Shops in La Latina
Caramelos Paco The
display windows of this famous sweet emporium are ablaze with colour.
Some of the flavours – rice pudding, for example sound less appealing
than others. Sugarfree sweets for diabetics.
Caramelos Paco
El Transformista Delve
into this Aladdin’s cave for antique and secondhand furniture –
everything from old mirrors and table lamps to painted plates and
plastic chairs.
El Transformista
Arte Árabe Shades
of the Orient in this shop selling hookah pipes, copper kettles, carved
wooden boxes, embroidered slippers, cushions, and much more. Fotocasión Stocks
just about everything the photographer might need – cameras, new and
second hand, film, camera cases, tripods and other specialist equipment.
Also sells binoculars. Casa Lucas This old fashioned lechería
(dairy) should be seen if only for its decorative tiled frontage. The
sign outside with the cows reads “Pure milk for children and the sick”. Julio Rodríguez As
the hand-painted wall sign indicates, this tiny shop is crammed with
foot treadle antique sewing machines. Also sells typewriters. María José Fermín Wrought
iron enthusiasts, look no further. This family business deals in
everything from coal scuttles and fire guards to bellows, weather vanes
and milk churns. Galerías Piquer Enter
through the arch of this attractively restored courtyard to explore the
shops on two levels – specializing in antique furniture and objets d’art
Nuevas Galerías Shop
here for prints, lithographs, reproceramics and antiques. Souvenir
hunters should make a beeline for Albarrelo and Mercedes Cabeza de Vaca. Marihuana This
goth’s paradise deals in spiked arm bands, studded belts and leather
gear, but is also hot on T-shirts – Superman, Che Guevara, Metallica,
Jimi Hendrix, take your pick.
Nights Out
Casa PATAS Aficionados rate this attractive venue as the best place for traditional Spanish Flamenco acts .
Casa PATAS
Viva Madrid Worth seeing for the decorative tiles alone, this tapas
bar near Huertas really gets going after 10pm and is a popular hangout
with the young crowd. In the summer you may need to cool off on the
terrace. Full to bursting at weekends.
Café Central Sophisticated
jazz lovers home in on this Art-Deco café at the top of Huertas.
There’s a small admission charge, depending on the artists.
Café Central
Populart Eclectic
live music nightly – anything from blues or jazz to Celtic – and beer
on tap. No cover charge, but be warned that there’s a steep mark up on
drinks . La Negra Tomasa The live salsa music, played Thursdays to Saturdays inclusive, is the main draw of this noisy Cuban restaurant.
La Negra Tomasa
Cool Dance until 6am at this fashionable club to the sounds of DJs or live music in a range of different styles (Thu–Sun). La Soleá Popular
Flamenco haunt where anything can happen (even amateur jamming) as
there is no regular programme. Not worth arriving much before 11pm, when
things start to heat up. Great fun, but not for purists. La Boca del Lobo This
lively cellar venue (the name means “the jaws of the wolf”) has a great
atmosphere. They dance to anything here – acid jazz, hip-hop, rock ‘n’
roll, you name it. Villa Rosa No longer the renowned Flamenco bar of old, this lively disco, on a corner of buzzing Plaza de Santa Ana, is generally packed to the rafters at weekends. Palacio de Gaviria This
ornate 19th-century palace is the most unusual club in the city. There
are several bars, and a huge ballroom, which still has its original
decor. Listen to live music or join the crowds on the dance floor.
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