An Evening Shop and Bar Crawl
Start this evening walk around 5pm when the shops reopen after the siesta. Take the metro to Chueca, emerging on Plaza de Chueca, heart of Madrid’s gay quarter. Look out for
Taberna del Angel Sierra
, a traditional tiled bar with zinc counter and painted
ceiling. From here take Calle de Gravina into Calle del Almirante. These
streets are the wealthy shopper’s paradise, with designer names
jockeying for position on both sides. Turn onto Calle de la Libertad,
then take a right at Calle de Augusto Figueroa, famous for shoes sold at
knock down prices.
Cross Calle de Hortaleza and continue to Calle de Fuencarral. Turn right here, heading for the
Museo de Historia
and spend a few minutes browsing in the excellent bookshop. A little further on turn left into Calle Manuela Malasaña.
Trendy Malasaña is full of enticing restaurants and tapas bars so make a mental note of anywhere that takes your fancy for later. Turn left into Calle de San Andrés, passing Molly Malone’s Pub, then cross Plaza del Dos de Mayo. If you’ve worked up a thirst, the bistro-bar El 2D
at No. 25 will fit the bill. Continue along Calle de San Andrés to
Calle de San Vicente Ferrer. Return for dinner at your chosen tapas bar, then head for home on Calle de San Vicente Ferrer for the metro at Tribunal, or head off for a night on the tiles.
Fashion Shops
Camper For
internationally acclaimed, comfortable and casual footwear, head to
Camper, which stocks a selection of shoes produced in Mallorca. Hand The
acronym for “have a nice day”, Hand is French-run and specializes in
beautiful, well-made clothes from French, Danish and English designers. Piamonte At
Piamonte you can find handbags for any kind of special occasion, and
have them made to order. There’s also a similarly striking range of
scarves, belts and jewellery. Momo This lovely boutique stocks everything from casual outfits, to smarter, evening ensembles from a range of worldwide designers. Custo Barcelona Set
up by Custo and David Dalmau in the early 1980s, this fashion house is
inspired by the colours and patterns of California. The shop has plenty
of pretty dresses and coats for women, while style-conscious men will
love the graphic t-shirts and tailored jackets. L’Habilleur At l’Habilleur you can pick up last season’s designer clothes at a fraction of the original prices. Maje Cool,
French fashion is available at Maje. Catering for stylish ladies, there
is a huge variety of smart dresses, tops, trousers and knitwear to
browse through. The shop also stocks some shoes. Jesús del Pozo One
of the most respected Spanish designers, del Pozo first broke away from
the mainstream in the 1970s and has never looked back. Sophisticated
women’s fashions and prêt-à-porter; also sells his own brand of perfume. Farina & Amuzara Beautiful
hand crafted gems, made on the premises from natural stones such as
amber and amethyst. Range of styles, and you can design your own piece
if you wish. Alcoba Small
outlet selling a lovely range of glitzy evening wear, with sequinned
bags, scarves and other accessories. Also candles, picture frames and
costume jewellery.
Alcoba
Specialist Shops
Patrimonio Comunal Olivarero Spain produces more olive oil than any other country, and this supplier stocks the finest Extra Virgin. Also look for the DO (denominación de origen) quality control on the label .
Patrimonio Comunal Olivarero
Niza This
19th-century confectioners has retained its stuccoed ceiling, marble
topped counter and wooden fittings. Sells mouth watering cakes pastries
and biscuits, as well as a range of sweets.
Niza
Reserva y Cata Take
care not to overlook this basement wine merchants with its excellent
selection of Spanish wines and liqueurs. Tastings also on offer. Expresión Negra African
arts and crafts including woven baskets, rugs and colourful patchwork
quilts. Also recycled drink cans, ingeniously transformed into CD racks,
boxes, briefcases and other useful items. Kantharos Selection of stylish gifts including pocket as well as wrist watches, key rings, jewellery, ink wells etc. Kukla Your
kids will love this charming shop, which sells a fantastic assortment
of clothes, toys and games for children up to nine-years-old. Almirante 23 If
it’s collectable, they collect it – postcards, perfume containers,
tobacco tins, cameras, sunglasses, cinema programmers, menus, cigarette
cards, the lot. You will find it difficult to drag yourself away. Plaisir Gourmet A
French-run labyrinthine paradise for gourmets seeking top quality
Spanish olive oils, wines, herbs, spices, condiments and other goodies
from around the world. Iñaki Sampedro This
artisan makes exclusive hand painted, leather handbags. Original
jewellery made by Minorcan craftsmen is also sold here. Note the shop
lamp, one of Sampedro’s own creations. Alice in Wonderland For
some serious pampering, head to this wonderland of indulgence. This
friendly, retro, basement shop also offers manicures, pedicures and
other beauty treatments.
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