With temperatures reaching well over 100 ºF (38 ºC), there are only two places you should be in Madrid right now: either in a swimming pool (in the city or the mountains) or on a rooftop bar. If you’re stuck with the latter, not to worry—Madrid has plenty of rooftop bars for you to escape to. To help you find them, Naked Madrid came out with a 3-part series on Madrid’s best rooftop bars last summer, and we’ve been meaning to come out with part 4 ever since. And it’s finally here! All the rooftop bars in this article are located in the center of Madrid, yet each one offers something completely different. Hope you enjoy them all!

Oh and you should also know that part 5 is already on its way…. so stay tuned!

1) The Hat (Sol/Plaza Mayor)

You’ve never seen a hostel like this before; the word ‘hipster’ does not even begin to describe it. High ceilings, art-scrawled walls and an international crowd are what you’ll find here. The Hat’s rooftop bar is open all year round, serving up cocktails and delicious tostas (my favorite is with goat cheese and caramelized onions, and comes with a shot of salmorejo and potato chips), quiche, and some pretty damn good tortilla de patata. Here’s a full post on The Hat for more info.

2) Mercado del San Ildefonso (Malasaña)

We all know Madrid’s market culture is off the hook. We’ve got Mercado de San Miguel in Sol for the tourist crowd; Mercado de San Antón (whose rooftop bar we also love and mentioned in Round 1) in Chueca for the cooler and more urban crowd; and Mercado de San Fernando in Lavapiés for the more authentic and cultural crowd, just to name a few. And now we have Mercado de San Ildefonso, which takes the cake for its architecture and impressive use of space. Once an average neighborhood market, San Ildefonso now boasts three stories of gourmet food stalls and two outdoor patios sandwiched between its adjacent buildings. Here’s a full article on Mercado del San Ildefonso.

3. El Jardín Secreto (on Calle Montera, Gran Via)

Jardín Secreto feels like a tiny rooftop garden in somebody’s private home. You wouldn’t expect that it’s actually situated on top of an accessories store – Salvador Bachiller – and on Calle Montera, no less. Smack in the center of the city, in between metros Gran Vía and Sol, you can enter this normal-looking store, pop up to the top floor and take in the fresher air with a drink and a bite to eat. It might not have any views, but it sure has a unique ambience and surprise factor that’s worth experiencing. Here’s a full article on Jardín Secreto for more info.

4. Innside Madrid Suecia (near Alcalá/Plaza de Cibeles)

I haven’t actually been here yet but many of my friends have raved about it. Judging by its location, the new rooftop bar at Innside Madrid Suecia Hotel looks a bit more upscale than the others on this list – probably best for a night out of cocktails mixed with a killer view. It’s owned by the Meliá Hotel chain, which also owns the famous “The Roof” in Plaza Santa Ana, previously mentioned in Round 3), and situated on a street behind Calle Alcalá and El Círculo de Bellas Artes (with yet another stunning rooftop, “Tartan Roof”, mentioned in Round 1). For now, I’ve taken these photos off of the Hotel’s web, yet I plan on replacing them as soon as I get the chance to treat myself to such an experience.

5) Gourmet Experience at El Corte Inglés (Callao)

Madrid’s number one department store, El Corte Inglés, finally decided to give itself a much needed facelift and revamp the 9th floor of its location in Callao, turning it into ‘Gourmet Experience’; and it truly is an experience. With an outdoor rooftop and dozens of food stalls, one of which is StreetXO, an affordable version of Madrid’s famous young Michelin-starred chef, David Muñóz’s DiversoXO, you’ll also find stalls serving Mexican, Italian, Spanish and Japanese food, as well as cocktails, ice-cream and much more. Here’s  full article on Gourmet Experience at Callao.

We’re already working on Round 5 of Madrid’s top rooftop bars. Any suggestions?

In case you haven’t seen rounds 1-3, here you are: 

• Madrid’s Best Rooftop Bars, Round 1

• Madrid’s Best Rooftop Bars, Round 2

• Madrid’s Best Rooftop Bars, Round 3

Now that I’m starting school at IE this fall, I need to have a full arsenal of lunch places in my Rolodex. For a few weeks I kept passing by Wanda thinking to myself, I’ve got to come here. So finally, as things start to wind down and I find myself full of optimism, Daphne and I got together to have lunch at Wanda Café Optimista.

