Madrid by Night: a handy guidebook for exploring the city's nightlife

Summer or winter, dusk or dawn, Madrid never sleeps. It is a city famous for its lively nightlife, where you can start with a leisurely stroll, enjoy the wide range of gastronomic offerings and end up dancing until you can't go any further.

If you are looking for plans in Madrid, read on. It is common for people to go out during the week for an "afterwork" to reduce the fatigue of the day and meet in pubs, terraces or bars to have a few drinks and an aperitif before dinner. But these are just a few of the many nightlife alternatives

If dancing is not your thing, Madrid also offers a range of alternative experiences to suit all tastes. And, of course, Flamenco shows are a must. Flamenco singers, tapas, good wine... it's a show that can be enjoyed at any time of the year.

One of the classic customs that can be experienced in the heart of Madrid are the tablaos flamencos that abound in the city. When you book your ticket to a flamenco show you will be immersed in a deep-rooted Spain that is steeped in an Arab and gypsy heritage. Here are a few options:

• Flamenco show at Torres Bermejas in Madrid, from RM137.
• Flamenco showat Corral de la Morería in Madrid, from RM247.
• Flamenco showat Essential Madrid, from RM162.
• Flamenco show atTeatro Flamenco in Madrid, from RM314.
• Flamencoshow and private tapas tour in Madrid, from RM694.

If Madrid' s best museums take you on a journey through art and history, the neighbourhoods invite you to connect with urban stories and breathe a more bohemian and relaxed air. Here's the lowdown on some of the city's most classic neighbourhoods that you can include in your nightlife plans and that are usually included when booking a historic tour of Madrid with tapas.

• Barrio La Latina: a perfect neighbourhood to stay and enjoy Madrid's nightlife. It is famous for having been the set of many films and, in fact, it is not uncommon to meet movie stars, singers or TV personalities in its theatres or bars. As a curious fact, La Latina owes its name to Beatriz Galindo, who was in charge of teaching Latin to Isabella the Catholic and her daughters. Over the years she was respectfully nicknamed "La Latina" and her memory lives on in the name of this mythical district of the city.
• Barrio Malasaña: one of the most alternative and avant-garde neighbourhoods. It was the hub of the so-called movida madrileña, a countercultural movement that emerged at the end of the 1970s and is home to a large number of bookshops, bars, markets and restaurants. It also owes its name to a woman, Manuela Malasaña, heroine of the resistance during the uprisings of 2 May 1808 against Napoleon Bonaparte's invasion.
• Barrio Chueca: for decades, this mythical neighbourhood has marked the tradition of nightlife and has become popular as one of the spaces of expression for the LGTBI community. Among squares, art galleries, exclusive fashion shops, tattoo workshops, specialised bookshops and sex shops, you'll enjoy a glimpse of Madrid's underground. Take the opportunity to visit the Casa de las Siete Chimeneas, with its ghost stories, or have a cocktail at the Museo Chicote, a meeting place for great artists such as Dalí, Frank Sinatra and Ernest Hemingway.

If time or itinerary constraints prevented you from seeing all of **Madrid'**s magnificent sights during the day, don't worry, the night can also be the right time to see the city's main sights, either on your own or by booking a night tour of Madrid.

I recommend a tour of the Plaza de Cibeles, which is illuminated at night and from where you can see other symbols of the city such as the Palacio Cibeles, today the seat of Madrid City Hall.

Back in the centre and near the Plaza de España, you can see the Temple of Debod, one of Madrid's best-hidden secrets. It is an Egyptian building more than two thousand years old, which was transported and rebuilt stone by stone, maintaining the orientation of its original site in the city of Aswan.

The Santiago Bernabéu stadium is one of the icons of Madrid, especially for football fans, and even more so now that it has been completely refurbished and is an absolute work of engineering both inside and out.

As well as being able to book tickets to see a Real Madrid match at the Bernabéu and many other evening or night-time shows, you can also simply stop by to see it from the outside and contemplate its magnitude in the middle of the city.

Or, if you prefer, you can even book a tour of the Bernabéu to learn all the secrets of one of the most important football clubs in the world. For this, you have several options:

• Tour of the Santiago Bernabéu stadium, from RM165.
• Private tour of the Santiago Bernabéu stadium and the Real Madrid museum, from RM584.
• Private guided tour of the Bernabéu in Madrid, from RM2,335.

Madrid is a city full of secrets that you can discover by booking a ghost tour. This type of activity will take you to discover the darker side of the Spanish capital, where ghost stories abound and tales of atrocities once filled the cobbled alleyways.

This nocturnal expedition will allow you to relive the legends associated with a tragic and bloody Madrid. The guides are usually dressed in medieval-style clothing and the light of oil lamps makes this a highly recommended experience.

