Guide to Madrid

Eating out

There are two ways to dine in Madrid - seated before a starched white tablecloth or perched on a stool at a bustling tapas bar. In the first category, the city's got a glut of good quality restaurants. Varying from gut-busting steakhouses to smart gourmet spots and no-frills taverns - they touch every price base from expensive to rock bottom budget. If you're up for some classic Spanish cooking, you're in for a treat, too. Everywhere you turn, you'll find excellent eateries specialising in Spain's regional flavours, from Andalucian 'gazpacho' and rabbit stews to fantastic Basque and Galician specialities. But make sure you give Madrid's favourites a whirl. Cue filling 'cocidos' - hearty chickpea-and-sausage stews presented in bubbling earthenware crocks. Mouth-watering veal and kid. And slabs of succulent roast lamb and suckling pig coated in irresistible crackling. Surprisingly for a landlocked city, seafood's a biggie, too. Shipped in daily from the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts, must-tries include 'besugo al horno' - luscious baked bream - and 'bacaloa' - the locals' beloved cod. Fancy something more familiar? No worries - Madrid's got more than enough international outlets and posh dining rooms serving European foods for less courageous palates. But topping the lot has to be its tapas bars. Tro down any street and you'll be greeted with tons, from humble holes-in-the-wall to buzzing walk-through bars and sunny pavement 'terrazas'. Grab a seat and unleash your tastebuds on the myriad of piled-high saucers that'll come your way. Juicy 'gambas' - lip-smacking fried shrimps. 'Pincho de tortilla' - plump triangles of potato omelette. Grilled wild mushrooms. And lacy-thin cuts of 'museo del jamon' - delicate dried ham - accompanied by crunchy bread. Don't stop at one bar, either. Do as the locals do and take off on a 'tapeo' - a tapas-tasting tour of all the bars that catch your eye. And if you're wondering what to drink, Madrid's got a whole lot to choose from. In the mornings, it's thick hot chocolate and 'churros' - tempting flutes of fried dough. The favourite tapas tipples are ice-cold 'sangria' and San Miguel beer. For restaurant meals however, Spain's cracking Riojas or Valdepenas wines win the day. And to finish? Downing a glass of 'anisette' is the done thing. Often served with dessert, this sticky-sweet liqueur is anise flavoured and weighs in at just 25%, so hangovers aren't obligatory.

• Los Galayos – Chunky Castilian soup. Seafood-crammed piquillo peppers. And sumptuous roast lamb. Station yourself in this heavily timbered restaurant or at its delightful terraces around the Plaza Mayor and dine out, big time.
• El Brillante – Locals rush to this loud, walk-through bar near the Reina Sofia for its mouth-watering tapas. Don't miss its famous 'bocadillos de calamares a la romana' - tender squid rings stuffed into unmissable, foot-long baguettes.
• El Amparo– One of Madrid's poshest, this formal eaterie lays on exquisite Basque-cum-Madrid nouveau cuisine. Cue melt-in-the-mouth tomato sorbet. Cracking crayfish ravioli. And wonderful French, Portuguese and Spanish wines served with cigars.
• Foster's Hollywood– Perfect if you've got the kids with you, this popular Spanish chain rustles up mean steaks, salads and ribs in a fun-packed, Hollywood-style atmosphere. Its grilled-over-charcoal hamburgers get rave reviews, so dig in.
• Sobrino do Botin – Scrumptious suckling pig cooked in an 18th century oven is the main draw of this inglenooky restaurant. Founded in 1725, it's the world's oldest eaterie and the painter, Goya, worked here as a washer-upper. Fab food and a large dollop of history on top.