The décor makes it a perfect place to have some coffee, get lost in conversation (as we did), AND for IE students (especially with those who will have classes in María de Molina, 4) there are big tables for group projects. As I perused Wanda’s website to get the final research components to wrap up this article and make it ready for publication, the owners of the restaurant did have the oasis idea in mind. With primarily light, nautral woods, along with splashes of neon colors reminiscent of summery ikat prints, the hustle and bustle of the Castellana and the Plaza del Doctor Marañón seemed a world away.

At lunchtime, there are a number of deals. The plato del día the day we were there was salmon, basmati rice, and roasted tomatoes. This, along with a coffee and drink, was €9.

What was even more amazing was Daphne’s iced tea, with fresh strawberries and mint.

Now that I have received a temporary reunion with fruit, I am even more determined to go back and have it.

There are some other deals as well, including the salad buffet. For an absolute hardcore salad eater like myself, the setup is great. You have your salad (with you choosing the toppings and having it tossed like the tried and true salad establishments in my hometown of New York City that line every major area with office buildings) and a natural juice. So not only do I need to go back to Wanda to get myself a delicious strawberry iced tea, I also need to have some salad and juice.

If you don’t want to take advantage of any of the deals and want to have a more traditional restaurant experience, then there’s plenty of things to whet your appetite. While I add the ventresca (tuna belly), tomato, and onion salad, there were also plenty of other options. You can have something more traditional, like salmorejo, bacalao, cecina de León, or croquetas, but if you crave something more international, then there’s plenty for you too. You can find a selection of thin-crust pizzas, chicken tikka masala, eggs benedict, AND onion rings.

But if you thought Wanda was just for lunch, it’s also open until 2 AM. If you find yourself having a long night of work and studying, you’ll have yourself a great oasis.

Info

Wanda Café Optimista
Calle María de Molina, 1
Tel.: +34 91 737 53 64
Hours: Monday- Friday 8 AM-2 AM; Saturday and Holidays 10 AM-2 AM
Metro: Gregorio Marañón (Lines 7 and 10)
Web & Facebook

It was love at first sight for me with La Bicicleta. La Bicileta Café fills a void in a city filled to the brim with bars serving coffee, but sparsely populated with the type of homey workplaces that I hold dear to my heart. There is something comforting about spending hours holed up in a cafe, calmed by the stop and go of an espresso machine. I like to search out spots where I can stake out territory and sit while minutes tick into hours, my fingers hammering at a keyboard or eyes scanning over pages of a book. La Bicileta is one such spot where this is possible and encouraged and might I say, all the rage. It fosters productivity and sociality and the consumption of caffeinated and alcoholic beverages: what could be better?

La Bicileta bustles at pretty much any given hour of the day. While the sun is still out, it functions more or less just as it bills itself: a cycling workplace and café. You will see people perched in the windowsills with their laptop and coffee within equal reach. Cyclists come and go with their bikes. They barge through the front door and head downstairs to where they store or repair their rides. All of this while waiters bustle about with salads and tostas, cañas and coffees. Once the sun goes down, it becomes progressively unlikely to find anyone doing work. The place metamorphosizes into a social hub with so much traffic that the entryway is hardly ever free of spillover customers.

 Coffee drinks come in all shapes and sizes. The standards are available, but innocent intentions of ordering a cortado may be redirected upon a glance at the spunkier options on the menu like the oreo frappuccino, for example. As can happen at the Bicicleta, one may feel torn between alcohol and caffeine. Options abound on both listings. The food landscape includes sandwiches, salads, tostas, a [pricey] brunch menu on the weekends, and a display case stocked with baked goods: cookies, cakes, and the like.

