The Madrid Top Ten

Overwhelmed by Lonely Planet? Roughed up by Rough Guides? Taking time out from Time Out? Here is Zoë Proud's definitive guide of the top ten things the guidebooks gloss over vis-à-vis Madrid according to the madrileños...
1. Churros – Valor 
2. Petra’s International Bookshop Next head to this renowned bookshop near Santo Domingo for a morsel of light reading matter to accompany you on your metro journeys around the city, local-style. Petra’s offer friendly, dedicated service and a stunning array of fiction and non-fiction in most European languages and beyond, ranging from the usual Spanish, English and French to the more exotic Norwegian and Swedish, to name but a few. And they have a cat, which scores extra intellectual bonus points. Very PG Wodehouse.
3. Lolina Vintage Café

4. Estación de Chamberí To walk off the culinary delights you have by now sampled around the city, it’s worth trakking up to Plaza de Chamberí just north of the city centre to check out its restored metro station. Chamberí station was closed in 1966, a victim of line 1’s expansion, but was lovingly restored and saved from squatters in the early 21st century. It now stands as a museum and relic of days gone by, where the metro trains still pass through its low archways, walls decorated with tiled advertisements of happy housewives. Worth a look, and it’s free.
5. Retiro Park

6. Mercado San Miguel After the strenuous exertion of a half hour’s rowing, most Spaniards wouldn’t pass up the chance to have a nibble at the famous San Miguel food and drink market off Calle Mayor. Unwind with a glass of Rioja, or purchase fresh fish, caviar, pastries or cheese for later – just a handful of the many exotic bites to eat on offer.
7. El Tigre

8. Tapas – Cava Baja Of course, for those wanting a greater selection of tapas the whole Iberian peninsula would be proud of, look no further than Calle de la Cava Baja in the La Latina district. Tapas bars line the street on both sides, and include pintxos from the Basque Country, and offerings from Andalucía in addition to typical Madrid fare. Sundays attract a young and lively crowd in the aftermath of the Rastro street market.
9. Templo de Debod

10. Malasaña nightlife And if you still have energy to continue as true Spaniards do into the night and out the other side til the early morning, metro Tribunal is your port of call. Quirky venues such as the beach-themed basement floor of Ojalá, complete with real sand, and the board game-toting Café Manuela make for truly original evenings every time one dares to cross the eccentric threshold of Malasaña by night.
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