Introduction

Madrid gives you a bit of everything. Grand architecture, museums that people fly in for, food worth loosening your belt over, and a nightlife that doesn't really get going until you'd normally be asleep. I've spent a fair few days wandering this city, and below are the spots I keep coming back to.

Where to start in Madrid

Museums, galleries, green space, late nights out - the city covers all of it. If you only have time for a handful of things, start with these.

1. The Prado Museum. It sits near the top of any serious list of art museums, and rightly so. You get the Spanish masters - Velázquez, Goya - hanging alongside Rembrandt and Bosch. Give it more time than you think you need.

2. The Reina Sofía Museum. This is the modern counterpart, and it's where Picasso's Guernica lives. Standing in front of that painting is worth the trip on its own, honestly.

3. El Retiro Park. Madrid's biggest park, and the easiest place to shake off the noise of the streets. Gardens, ponds, the odd sculpture. Rent a rowboat or just find a bench and do nothing for an hour.

4. La Latina. The old historic centre, and where a lot of the best tapas bars are packed in. Wander the narrow streets and duck into whichever one looks busy - that's usually a good sign.

Madrid after dark

Spain does nightlife properly, and Madrid might do it best of all. The capital has a reputation for good nights out, and it earns it - bars, clubs and restaurants to fit whatever mood and budget you turn up with. If you want somewhere to have a few drinks and dance until stupid o'clock, these are the areas to aim for.

El Raval is one of the go-to nightlife districts. Plenty of bars, clubs and restaurants, and its central location means you can get there easily from more or less anywhere in the city. It stays lively even midweek, which I always appreciate. There's live music too, if that's more your thing than a dancefloor.

Chueca is the other one I'd point you towards. It's a trendy neighbourhood, best known for its gay scene, though the crowd's mixed and you won't feel out of place whoever you are. Bars, clubs, and some solid restaurants if you want to eat before the night proper begins.

And if you want something slower and less frantic, Lavapiés is the neighbourhood for it - a bit scruffier, a bit more relaxed, and easy to lose an evening in.

Eating your way through Madrid

Food is where Madrid really got me. The range is enormous - proper traditional Spanish cooking on one side, playful modern kitchens on the other. A few of my favourites:

1. Mercado San Miguel. A gorgeous market and a great first stop for traditional dishes. Stalls sell everything from seafood to paella, and there's wine or beer on hand to go with it. Go hungry.

2. La Casa de las Embajadas. A little more off the beaten path, but seek it out. They do traditional Spanish cuisine with a twist, pulling in ingredients from all over the world.

3. El Chaflán. Another good shout if you want something different. It's a fusion of Spanish and Peruvian cooking, and the results are, to be fair, delicious.

4. Lhardy. When you're in the mood to spoil yourself, this is the one. A historic restaurant serving some of the best haute cuisine in Madrid - not cheap, but worth splurging on for a special night.

Shopping in Madrid

Madrid is a good shopping city, whatever you're after - clothes, accessories, cosmetics, food. You've got shops and malls, plus street markets where the deals run from souvenirs to electronics.

Designer brands? Head to the Salamanca district for the high-end stores like El Corte Inglés and Zara. Want to spend a bit less? Gran Vía and Fuencarral are your streets, a mix of chain shops and small independents side by side.

For something you won't find anywhere else, the flea markets are the place - vintage clothes, antique furniture, all sorts. And if you spot a bargain, haggle. It's normal practice here, and a bit of back-and-forth will often shave the price down.

Culture and art

There's a lot of culture packed into this city. Museums and galleries all over the place, plus a music and nightlife scene that keeps its own hours. Here's where I'd send an art lover.

The Museo del Prado is one of the most famous art museums anywhere, with a deep collection of Spanish and European work. The Museo Reina Sofía is the other one you shouldn't miss - it holds pieces by some of the biggest names in 20th century art, Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dalí among them.

Live music fans are spoiled too. Bars and clubs put on everything from jazz to rock to flamenco, and if you want the full nightlife experience, plenty of clubs stay open until the early hours. Very early, in some cases.

Point is, whatever you're into, Madrid's probably got a version of it running somewhere.

Final thoughts

Madrid keeps you busy. There's no shortage of places to grab a drink or a bite, and the choice can be genuinely overwhelming. Some days you'll want to sit in a park watching the skyline; other nights you'll be out dancing until dawn. Either way, it tends to work out.