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 Café with charm |
Calle de Gravina 10 Madrid, Madrid 28004 Spain +34 91 522 2143 |
Despite the fact that it's small and the tables are squeezed close together, this café has a unique and attractive interior decor that creates an ideal environment for a quiet chat. If you're on your own, you can just sit in the pecera (fish bowl) and watch the world go by through the huge window. The wooden sculpture of gay icon San Sebastián takes centre stage and there's always an exhibition of paintings on the walls. Most of the clientele are gay and lesbian. Plaza de Chueca, the heart of Madrid's gay scene, is just around the corner. Review © 2007, Wcities |
 Photo: wcities |
 Theme nights & varied clientele |
Plaza de Callao, 4 Madrid 28013 Spain +34 91 5310139 |
On weekdays, it's a dance club for sophisticated over-25s who like funk, garage and house music. On Fridays and Saturdays it changes its name to Ohm and plays equally danceable and more up-to-date music for a trendy crowd of gay men. On Sunday nights it's called Week-End and again it attracts gay men. Sunday evenings are for ballroom dancing and on Wednesdays at 1am there's always a risque cabaret show that'll raise your temperature. It's a popular venue for promotional events as well. You'll find it under the old cinema, Palacio de la Prensa. Review © 2007, Wcities |
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Classic men's disco-bar |
Libertad, 34 Madrid 28004 Spain +34 91 531 1141 |
Legendary in Madrid's gay scene, this club attracts a wide mix of men of all ages and styles. There are two separate scenes. Older men in their 30s head upstairs to the semi-circular bar with its good lighting and soft music. Younger men in their 20s haunt the dance floor downstairs and move to sounds of techno and house in semi-darkness. The dance floor also serves as a stage for drag shows and striptease acts. Review © 2007, Wcities |
 Photo: Rosa Jiménez Cano  |
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Old-time café for gay community |
Augusto Figueroa, 17 Madrid 28005 Spain +34 91 5211673 |
With its marble-topped tables, wooden chairs, lace curtains and old mirrors on the walls, this cafe looks as if it has been here forever. It attracts a mainly gay clientele and it's normally busy, especially for the Carnival theme parties. If you come in the afternoon, when it's quieter, you can sit and read the newspapers in peace or play a game of pool. However, expect to pay nightclub prices for a coffee. A beer will cost you (EUR 2.40). Review © 2007, Wcities |
 Photo: wcities |
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Radical gay bar |
Torrecilla del Leal, 12 Madrid, Madrid 28012 Spain +34 91 527 5019 |
Two floors of anarchic decor, people and lifestyles. Posters and squatters' graffiti on the walls, assorted furniture here and there. Clientele are gay (mostly), ethnic, hetero, alternative or whatever. On Sunday mornings the management organise a flea market (clothes and handicrafts) that stays open until 10pm. On Thursday nights, there's live cabaret-theatre. The music is as eclectic as the clientele and furniture: everything from salsa to rock and roll, with a bit of disco and Spanish crooners thrown in for good measure. Prices are reasonable, and if it's a slow night, there are lots of board games to choose from. Prices are good. Review © 2007, Wcities |
 Photo: dean a. |
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Good place to be at any time of day |
Hortaleza, 22 Madrid, Madrid 28004 Spain +34 91 523 2333 |
A pleasantly decorated cafe with huge windows and an interior painted in olive green and lavender, it offers a great selection of coffees, teas, fresh fruit juices, desserts, canapés, and set breakfasts. Come by yourself or with friends, chat or read the newspapers. The clientele is relatively mixed in the mornings and early afternoons (straight and gay) and predominantly gay men at night. Review © 2007, Wcities |
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Gay battlecruiser |
Pelayo, 42 Madrid, Madrid 28004 Spain +34 91 308 1462 http://www.leathermadrid.org/ Info@leathermadrid.org |
A three-storey disco-bar that's a popular venue for serious cruising. Although women are welcome, you'll find mostly men here. It's a classic hotspot amongst those "in the know" in Madrid's gay scene. The lights are low and the tempo is high. Come on Thursdays for the Fiesta del Morbo (Bare if you dare party). It's definitely not for wimps or the coy. Everybody ends up dancing in next to nothing. It gets hot! There's a dark room, too. Review © 2007, Wcities |
