The Ultimate guide to the nightlife in Madrid

Discover the best nightlife neighborhoods, clubs, and bars in Madrid for all tastes and budget.

Jale

4 minute read

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Updated on 18 Aug 2023

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Living

Madrid becomes even more charming when the sun goes down. Its neighborhoods are filled with vibrant and colorful local bars, tapas places, taverns, hidden speakeasies, clubs, cocktail bars, and much more.

In the capital of Spain, the options are endless. But before you start your night, keep in mind that the real fun begins at midnight. So take your time, enjoy your tapas with drinks, and prepare for an exciting night out.

Ready to explore Madrid nightlife? Let’s dive in!

Where should you go to have the best night out in Madrid? Here’s a list of our favorite neighborhoods you should check out:

• Chueca is a super central Madrid neighborhood packed with hipster pubs, cocktail bars, and alternative nightclubs. It also has the capital’s ultimate LGBTQ+ party scene. All the clubs, pubs, and queer-friendly cafes at Chueca promise a safe and fun environment.

• Malasaña is a hipster and artistic nightlife area popular among creatives, students, and locals. This colorful neighborhood has small and intimate venues with trendy and bohemian vibes, perfect for pre-drinks and after parties.

• Salamanca is a neighborhood to go to for a glamorous, VIP treatment. Clubs here are exclusive and upscale. So Salamanca is the best place if you want to party with celebrities or treat yourself to a chic night out.

• Lavapiés is another bohemian nightlife area and an alternative to the more popular Malasaña. It’s less popular and less crowded but has a diverse yet affordable nightlife scene. So if you find the cost of living in Madrid expensive, this area is the place to be.

• Huertas is perhaps the most popular nightlife area among tourists. Located right in the center, a large variety of bars, pubs, and clubs offer a diverse selection of music.

The best thing about partying in Madrid is that there’re night buses. So you can go back home no matter which of Madrid's neighborhoods you’re headed towards. After 11:30 p.m., night buses (known as búhos) leave from Plaza de Cibeles.

To say cocktail bars in Madrid are a unique experience is an understatement. Here’re some of the best cocktail bars for an unusual but memorable evening.

• Bad Company 1920 is a speakeasy inspired by 1920s New York when alcohol was illegal. To enter, you’ll have to share a password, which can be found on the bar’s Instagram profile. Alongside traditional cocktails like old-fashioned and negroni, they also make their own cool creations with odd and interesting flavors, serving them not in glasses but in objects such as a camera, bulb, baseball, etc. Besides giving their drinks names like “pie” or “fragrance” to keep it discreet, they also serve themed cocktails, like Bonnie and Clyde and Peaky Blinders Beret to take the prohibition-era fantasy further.

• 1862 Dry Bar is among the top 500 bars in the world, serving delicious classic cocktails. The owner, Alberto, opened it 10 years ago, making 1862 Dry Bar the first quality craft cocktail bar in Madrid.

• La Santoría is perhaps the most mysterious and mythical cocktail bar you’ll ever be in. Inspired by the Afro-Latino religion Santoría, the bar is a homage to its culture and traditions. Hidden behind a black velvet curtain, you’ll walk into an area with dim light, ambient music, and decor with pictures of virgins and saints all over the walls. Try their elixir-looking cocktails once here!

• Salmon Guru is a retro bar decorated with neon lights, pop art, and colorful chairs. With funky music and delicious artisan cocktails, it's especially popular among the young crowd. Unfortunately, they don’t take reservations, so come early to find a spot.

• Santos y Desamparados is dark, gothic, and definitely intriguing. With the selection of superb punk rock music in the background, a confession booth in the back, and an impressive cocktail menu, this bar is a perfect experience for the emo goth.

From the most exciting club music venues to underground alternative venues, we’ve made a list of the hottest clubs in Madrid for the best night out.

• Medias Puri is known as one of the best clubs in Madrid. 80s-inspired, the club’s 3 dance floors, skilled resident DJs, and acrobat dance shows foster the club's “clandestine " theme. Music inside ranges from a mix of Spanish and 80’s American to deep-house and mainstream. Even with a capacity of 1,000 people, the club is still packed every night.

• Fabrik is the mecca for techno lovers in Madrid. Fabrik is located in the suburbs of Madrid, easily reachable within 30 minutes by bus from Plaza de España. There’re 6 rooms in total, each with a massive dance stage, laser shows, and smoke machines. With a capacity to welcome 4,000 people, it hosts some of Spain’s largest and most popular techno, house, and trance nights.

• Kapital is an excellent spot for all types of partygoers. It’s very popular among tourists and the international crowd for a reason. Each of the 7 floors caters to different things: the main dance floor and bars are on the ground floor, the 1st floor is for karaoke nights, the 2nd is dedicated to hip-hop and R&B, the 3rd floor is for delicious cocktails with mainstream music, the 4th floor is a Spanish disco, the 5th is a blend of every genre, and 6th is a rooftop bar.

• Gotham is in the same area as one of the best universities in Madrid, The Compultense University. This's why both full-time and exchange students are regulars of this club. The club has 2 areas: the dance floor with a bar and a reserved section with balconies. Gotham has extensive line-ups ranging from house to techno on Fridays and mainstream to Reggaeton on Saturdays.

Whether you want fancy drinks, cheap beers, or tapas alongside your glass, you can always have fun in Madrid bars. Here’s the list of the best ones!

• Arima is a hotspot for elegant drinks and Basque tapas. Its 30 different vermouth selections from all over Spain make Arima stand out from other bars.

• La Fisna is a great small spot for drinking various quality wines. It started as a wine shop, and you can still buy the house specialties. You can order from the selection of cheese plates and charcuterie boards to accompany your wine.

• Viva Madrid is a historic tavern with fabulous tapas and cocktails. Founded by Diego Cabrera, one of the most famous mixologists in Spain, it's a very well-known spot for drinks. Inside you’ll hear English more than Spanish because it’s trendy among tourists and internationals. So if you haven't learned Spanish yet but want to make new friends, this is the place for you.

• Pez Tortilla is a small bar known for its delicious tortillas (omelet), croquettes, and craft beers. The crowd is young and everything on the menu is affordable.

• Cazador is a popular LGBTQ+ bar with cheap drinks and a cozy atmosphere. It’s a perfect location for pre-drinks with your friends before you dance the night away in clubs.

Now that you know where to be out and about in Madrid, it’s time for you to start exploring them.

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