Arriving in Madrid on a stop over (family of 5) on July 7 mid-afternoon and leaving for NY on July 10.
Any suggestions for B&B or nice hotel. Places to eat (great food pls) Any other suggestions appreciated. Also 2 daughters 20 & 18 would like some nightlife. (parents do too. LOL)
Spanish,lived in Madrid, with the movida years,now away in France (in exile ). Real Madrid football/soccer team just won its 30th league title ,the city is going crazy!!
as to eat well Madrid is full of good places;my favorites are cuevas de Luis Candela off arcos de cuchilleros;plaza mayor(http://www.lascuevasdeluiscandelas.com/default2.htm) el espejo, paseo de recoletos; Bajamar, gran via 78.as to nightlife: if they dress to kill the best is Joy Eslava;(use to be a theater,than a community dance hall,now the IN discotheque in Madrid) Arenal 8 off puerta del sol. after go next door to chocolateria san gines, at pasadillo de san gines for dipping churros in hot chocolate (removes the alcohol;;and else). another one is Palacio de la Gaviria Arenal 9 all very close near Puerta del Sol ,the center of Madrid. as for general shopping try the best dept store in Spain; El corte Ingles, branches all over the city see it here http://www.elcorteingles.es/centros/EN/comunidadmadrid.asp
they said from Madrid to heaven!! Hemingway said that first. let me know when you come back how it was for you and yours.
You might think about staying in an apartment instead of a hotel - my mom and I stayed in a two bedroom that slept five people, very close to Puerta del Sol. There is reception on-site and they rent for less than 3 days and they are very reasonably priced. Here is the link:
As for eating, Pedmar is right, you'll be very happy in Madrid, food wise. There are great tapas bars all over the place. Are you thinking more tapas bars, or meals at restaurants?
On one side of the Plaza Mayor, they have a bunch of tapas bars built into the side of the walls of the Plaza, with each bar specializing in something different (mushrooms, tortilla etc.) Cava Baja is a good street to eat on as well.
As for nightlife, the Spanish start late. I think most people don't even arrive at a disco until midnight! So take a nap every day, eat a late dinner with the locals, THEN head to the disco.
Parkegio, the official Hostal Madrid website is http://www.Hostal-Madrid.info (it has changed a few times over the years). The hostel (called "hostal" in Spain/Spanish) has single, double, and triple rooms so you might not be able to fit 4 persons in one room. You may have to get 2 rooms or rent one of the apartments they have. I've read a number of good reviews about them as well. What's your price range?
For nighttime entertainment, I'd say a Flamenco Show might be in order but expect to pay up to 30 Euros per person for just the show and your first drink. Having dinner at these places (not usually the best food but not bad either) can double or triple the per-person costs, usually too expensive. You'll need to make reservations for the shows, however. Where to go? I just went to Corral de la Morería (web: http://www.corraldelamoreria.com ) and really liked the rustic place and the dancers too. I've also seen good shows at Café de Chinitas (web: http://www.chinitas.com).
If your Spanish is good or decent, you could try some of the many many tapas bars throughout the old Huertas neighborhood. Don't expect tables and chairs in these places, however, because the few there are never available so it'll likely be "standing room only" - which is very typical for most bars, just stand, eat, drink, and talking (LOUDLY!) over the din of conversations surrounding you. Same goes for the terrazas in the wonderful Plaza Santa Ana. This is a GREAT place to hang out in the great outdoors - but again, getting a table in the summer is very very difficult.
In the morning, before it gets too hot, you could rent 2 rowboats in the lake of the Retiro Park and paddle around with some nice views among the ducks and other rowers.
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