The Scene spent the day in Madrid with flamenco superstar Joaquin Cortes. Do you have a favorite hangout in the Spanish capital? What's so special about Madrid's nightlife? Send us your suggestions and ideas and read your comments below.
• From: Anna Paola Vito; Naples, Italy • Posted: Feb. 18, 2007 • Comment: Hello to everybody! I've been accidentally here, just in order to read Joaquin Cortes's interview, and I read about Madrid. I've never been in Madrid but I visited Seville and Cordoba, Cadiz and Barcelona. I liked all of them! My city is Naples and I truly hope it will be considered and I hope it will improve, especially people that are so carnal, and if they want they give you their heart. But someone has forgotten this city, which perhaps is quite little. I'm not an important person but I'd like to have my say. That's it! Naples is beautiful, I know, or at least, it was. There are parts of Naples so involved in criminality that it may fear, but... I hope it will be one of the sets of future films... Thank you, goodbye Anna Paola
• From: Gustavo Segredo; New York City • Posted: Jan. 13, 2007 • Comment: Aside from New York, Madrid is my favorite city in the world. I've seen London, Paris, Prague, Vienna, Miami, Boston. The living style revives you every day. The stress level is zero. The food and music is to die for. I always carry Madrid in my heart.
• From: Andres Alonso; Buenos Aires, Argentina • Posted: Jan. 2, 2007 • Comment: When you visit Madrid, forget all the topics, take the Metro at Sunday noon and stop at "La Latina" station. There you will find a crowd hanging around: follow the main flow and you'll find out the best bars for tapas all around. These are the non-tourist ones, but those well known for the extremely gourmet-type madrileans.
• From: Jorge Carrasco; Chile • Posted: Mar. 7, 2006 • Comment: Viva madrid
• From: Anne Paddock • Posted: Feb. 13, 2006 • Comment: 1. If it's a sunny day (which it usually is in Madrid), take the Madrid Vision Tour Bus -- a double decker open top bus. Sounds hokey but it's fun and relaxing. You can pick up the bus all over the city and get on and off all day. Provides a good overview.
2. If you have kids, take them to Faunia (easily accessible by the Metro stop: Valdebernado) -- an ecosystem park that is interesting for the whole family. Don't miss the Rain Forest, the Artic, or the Volcano!
3. Go to Loewe (at Plaza Colon on Calle Serrano) for wonderful quality leather goods, scarves and clothing, which can't be found in the U.S. Expensive but well worth it.
4. For the best childrens books (in French, English, or Spanish), go to "Bibleoketa" located at Calle Justiniano, 4 (Metro stop: Colon).
5. Go to a newstand and ask for the "Guia de Ocio" - a guide that tells you everything that is going on in Madrid. It's in Spanish but very organized and if you know some basic words, you can use it. Comes out every Friday.
6. Go to lunch at La Paloma at Jorge Juan 39 (Metro stop: Principe de Vergara) and order the eggplant fritters drizzled with honey or the lobster eggrolls followed by the sea bass and apple tart (which must be ordered when you order your meal as each is made to order). Phone number is 91 576 8692. Afterwards, walk down Calle Jorge Juan as this area is known for up and coming designers.
7. If you're craving a great burger or real chicken tenders and french fries made in olive oil, go to "Fast Good" at Calle Padre Damien 23 (Metro sto: Cuzco). According to my 9-year old (and I agree!), no one mades chicken tenders and french fries like "Fast Good."
8. For Fashionettas, go to the "Museo De Traje" -- the recently opened Fashion Museum. Located at Av. Juan de Herrera, 2 (Metro Stop: Ciudad Universitaria), this is a must see if you have any interest in the history of fashion: Balanciaga, Manolo Blanhik, etc.
9. To see a great market, go to Mercado de la Paz in the neighborhood ("Barrio") of Salamanca. The market is open everyday from 10-2 and 5-8. Best to go between 10-2 to really get the feel of the market -- the people, fishmongers, fruit and vegetable vendors, cheese, and olive vendors, too. Go to La Boulette, which is in the center of the market and ask for Sal; he will provide you with tastes of any of the hundreds of cheeses and Serrano hams they carry.
10. Make sure you have a Michelin city map - invaluable because they have an alphabetical listing of streets to help you find where you are going.
11. For the best ice cream and gelato in Madrid, go to "Giangrossi" (my daughter says "Get Fat") located at the corner of Velazquez and Hermosilla in the neighborhood of Salamanca. They also deliver everywhere: 900 555 009.
12. For tea and pastries, go to "The Embassy" which is located at Calle Ayala 2 (corner of Ayala and Paseo de Castellana).
13. Be prepared for smokers ... although non-smokers rights are starting to evolve, Madrid has a long way to go. So eat lunch at 1:30 instead of 2:00, 2:30, or 3:00 when the smoke tends to be overpowering. I could go on an on, but I will leave that as the highlights outside of the normal Prado, Thysson, Reina Sophia museum tours and the Casa Lucio meal.
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