As Yogi Berra once said: “Nobody goes there anymore. It’s too crowded.” Well, not quite. There are still plenty of people at La Bicileta; but Yogi was right, it’s definitely crowded. Real estate is hard to come by despite the plethora of sofas, elongated work tables, and quaint table and chair setups available to patrons. While it attracts a determinedly international crowd who may not (probably are not) natives to Madrid, it feels like that good ol’ neighborhood joint on the corner.

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Just around the corner, you’ll find these amazing spots:

Mercado de San Ildefonso – Malasaña’s new food palace

Naif: King of Burgers

Greek & Shop in Malasaña

La Paca – the perfect Malasaña café

Aiò – Sardinia, pizza and bike haven in Malasaña

Sugar dusted pastries, chocolate dipped palmeras and fruit filled tarts: gluten free friends, the search is over. If you’re a foodie who just happens to be of the gluten free inclination, finding delicious confectionary in the city can be a little, shall we say, challenging.

We all know that there are the international coffee shops that serve the same chocolate brownie and the supermarket aisles that sell the same two or three packaged cookies, but where do you go when your traveller, foodie heart wants to spring out into the city and explore its homemade artisan treats?

This series is dedicated to Madrid’s best hidden corners for delicious homemade cakes and cookies, gluten free style. You can even take your non-gluten free friends, and I promise you that they will not be able to tell the difference; they may even find their new favourite spot!

Confitería Marqués

Tucked away on Fernando el Católico, Confitería Marqués is the little Madrid bakery where it feels like everything has been made especially for you. With its tea party bunting and dainty glass cake stands, it has an element of the Alice and Wonderland to it, with everything in miniature.

There are fruit tarts, mini croissants, individual loaf cakes, savoury empanadas, palmeritas, apple slices, jam tarts, and more.

The sheer selection that they offer is fantastic for any gluten free Madrid foodie, as well as any foreigner in Madrid that wants to try some local pasteles with a reminder of home. Everything is made in the pasteleria and tastes as homemade as it sounds.

As well as all of the above, another reason why Confitería Marqués is so unique is that it also makes savoury food such as empanadas, filled with cheese, vegetables, fish and meat. These crispy, buttery little pastry puffs make for a delectable little lunch.

Then there are the pastries, tarts, palmeritas, fruit slices and loaf cakes. Each are exactly as they should be, and some are even better.

The apple loaf cakes have a base of sweet apple pieces and raisins, are soft on the inside and scented with vanilla. The palmeritas are crispy and flaky and come traditionally plain, or coated in dark chocolate. Plus, the chocolate orange tart is rich and decadent, filled with dark chocolate cream, and hints of citrusy orange.

The owner of the shop is extremely friendly and can help you pick out something from the counter, or choose something from the incredible handmade confectionary that they have to the left of the counter and throughout the rest of the shop, including small boxes of cookies and beautifully presented chocolates. These would be perfect as a thoughtful little gift or -why not- a special treat for yourself.

You can even buy a homemade birthday cake, chilled desserts or a traditional Christmas Roscón de Reyes from the tall stand to the right of the counter; any would make a great surprise for a gluten free friend on a special occasion or a delicious traditional dessert to share after a meal at home with friends.

Another little tip is that they can make gluten free bread in house to order; just ask the lady at the counter when you would like it for.

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Extra notes

Don’t forget to ask about the delicious foods available for lactose and nut allergies. You can go with all of your friends!

You’ll also like:

Cosy Wine Bars in La Latina – with gluten-free options!

Rayen Vegano – a vegan “gem” of a restaurant in Huertas

Not too long ago, Madrid’s breakfast scene was limited to traditional croissants, toast and churros. Now, however, it’s rivalling cities like New York and London. How did this happen so quickly? Don’t know. But boy are we loving it… One of the best places for brunch in Madrid is Federal Café, which may look like a stylish restaurant in Soho, but it’s actually located in Malasaña, near Conde Duque.

Last Sunday, I went for brunch with three lovely ladies – Cat, Aifric and Helen.

We all started with fresh smoothies. Mine had pomegranate and organic apple juice – health in a glass.

To eat, I ordered toast with avocado, poppyseed and lemon.

Aifric got the same, although with poached eggs (smart choice).

Helen had a veggie burger with freshly squeezed orange juice.

