Nightlife in Madrid
LATE-NIGHT BARS
There are different areas for night life in Madrid. Each area has its particular personality and crowd. Walking distance from our hotel you will find Plaza de Santa Ana surrounded by an exciting network of narrow streets full of pubs and bars that will be bustling with activity from about 8pm till late.
Chueca, a former rundown borough is now the gay area in Madrid. The Chueca square is a fantastic focus for fun and night life. Gay and straight enjoy dancing, drinking with friends and generally having a good time.
But if you are looking for the Madrid´s hippest nightspot, you can go to Malasaña, getting down in Tribunal metro station, and enjoy its 80´s century and independent music and a particular style.
80´s DISCO MUSIC
Those who long for their youth in the 80s will be happy in Madrid. It seems that the 80s and 90s are making a comeback.
Among the best examples of this tendency is Morocco, a club situated in Marqués de Leganés, 7, where Alaska, a well-known Mexican-Spanish singer, is the queen of the dance floor. In fact her husband, Mario Vaquerizo, is the owner of this glamorous club, which is different, modern but also reminiscent of the past as well. It is a place where you can enjoy the best songs by Rafael Carrá, Marisol or Camilo Sesto, all household names in the Spanish music scene.
Another very authentic club is iREal in Calle Echegaray, 16. It is a two storey building, always full of great atmosphere and music, the type that will make us feel a bit tearful.
In Calle Marqués de Valdeiglesias, 6, you will find Griffin’s, a venue with two very different music areas. In one of them 80s music will play until closing time, 6am.
THE JOY ESLAVA DISCO
Joy Eslava is one of the most famous night-clubs in Madrid. It started its life as a theatre in the 50s and an entrepreneur converted it into the night-club it is today in the 80s. For the last 20 years it’s been on the top of the list of best European night-clubs. Its location makes of it also a great place to spend the night, as it in Calle Arenal, 11, just off the Puerta del Sol and at a stone throw from our hotel. They play a mix of national and international hits and the crowd is always well dressed and behaved.
The entrance is on the pricey side, about 18 Euros, but it includes one free drink. You will see lots of very well-dressed people, as Joy’s dress etiquette is very strict. It opens at 11.55pm on every day. On Tuesdays Joy Eslava offers a stand up comedy night.
Joy also offers a disco night for young people between 14-17 years old, this sessions are alcohol and cigarettes free and the opening and closing times vary from the main nightclub sessions: 19.30-22.00 on some Saturdays.
For those who dream of their youth in the 70s or 80s every Thursday Joy puts up a oldies night, for those fond memories!
FARO DE MONCLOA
There is a place in Madrid, where you can take pictures of the whole city and enjoy a spectacular panoramic view. It is the Faro de Moncloa, this lighthouse is not actually a real lighthouse, It is a massive tower built in 1992. At the moment it is closed down because of health and safety issues, the only way up were the lifts and the stairs were too narrow.
The Madrid council has invested in the tower; it will reopen with plans to have a restaurant at the top and at the bottom.
In the evening, the many pubs and bars in the area open and around 9 or 10 in the evening they will be flooding with people, especially students, enjoying the music and the drink. This pub area is known as the Bajos de Moncloa, because many of the most popular pubs are below street level.
This area is easy to get to from the city centre, it’s on the yellow Metro line, that connects directly with Sol. Just outside the Metro station, you will see the Arc of Concord, built by Franco to celebrate his victorious entrance in Madrid during the civil war.
