Last month I visited Madrid for a solo 8 day trip and got to experience all that the city has to offer during the Christmas season. This city goes all out with their festive lights and there is no shortage of street and squares to see! Madrid is the perfect destination to get in the holiday mood with very favorable temperatures, sunny days and blue skies. As the locals say, ‘de Madrid al cielo’, and from Madrid to the sky couldn’t have been more true. Every day was a solid blue sky and endless sunshine.
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Best streets/areas to see holiday lights:
Plaza de Canalejas – this was my favorite!!
Calle de Serrano
Fuente de Ciebelas
outside the Hermes store/Four Seasons
…and so many smaller streets in Las Letras neighborhood were all lit up to enjoy
Where to eat:
Most of the places I stopped to grab a drink or food were in Bario de las Letras, as I found it very walkable, cute, and near my hotel.
Casa González – founded in 1931, it has a store in the front that sells cheese, wine and delicatessen products and restaurant in the back. I ended up coming here 3 times in a week as the food was very good, affordable and friendly staff. I opted for the toasts – **many of the Madrid tapas tours come by here. I saw several rotating in and out each time i was there, so you know it must be good!
El Lacón – cozy, vibrant atmosphere where the bar was always a few deep! With each drink, you get to pick a free tapas to enjoy. **Madrid tapas tours also stopped here.
Alimentacion Quiroga – great vibe to enjoy some wine and food. I stopped in here Christmas Eve for wine and jamon y tomato toast. Super fast paced place with a mix of locals and tourists. I came back the next day for the foie with white truffle honey toast.
Takos Al Pastor – one of the best and unexpected meals of my trip! While casually wandering the city, I saw a line forming outside of this place that was closed. A quick check on google maps to see what it was i joined the line. I opted for one of each taco as they are small. After placing your order at the counter, go find a table and your food is there almost immediately. 6 tacos and a beer were just over 10 euro (which also was their credit card minimum).
Where to stay:
Bario de las Letras was the perfect location! Walking distance to all the main sites, this area has small streets lined with restaurants, cafes, stores and hotels.
Vincci Soho Hotel – was perfect for my solo trip. Offering all the amenities and security I was looking for. 24/7 front desk, restaurant and bar, and the room was stocked with so many extras (bathrobe, slippers, toothbrush, shower cap etc)The TV was even set up with chromecast so you could cast from your own device.
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