Where To Eat, Shop, And Stay in Madrid
When it comes to Spain, Barcelona usually gets all the glory, but Madrid, with its Baroque boulevards and superb shopping, is just as worthy a destination. We tapped some of the city's most plugged-in natives to share their local haunts.
MEET YOUR TOUR GUIDES
Laura Somoza: When not conceptualizing fashion shoots or designing her jewelry line, Ouibyou (Gisele's a fan), ELLE España senior fashion editor Laura Somoza, 39, can be found at one of the Spanish capital's hot spots, many of which she writes about on Loving It, her blog on the magazine's website.
Hinds: An all-female Spanish garage-rock band (guitarists Ana García Perrote and Carlotta Cosials, bassist Ade Martín, and drummer Amber Grimbergen), Hinds earned comparisons to legendary groups like the Velvet Underground and the Ramones even before the release of their first album, Leave Me Alone, which dropped last month. Despite a hectic tour schedule that has Hinds playing from Iceland to Australia, Madrid-and particularly the vibrant, style-forward Malasaña neighborhood-remains home base for all.
EAT/DRINK
Somoza: Válgame Dios, a Chueca district restaurant that translates (somewhat incongruously) to "God Help Me" and boasts a zero-pretense scene. "If you want to see cool people-rebels in the fashion world-this is the spot," she says. (After dining on jamón ibérico washed down with a carafe of rioja, continue the night at El Amante, the owner's nightclub just a short walk away.)
Hinds: Casa Camacho, a charmingly divey bar-barrels of vermut de grifo hang from the walls; a bathroom is accessed by ducking under the bar-that boasts a dangerously delicious house specialty called a yayo, which Perrote describes as "a mix of weird alcoholic things but so, so good."
La Vía Láctea, a two-floor bar/club where there's usually a DJ spinning '60s and '70s rock vinyl (and even, occasionally, Hinds's own tunes).
WALK
Hinds: La Gran Vía: All out-of-town visitors get taken on a walk past the ornate old buildings on this promenade, which runs along the southern edge of Malasaña and is famous for its shopping, parks, and, come sundown, nightlife. (It's known as the street that never sleeps.) "When people see Malasaña, they fall in love," Martín says. "We have so many friends from other countries who, once they've seen it, decide to stay and look for a job."
SHOP
Hinds: Flamingos Vintage Kilo: To stock up on a collective band wardrobe that Martín describes as "boy clothes with lipstick," the rockers frequent the city's many vintage shops, including this no-frills favorite where customers pay by weight for Levi's cutoffs and high school varsity jackets.
Kling, a Spanish fast-fashion chain (there are four outposts in Madrid), offers playful takes on staples-doughnut-patterned clutches, sweaters covered in penguins-and is the place where band members go to buy denim.
Somoza: Better: The editor scoops up fashion-forward pieces from about-to-be-discovered Spanish designers at this monthly pop-up. "I can't recommend it enough," she says.
In Dietro: Somoza, who's as discerning with her interiors as she is with her wardrobe, heads to this Salamanca district boutique to browse for one-of-a-kind objets, such as agate bookends and bell jar–encased butterflies.
STAY
Somoza: Dear Hotel, a serenely-turned-out boutique hotel-all whites and creams-is worth a trip for its view alone, Somoza says. Nice to Meet You, its penthouse lounge, is the perfect spot to take in 360-degree views of the city.
This article originally appeared in the February 2016 issue of ELLE.
