcased in one of three “session” rooms. Tickets are €2 for students, €2.50 for non-students.
And then drinks to discuss…
When the movie lets out, try Café Central, located about three blocks away, at Plaza del Angel, 10. The jazz bar has a bubbly atmosphere with reasonably-priced drinks, delicious snacks (pinchos y tostas €1.20), and even fixed-price meals (€10 for two courses).
And if you decide to spring for tickets to the evening’s jazz performance, they’ll throw in a free drink ticket. We don’t know about you, but we always love getting an added bibbidy for our buck.