Another suggestion I can give you is to check the programme of several of the city's museums, as they sometimes offer night tours to visitors, such as the one organised by the Wax Museum.

Visiting one of Madrid 's cocktail bars is another plan that I recommend for your night out in Madrid. More than just having a cocktail, you will live an experience in charge of expert bartenders and with a lot of creativity to make you have a great time.

• The cocktail bar of the Casino Gran Vía, a good option to enjoy a signature cocktail. The place has large windows, from where you'll have great views of the city.
• Hemingway Cocktail Bar, a classic-looking place that seems suspended in time, where you can enjoy a daiquiri, the favourite drink of the famous writer Ernest Hemingway.

If you are one of those people who are always looking for something different, visiting one of the most popular discotheques in Madrid may be the experience you have been looking for.

• Medias Puri: located in Tirso de Molina square, it looks like a haberdashery in any neighbourhood in Madrid. However, when you enter you will find a space with three dance floors, live shows and cabaret shows with a varied musical offer that has earned it the title of one of the best nightclubs in the city.

• Uñas Chung Lee: is an exotic and surreal experience that mixes theatre, circus, acrobatics and cabaret, with an oriental decoration full of bright and colourful colours.

And if you want something more typical, I recommend what is considered one of the best nightclubs in Europe, Teatro Kapital, or Joy Eslava and Teatro Barceló.

Can you imagine dining in the oldest restaurant in the world? Well, it's also one of the evening plans you can enjoy in Madrid.

Founded in 1725, Casa Botín is one of the most prized exponents of traditional Spanish cuisine and the perfect place to savour roast suckling pig or Castilian-style lamb, its two specialities. In addition, some of the greatest figures in world history have sat at its tables.

As it is so emblematic, you can also get to know it when booking a night-time gastronomic tour of Madrid, as it is sometimes part of the itinerary of this activity.

Although imported from New York, the trend for terraces and roof tops has become popular all over Madrid and is a perfect option for those who enjoy open spaces to have a drink and share with friends. Here are some recommendations:

Azotea del Círculo de Bellas Artes de Madrid

I highly recommend going up to enjoy the beautiful view of the city from the rooftop of the Círculo de Bellas Artes in Madrid, which also offers a varied programme of exhibitions, musical and theatrical performances, as well as film seasons. From here you will have a panoramic view of emblematic places, such as the Puerta de Alcalá or the lights of the Gran Vía, while you have a drink, as there is a restaurant service on the roof.

• Monday to Thursday: from 12:00 to 1:00.
• Fridays and Saturdays: from 10am to 2am.
• Sundays: from 10am to 1am

Hotel Riu in Plaza España

If adrenaline is your thing, you can't miss the vertigo as you go through the 100-metre-high glass passageway of the Hotel Riu in Plaza España. And if you still have energy left after the scare, you can visit the famous skybar De Madrid al cielo, with a 360-degree panoramic view of the Royal Palace, the Almudena Cathedral, the Gran Vía and other iconic buildings of the city, while you enjoy a good cocktail.

• Last admission: 10pm.

El Viajero

El Viajero, located in Plaza de la Cebada, offers what is probably one of the best windows into old Madrid. A pleasant space that invites you to enjoy one of its famous mojitos. It also has a small market where you can get exclusive products and offers a menu that stands out for its tasty and healthy dishes.

• Tuesdays to Thursdays: from 13:30 to 21:00 hours.
• Weekends: from 12:30 to 21:00 hours.

Doña Luz The Madrid Rooftop

Doña Luz The Madrid Rooftop is proof that terraces are not just for summer. With an exceptional view over the Puerta del Sol, this place is equipped with modern heaters that will temper the worst of winter. It brings a taste of the Caribbean with a menu inspired by South American delicacies, offering different types of fried food, tacos and salads to delight any palate. I do recommend that you try to book in advance, as seating is usually limited.

• Monday to Thursday: from 6pm to midnight.
• Fridays: from 2pm to 1am.
• Saturdays: from 1pm to 1am.
• Sundays and public holidays: from 1pm to midnight.

As you can see, Madrid has a lot to see and do. Just by walking along the Gran Vía in Madrid, you will realise how many theatres there are in the Spanish capital. My recommendation is that you don't miss out on the year-round programme to enjoy a great night of theatre in the Madrid style.

Depending on the play or show you want to see, you can find tickets from around €12. If you're looking for a more sophisticated evening, I recommend checking out the opera programme at the Teatro Real in Madrid, so you can experience a night out in the Spanish capital the way you deserve.

I hope these options can help you plan a good night out for every day you spend in Madrid.