Magical Madrid - For the romantics out there...

Madrid is a magical city with many a hidden corner to explore. This post is for those of us who crave a bit of theatricality in our lives; a touch of mystery, a dash of eccentricity, the swish of red velvet and flickering candles or the thrill that only a secret entrance can give. Here I've compiled a list of three out of the many spots I've discovered in Madrid to satisfy that craving...

1. Platea Madrid

This is one of the places I found that really made me happy. An old abandoned theatre restored to its former glory and turned into a swanky bar/restaurant with live music acts and a distinctly classy atmosphere. Accessed from the street via an entrance at the back of a fruit and vegetable shop it's sufficiently secret too...

Another English girl I met on the plane back to Madrid invited me for a drink and this was the place she picked. Making our way past the immaculately presented fruit and veg I was amazed to see the ceiling rise and the floor drop away to encompass an entire theatre! The building covers several floors and many different food stalls and restaurant booths. The tinto de verano I ordered at the bar came in a goldfish bowl sized glass and was accompanied by a free jazz concert on the stage above us. Steeped in old-school glamour, this is definitely a place not to be missed; perfect for when the parents visit or to take a boyfriend or girlfriend out for drinks/dinner.

Platea Madrid, Calle Goya, 5-7 (+34915770025)

 2. Capas Seseña

No self respecting musketeer/highwayman/toreador/witch/nobleman/outlaw is complete without a cape and for me this has to be perhaps the most romantic item of clothing ever invented. Founded in 1901, Capas Seseña is the only shop in the world that only sells capes and only capes made on the premises at that.

From old-fashioned black wool capes lined with silk to the more modern cropped and colourful numbers on the catwalks today this shop has it all. Unless you've got a spare £300 or more burning a hole in your pocket you're unlikely to be able to afford one of these beauties but we can all press our noses against the glass and daydream...

Capas Seseña, Calle de la Cruz 23 (0034 91 531 6840) www.sesena.com

3. El Jardín Secreto

This place isn't exactly secret or hidden, I found it in my lonely planet guidebook, but it's certainly eccentric. One of the most popular bars in Madrid for a drink with friends or a date-night, the interior of this place is truly unique.

 

 

Glowing teapots and rainbow hot air balloons hang from the ceiling with tables made out of clocks and chairs made from huge sea turtle shells. An immense giraffe towers over everything in the corner while swathes of exotic flowers and colourful fabrics are draped around the windows. The menu is also pretty unique with fruity, fizzy drinks rubbing shoulders with teas and coffees, gorgeous puddings and a range of tasty main courses. Once you step inside you'll feel like you've fallen down a rabbit hole into a kind of dream land - the perfect place to excape from it all!

El Jardín Secreto, Calle Conde Duque 2, (+34 915 41 80 23)


There are plenty of other magical places in Madrid that bring out the romantic in all of us. If you know of any please comment below - I'd love to hear about them!

* The photo of Platea Madrid was taken from guiadelocio.com

Microteatro

On Thursday night I was lucky enough to be invited to the theatre by my flatmate Christina who was going with her boyfriend Thomás, Laura a friend from work and her partner Miguel. There are plenty of traditional theatres in Madrid but we were going to a Microteatro called Por Dinero. The idea is that above ground the bar serves drinks as usual but that in the rooms below short plays of about 15 minutes each are performed all night. We waited in a queue outside to book our tickets (4 euros per play) and then went to have dinner before the shows we'd reserved started.

Here we are waiting outside:

Once our time slots had appeared on a TV screen above the bar we were ushered downstairs in silence to wait for the show to start. A man in underpants, vest and socks and covered in lipstick marks stuck his head round a door and the night began! Each show contains about 2-3 characters and the tiny rooms (and they are tiny - only about 3 metres square) in which they're performed all branch off a dark corridor. I wasn't sure what to expect to be honest but we all really enjoyed it. The two shows that we saw were both comedies which often meant that the lines were spoken really fast so at times it was hard to keep up. The actors were brilliant; just because the plays only last 15-20 minutes doesn't mean they're any less good than a full length show.

You can have a look online beforehand to see which shows interest you or you can just wait until you're in the queue where you can pick up a flyer. It is very popular though and the capacity of the room for each show is only about 10 people so if you're in a group like we were you may have to arrive early or wait until they have space later on. There were five of us so we ended up booking the 10.45pm and 11pm slots and going for dinner beforehand.

Por Dinero is located just off Gran Vía in Calle de Loreto Prado y Enrique Chicote

microteatromadrid.es