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Fun gay disco |
Calle De Barbieri 10 Madrid, Madrid 28004 Spain |
A large, bright orange disco-bar that opened in what used to be a tablao flamenco (Flamenco club). It's full of gay men in their 20s and 30s and some bring along their straight girlfriends. The music is a varied mix of danceable salsa, pachanga, disco and Spanish pop. The dance floor is in the centre with a surrounding gallery above that has tables and chairs for those who want to take a break or watch. There's a stage at the back and two bars. The cover charge includes one drink. Review © 2007, Wcities |
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Gay disco classic |
Calle del Doctor Cortezo 1 Madrid 28012 Spain |
Even though it's a bit of a trek from Chueca to get here, it still attracts the crowds, and with reason. It's a huge place with three bars and a dance floor you can lose yourself on, where the DJs play house, techno and golden oldies from the 70s. The theme parties are great fun, especially the foam nights. There's a good mix of people and ages, and a dark room if you feel the need. Admission is EUR6.01 including one free drink. Review © 2007, Wcities |
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Casablanca in Madrid |
Clavel, 8 Madrid, Madrid 28004 Spain +34 91 531 9186 |
An obligatory stop if you're cruising the capital's gay scene, you'll find that it has a magical atmosphere especially as the music and the punters get wilder and wilder as the night wears on. You're more likely to score around the pool table than on the dance floor and there's no shortage of 30-somethings on the prowl. The interior is an evocative interpretation of a decadent North African den, with its whitewashed walls and colourful curtains and cushions. Cover charge: Eur.7 Review © 2007, Wcities |
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Coffee, cocktails and meals |
Hortaleza, 74 Madrid, Madrid 28004 Spain +34 91 532 0771 |
This three-story cafe transforms itself into a modern cocktail bar by night. It used to be a traditional cafe but nowadays it also serves set meals, delicious snacks like Empanadas (tuna pastries), as well as homemade desserts and freshly squeezed fruit juices. A Sastrería means a Tailor's Shop, so you'll not be surprised to find the interior decor features all sorts of mannequins, fabrics, suits, trousers, etc. The set menu costs EUR7.81. The price of drinks varies according to the time of day: EUR4.50 per drink in the afternoon and EUR5.71 at night. Review © 2007, Wcities |
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A cafe-cum-disco that serves food |
Marqués de Valdeiglesias, 5 Madrid, Madrid 28004 Spain +34 91 522 2712 |
This bar offers food and drink to all-comers during the day and becomes a mainly gay disco-bar at night, playing ambient and house music. You can also see occasional live shows. The food is predominantly Italian, with an emphasis on fresh pasta and salads. It also serves cakes and pancakes. As for the decor, the most outstanding features are the huge windows, columns, plush, red-velvet chairs and abundant candles. The dance floor is down in the basement. Review © 2007, Wcities |
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Variety of salads & carpaccios |
Clavel, 5 Madrid, Madrid 28004 Spain +34 91 523 3363 |
This is a restaurant, café and cocktail bar rolled into one. You can while away the afternoon with a book, or stay for dinner and meet up with friends for drinks without having to give up your table. Their food is international, innovative, and creative, and the salads and carpaccios stand out above the rest. It is a cosmopolitan and lively place in the heart of Chueca, the gay district in Madrid. It attracts a nice cross-section of folks, though it is becoming increasingly popular with the gay and lesbian community. Review © 2007, Wcities |
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Claustrophobic but lots of fun |
San Bartolomé, 7 Madrid 28004 Spain |
A tiny bar with a loyal following, not just among gays and lesbians. What it lacks in size it makes up with in atmosphere. You've got no choice but to get friendly dancing shoulder to shoulder with whoever else is here. The music is a bizzare and amusing combination of Spanish kitsch, 1970s disco classics and salsa. Don't come if you suffer from claustrophobia. Review © 2007, Wcities |
