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Nightlife, or la marcha, is often drawn out past 6 am in Madrid, and visitors always wonder how locals can get by on (what appears to be) so little shut-eye. Unlike in other European cities, where partying is a pastime geared only toward the young, there are plenty of bars and discotecas with mixed-age crowds, and it's not uncommon for children to play on the sidewalks past midnight while multigenerational families and friends convene over coffee or cocktails at an outdoor café. For those in their thirties, forties, and up who don't plan on staying out until sunrise, the best options are the bars along the Cava Alta and Cava Baja, Calle Huertas near Plaza de Santa Ana, and Calle Moratín near Antón Martín. Those who want to stay out till the wee hours have more options: Calle Príncipe and Calle De la Cruz, lined with sardine-can bars lined with locals, and the scruffier streets that snake down toward Plaza de Lavapiés. But the neighborhood most synonymous with la vida nocturna is Malasaña, which has plenty of trendy hangouts along Calle San Vicente Ferrer, Calle La Palma, and all around Plaza de Dos de Mayo. Another major nightlife contender is is Chueca, where tattoo parlors and street-chic boutiques sit between LGBT+ (yet hetero-friendly) bars bars, dance clubs, and after-hours clubs.
In general, cafés in Madrid can be classified into two groups: those that have been around for many years (La Pecera del Círculo, Café de Oriente), where writers, singers, poets, and discussion groups still meet and where conversations are usually more important than the coffee itself, and Nordic-style third-wave venues (Hanso, Toma Café, Hola Coffee, Federal Café) tailored to hip and hurried urbanites that tend to have a wider product selection, modern interiors, and Wi-Fi.
This 194-year-old bar will transport you to a typical Spanish tavern of yore. The banged-up tin washbasin, the baroque cash register, the wooden bar shelves and low tables with wooden stools—these details haven't changed in over a century. The house vermouth is the tipple to try; elbow your way to the onyx-topped bar and sip it with a handful of olives or cheese (skip the underwhelming food).
An essential Malasaña experience is gulping down a few ice-cold "yayos"—vermouth, gin, seltzer, lemon slice—at the tin bar alongside free no-nonsense tapas like olives and stewed chickpeas.
You may as well be in Williamsburg or Kreuzberg at this popular and un-campy (mostly) gay bar where an artsy clientele sips cañas (half-pints) and dangerously cheap cocktails before heading out to the discoteca.
You can find fine modern raciones here (the ultracreamy burrata stands out), but this place is better known for its middle-floor bar, which fills up with a cocktail-drinking after-work crowd, and rooftop terrace decorated with potted plants. Beware of the 10% surcharge that comes with outdoor dining, and expect so-so service.
One of Chueca's buzziest gay bars, Postureo caters to well-dressed creatives, selfie-snapping influencers, and models on their nights off. The bartenders may not know what a Negroni is—even if they have all the requisite ingredients—but you come for the scene, not for the mixology.
Lavapiés upped its cocktail game with Savas, a pocket-size bar that has quickly become a cult hangout for mixology geeks and neighborhood scenesters. The classic cocktails are expertly made—think White Russians and Tom Collinses at about €11 apiece—and local craft beers by La Virgen are on offer.
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