Museo Chicote - A bar with a story

Museo Chicote was one of those places I knew I couldn't leave Madrid without having seen just once. My lonely planet guidebook billed it as a "Madrid landmark" and I'd often walked home after a night out past its bright red neon sign. Famous as the city's oldest cocktail bar and boasting an impressive list of customers including Frank Sinatra, Ava Gardner, Grace Kelly and Sophia Loren, missing it was out of the question!

 

Kat and I went out for cocktails in the last few weeks of my time away and it was the perfect time to pay this place a visit. The interior is sufficiently swish with 1930s furniture, a beautifully lit bar, leather booths and photographs of all the famous guests covering the walls.

 

 

We selected our booth and ordered some cocktails (an icy passionfruit concoction for me and a martini for Kat). The drinks came with the option of a Thai tapa so we each had some delicious spicy chicken sticks with mango dip as a side.

 

The wall all along behind the booths is lined with mirrors, here's an arty shot of Kat:

The place was fairly quiet when we arrived and for most of the time we were there; a few couples were enjoying cocktails at the bar but it never really filled up. This would be the perfect spot for a date as the gorgeous interior is certainly impressive and the cocktails were delicious. One thing that did ruin the atmosphere a bit was the arrival of the DJ; after 11.30pm he started playing what my family describes as "bangin' toons". Something that didn't really fit in with the classy decor and black and white photos of old film stars and artists.

Despite this, Museo Chicote is most definitely worth a visit if you're in Madrid for a couple of nights. How could you pass up a chance to visit the bar that Hemingway used to shelter from bombs during the civil war and where Ava Gardner and Frank Sinatra had a lovers' tiff?

If you've visited Museo Chicote leave me a comment below and tell me what you thought!