Then there’s Cat, who wins first prize by a landslide with her full-on plate of poached eggs, bacon, potatoes, sausage and toast. Damn. 

The first time I went to Federal was actually over a year ago with my friend, Nina (who’s sitting in the window looking at the little kid). We stumbled upon Federal while strolling around and were instantly lured in by the comfy window seats that allowed us to dangle our legs onto the sidewalk.

We started with a coffee.

That ended quickly. The menu featured such a wide variety of dishes that were chock full of local, organic and fresh ingredients – we just couldn’t help but order something to eat. I got a sandwich with feta cheese, spinach and olive tapenade. Nina had a burger. Simple but so good!

So if you’re looking for a hip place with healthy food in the center of Madrid, I think you’ve found it!

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You may also like:

Best Brunch on a Budget in Madrid

Little Big Café – my little big pick-me-up

Toma Café – Fuel Up, Feel Hip

Mamá Campo – a Restaurant/Market of Organic Delights in Plaza Olavide

My friend Natasha would often sing praises of Munchies, an American-style snack bar situated in Huertas that is open for business until 6am. Always ecstatic to have more options besides kebabs & pizzas during late-night outings in my new barrio, I sampled this location in order to share my findings with my beloved expat community. Munchies lives up to its namesake, hitting the spot during intoxicated bouts of hunger. It is a cozy and charming spot reminiscent of the American small town diners that I am ever so fond of.

This location provides swift and efficient service, and although I’ve only tasted their burgers, they also offer arepas, salads, hotdogs, homemade cakes and other sweets. Amber, the owner and culinary master of this establishment, gently applies condiments and toppings to the burgers with cariño. I admire her discipline, remaining awake and alert into the wee hours of the night in order to aid drunk people as they preemptively combat the next day’s hangover with greasy edibles. It is for that reason that I bestow upon this establishment the Dcat Seal of Approval.

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Like any good native New Yorker, and like every madrileño for that matter, there’s nothing like a great cup of coffee, and preferably it’s not costing you an arm and a leg like that relaxing cup of café con leche in Plaza Mayor. I yet again found out about Monkee Koffee through Cup of Couple‘s Instagram account, and was ecstatic to have it be within a 20-minute walk of my apartment.

On a Saturday afternoon I headed to Monkee to meet a friend, looking forward to having my mind blown by coffee. The first thing that strikes you when you pull up is the sliding door (which is an absolute rarity, except for maybe Panaria).

When you walk up to the counter, you’ll find a menu not only with different kinds of coffee, but also smoothies, AND food. Not only can you get standard baked goods (like cookies, cakes, and some tostadas), BUT there are a number of sandwiches or salads to really be able to get your munch on.

It’s a great spot for cold-brewed iced coffee, which in Madrid can be a little bit of a challenge to find. The one caveat for me was that there was no skim milk, but I’d be willing to indulge in soy milk in my cold-brew. For those of you who were big Blue Bottle Coffee fans in San Francisco and New York, this is the closest you’ll get to it in Chamberí.

 There are a variety of seating arrangements, including a smaller table with big, comfy chairs, where my friend and I got lost in conversation. If you want to get work done, you can sit at the long, communal table in the middle à Le Pain Quotidien, or on another long table just along the brick wall where you can see the Monkee logo and a bright letter o. For groups of friends, there are also some other tables where you can pull up chairs and seat groups of three, four, or five comfortably. I can definitely see myself coming here to write, study, or get lost in a good book.

Monkee Koffee also has a choice location this time of year. It’s located just around the corner from Parque de Santander and the Instalaciones Deportivas del Canal Isabel II, which is my swimming pool of choice on hot summer afternoons.

I’m glad to have found a place to get my cold-brewed iced coffee and food to-go before I relax by the pool, or stay in and get some fuel and some work done.

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Here’s a list of more of our favorite cafés in Madrid:

Little Big Café: my big little pick-me-up

4 Coziest Cafés in Chamberí

Cafelito: for coffee lovers in Lavapiés

Toma Café: Fuel up, Feel hip

Pepe Botella: a coffee place where you can think

La Paca: the perfect café in Malasaña