Madrid Travel Answers

Start from Plaza de Santa Ana and all the streets around it. Cheers G.

Thanks for the general advice but I was looking for specific suggestions.

One word Starbucks!!!!!

Two words and one of them is off!

Wow!I never expected that reaction-totally uncallled for! Starbucks is a GREAT place to meet people in Madrid.When they first opened the one near the Palace hotel everyone said it wouldn't last! Wrong! There are loads of Starbucks today and yes, my Spanish friends love the idea of just sitting around on comfortable sofas and meeting people from all over and especially to practise their English. So, as the saying goes: ¡Chupate de esa mandarina!

Chopchi - I agree, totally uncalled for. However, I have had other discussions with VT posters and for a few there is a real anger toward these large (american) corporations spreading their logo over the world. Mention Walmart and see what happens. Good travels, Karl

Cafe Manuela is cool (C/san vicente ferrer) or go to Cafe Madrid on wednesday nights (Metro Opera) and meet other internationals and Spanish people for an "intercambio". I think Cafe Comercial in Bilbao has an intercambio night too (mondays?) There are also lots of pub quizes at irish pubs... eh another place... JJs cafe near Metro Santo domingo, near Calle san bernardo is a cool cafe/book store thats a nice place to meet people too. As you said, its a big city. There are lots of places! Hard to name them all!

Thanks very much, there are some places there that I was already planning to check out this weekend, and some new ones. Cheers!

Ok, maybe the reaction is not very good but... I agree! Hate those McDonald's-like places. Also I think the coffee is not very good (here there are tons of better places) and you cannot smoke inside "because of the quality of the coffee" or something like that... C'mon, if you don't let me smoke, you don't let me smoke, but don't say stupid things regarding coffee quality! Oops! Sorry! Now for the cafes! -Calle Libertad, 8 -> Cafe Libertad8 (^_^) -Calle Olivar 13 -> Artepolis (well, this is more a cultural place... exhibitions, concerts, shows... but give it a try!) -Calle Gravina 10 -> Cafe Acuarela -Calle San Andres 12 -> Cafe Pepe Botella puff! So difficult! You know, there are some districts in Madrid (Chueca, Malasaña, Latina, Lavapies...) with tons of them. I would suggest to go there & wander a little.

Although in defense of Starbucks (where there is one on Gran Via), I don't know of anyplace else in Madrid where one can get an icy frappacino on a July afternoon when the temperature is around 90f. For some reason the continent have been slow to pick up the fact that when it is hot outside, ice is a good thing. On my most recent trip to France I almost went into shock when we were provided with a carafe of ice cubes at a cafe in Caen. Karl

Hi Roadquill, If you like starbucks you are in luck. Now there are millions of them all over Madrid. VIPS has bought the rights to Starbucks and so now anywhere there is a Vips there is a Starbucks... or there soon will be. Somebody please save us from the invasion!!!! ;) J.