Nightlife

If you're planning on early nights in Madrid, think again. This is one city that hates bedtime with a passion. Its nightlife is epic and there's no escaping the energy and excitement once the sun goes down. And we're talking late, late nights. Things don't get going till after ten and at the weekends, 4am traffic jams are the norm as the roads cram with cars and buses carrying partied-out revellers home. Everything starts with the much-loved 'tapeo' - the citywide tapas crawl. From about 5pm, office workers swarm into the hundreds of tapas bars and pavement cafes to indulge in their evening fix of wine and titbits. Take your cue and work your way through the platefuls of appetising nibbles whilst glugging on ice-cold sangria and frosted glasses of San Miguel. Then when your appetite's whetted, follow the throngs into the taverns and restaurants for an energy-boosting supper. You're going to need it because from now on, it's party central practically everywhere. If you fancy flitting from bar to bar, make tracks for the streets around Plaza Mayor, Plaza Santa Ana or off the main drag, Gran Via. Filled with animated retro bars, they're perfect for mixing with the locals over some serious cocktails while the night's still young. Alternatively, if you like things a little edgier, turn your toes towards super-cool Chueca. This ultra-hip district is stuffed with achingly trendy bars, swanky music lounges and shameless gay clubs where you can strut your stuff with Madrid's in-crowd. Disco divas don't get left out either. All around Gran Via and Calle Arenal, multi-storey warehouses and decorative ballrooms blast out Euro pop, funk and electro to heaving dancefloors. Up for more? Madrilenos don't take dawn lying down, either. Come the weekend, many smaller clubs stay open till mid-morning, so you can groove fantastic twelve hours straight. And oops, almost forgot. There's another form of nightlife that makes Madrid extra special. It's home to some of Spain's finest flamenco performances, most of them staged after 10pm at show restaurants. Buy a ticket, grab your table and prepare to be blown away. Cue furiously strumming guitars. Clattering heels. And a flurry of embroidered fans and lightning-fast castanets that'll sweep you off your feet and have you hollering for more.

• Museo Chicote – Kick things off at this super-suave bar and you can't go wrong. A favourite haunt of Hemingway and Sinatra, it's all cosy alcoves, 1930s decor and heaps of attitude. Sip, sashay and mingle with the beautiful clientele.
• Viva Madrid – Decorative blue-and-white wall tiles. Giant paintings. And a stunning zinc bar to top it all. Another of Madrid's iconic bars, this animated alleyway den exudes atmosphere from every pore.
• Joy Eslava – All ritzy decor and twirling glitterballs, this monster-size disco does exactly what it says on the tin. Dance your socks off along with what seems like the entire population of Madrid on Fridays and Saturdays.
• Casa Patas – Slurp on fruity sangria during the sizzling flamenco at this fast, noisy show restaurant. Famous guests include Johnny Depp and Naomi Campbell, so keep your eyes peeled for celebs in the crowd.
• Kapital - Choose from the seven, turbo-charged dancefloors at this stylish, labyrinthine number. With a different vibe, crowd and bar on each level, it's a pick 'n' mix night out all in one place.

Shopping

Madrid's shopping scene is everything you'd expect from one of Europe's most sophisticated capitals - big, exciting and with lots of eclectic, pocket-sized neighbourhoods to empty your pockets in. First stop for fashion ferreting is the area between Puerto del Sol and Plaza Mayor. Here, elegant avenues bristle with international clothes stores like Zara, H&M and Gap, especially along the Calle de Preciados. And while you're here, call in at Spain's fantabulous El Cortes Ingles department store - it's stuffed with everything from togs and toys to great home accessories. If money's no object, set your sights on swanky Salamanca. This exclusive district is so hot on high-class designer boutiques it's likely burn one big hole in your wallet. Swish along the Calle Serrano in particular to peruse the look-don't-touch art galleries, antique shops and deluxe designer names like Chanel, Versace and Armani. Meanwhile, the Chueca area has funky, independent shops coming out of its ears. Cue trendy boutiques and bohemian crafts stores perfect for laid-back browsing and souvenir hunting. And talking of take-homes, Madrid's got a fantastic selection. The city's main shopping districts are prime territory for touristy Spanish mementoes like velvet bulls, swirly flamenco dolls and nodding donkeys. But for un-kitschy stuff, it's back to Salamanca and Chueca. Speckled with speciality shops selling everything from olive oils and hand-painted tiles to intricate embroidery and leather goods, they're tops for one-of-a-kind Spanish treasures. Oh, and there's somewhere else perfect for quirky one-offs. Madrid's legendary El Rastro market rolls into the streets south of Plaza Mayor every Sunday, bringing a cornucopia of stalls hawking an amazing variety of bric-a-brac, antiques and second-hand clothes. Dive into the crowds and do what the locals have been doing for 500 years - dig out a bargain. But beware, some of the antiques are fakes and pickpockets can make an appearance. So best keep a close eye on what you're buying and a tight fist around your wallet, too.