As one of Europe’s premier cities, Madrid is stuffed with things to see and do. Carving an itinerary out of Madrid’s wealth of jazz shows, museums, metal clubs, alternative art spaces, arthouse cinemas, historic eateries, record stores, cafes, and churches is a daunting task. Even narrowing it down to a category, like museums, still leaves you with a massive list of potential destinations: do you want to see sculpture or paintings? Antiquities or decorative art? And then: Spanish or foreign? You get the idea.
But there are certain things that should anchor any trip to Madrid. Below you’ll find three ironclad suggestions for culture and art in the Spanish capital.
Botin
This one’s easy. How could you not eat at the oldest restaurant in the world? Founded in 1725, Sobrino de Botin is a must-see. It attracts tourists, obviously, but it’s no disappointing tourist trap: Botin serves up dishes from all over Spain cooked and plated with the quiet confidence that comes with age. Hemingway namedropped the restaurant in The Sun Also Rises and, if you believe the rumors, Francisco Goya worked at Botin as a dishwasher. That’s all secondary, though, to the singular experience of sitting down in a centuries-old dining room and dipping a fork into the past.
Cine Doré
A gorgeous cinema dating back to 1923, the Dore is a revival house owned by the Spanish Film Library. Equipped with 35mm projectors, the Dore offers everything from retrospectives (recently, the theatre ran a de Palma series) to contemporary, buzzed-about world cinema. And no dubs here: everything is subtitled, so brush up on your Spanish for non-English screenings! Between the carefully-curated screenings, the beautiful early-1900s architecture, and the onsite cafe and library, you may never be satisfied with a multiplex again.
The Golden Triangle of Art
Okay, so technically this is three museums located within walking distance of each other. But if you’re looking to peruse any art at all during your Madrid trip, you may as well bite off as much as you can. The Museo del Prado is the place to go for Spanish art, from Goya to Velazquez, as well as work from many of their non-Spanish contemporaries. The Sofia houses a large collection of 20th-century Spanish art, which means Picasso, Dali, and Serrano. And the Thyssen is an eclectice private collection that dips into Impressionism and Expressionism, as well as early Renaissance paintings. You could spend weeks marvelling at the cumulative breadth of work here, watching styles take root, flourish, and fall out of favor, imbibing the sheer beauty of it all. Between these three museums you have a readymade education in pre-contemporary art. Take notes!
This is one narrow window onto the cultural riches of Madrid. There’s no shortage of things to try before you depart, but remember you can always come back. You’ll need to, anyway, to see even a fraction of what the city has to offer. Take it at your own pace, and make sure to savor every moment.
