STAY

FROM HERITAGE to homey, Madrid’s finest hotels offer overnight stays for every stripe of traveller—and lobby bars you won’t find anywhere else.

The Middle Of Chic Salamanca

The five-star Heritage Madrid Hotel is a Relais & Chateaux gem in the tony Salamanca neighbourhood. Stunning visual elements abound throughout: exquisite hand-painted silk panels, antique vases, marble tables and a smattering of 18th- and 19th-century art works. heritagemadridhotel.com

All Downward From Here

The rooftop bar atop ME Madrid Reina Victoria offers the best panoramic nighttime views of the city. The avant-garde hotel is perfectly located (for culture buffs, especially) in the historic Plaza de Santa Ana quarter. Onsite charging stations for electric cars are a welcome touch. melia.com

Buy The Book

Guests swoon over the book-lined walls of the elevators at Only YOU Boutique Hotel. They’re indicative of the innovative touches by acclaimed designer Lázaro Rosa-Violán, who won multiple awards for his décor achievements in the popular boutique property. onlyyouhotels.com

Loiter In The Lobby

Guests at the 48-room Art Deco-styled Gran Hotel Inglés can’t be blamed for not wanting to leave the property. The hotel’s chandeliered cocktail bar, LobByto, seduces visitors with its whimsical touches of old writing desks, antique typewriters and, of course, topnotch martinis. granhotelingles.com

Eat

LOCAL CHEFS have discovered the joys of fusing Asian influences into traditional Spanish dishes. Curried pork cheeks, anyone?

Cheeky In The Kitchen

The chefs at upscale Ana La Santa Restaurant, in the ME Madrid Reina Hotel, combine Spanish, South American and Asian influences in their menus. Expect traditional dishes like carrillada (pork cheeks) to be elevated with a slashing of red curry sauce. A definite cosmopolitan vibe to this upmarket eatery. melia.com

COMFORT FOOD, MADRID-STYLE

Lineups start as early as 10am at Maricastaña resto-bar, where first timers are advised to choose the menú del día: three-course, fixedprice lunchtime menu for around $15. The place is also jam-packed during Sunday brunch, lured no doubt by the signature nachos with guacamole and black beans, and fried green tomatoes. It’s located in trendy Malasaña. maricastanamadrid.com

In Need Of A Churro Fix

Don’t leave Madrid without sampling traditional churros con chocolate. Best bet: Chocolatería de San Ginés, founded in 1894, is open 24/7. chocolateriasangines.com

For Footloose Foodies

Some of Spain’s finest flamenco dancers have graced the floors of Flamenco Villa Rosa, a popular restaurant that has been serving tapas and main courses since 1911. Just off Plaza de Santa Ana. tablaoflamenco1911.com

NOT YOUR RUN-OF-THEMENU PAD THAI

The Michelin-starred Krachai Thai Restaurant, in Madrid’s smallest neighbourhood of Las Salesas, has been scooping up culinary awards for years. If you’ve had Iberian ham or pork three nights running, reserve a table at Krachai. krachai.es

Drink

ENJOY A LATE, late dinner or grab a pre-party nap. Whatever you do, just don’t hit the bars and nightclubs until 1am or 2am. Pubs are a different matter.

Hemingway Drank Here

Ernest Hemingway was a regular at Cervecería Alemana in the 1950s. The wood-panelled establishment, which occupies a prized spot on the southern edge of Plaza de Santa Ana, is staffed by white-shirted waiters. cerveceriaalemana.com

Wasabi In Your Night

The Ginkgo Restaurant & Sky Bar commands excellent views from the 12th floor of VP Plaza España Design 5. End your evening with an Asian-inspired nightcap with a kick. Mixologists have a thing for mixing tequila with fruit and anything hot. ginkgoskybarmadrid.com

Brewed On The Premises

The craft beer movement arrived in Madrid when Fábrica Maravillas installed their vats and started pouring several years ago. If you only drink one pint, opt for the Malasaña IPA, named after the local neighbourhood. fmaravillas.com

Nosh While You Walk

Slices of Iberian ham. Cheeses from the Basque country. Rioja wines from Navarre. Mercado San Miguel first opened as a wholesale food market 100 years ago. Today, visitors converge on the 30-plus food stands for mouth-watering tapas and pub grub. Tip: Avoid sitting in traffic jams with the taxi metre ticking away. Just hop the metro and get off at Metro Sol. mercadodesanmiguel.es

A Book For Every Beverage

El Padrino, located inside Only YOU Boutique Hotel, is a bar-bookshop combo. The much-revered Padrino bookshop once occupied part of the main floor of this aristocratic building. Tapas include Iberian hams and strong cheeses. Frequent literary readings, poetry nights. onlyyouhotels.com