In Madrid, drinking beer is more than just a tradition, it’s almost an obligation.

When the working day is done, people go out for a beer. If it’s been a while since you saw someone, you meet them for a beer. Any excuse for a lager!

The beer is always perfectly poured and accompanied by some form of tapas. In Madrid there’s no other way of doing things.

Here we recommend one possible bar crawl if you fancy a few beers in Madrid but any bar in the Spanish capital is a good place to cañear (a verb that the Spanish have invented from the noun caña, meaning a small beer, and that is used to refer to the action of going out for a few beers).

We begin our bar crawl in the city centre, with three bars that come highly recommended: El Tigre,Cervantes and Kruger on Calle Princesa.

El Tigre is known for being a typical Spanish bar and for always being full. It specialises in cider and your drinks always come with tapas.

Kruger, on the other hand, is not like other Spanish bars. It is, in fact, a small slice of Germany in the centre of Madrid. Located near the Plaza España, this bar serves a wide variety of beers, ham hocks, salads and sausages.

Cervantes bar is close to the Parliament buildings, between the Sevilla and Antón Martín metro stations. Like all good bars, it’s always full and you’re guaranteed a perfectly poured beer and accompanying tapas.

Since there is also life beyond the city centre, let us also recommend the perfect place to go for a beer in other parts of Madrid.

Cazorla: This bar in the Salamanca district boasts quality, good service and generous tapas.

Fass: At this German restaurant you can purchase German products and, of course, enjoy a great beer.

Beer’s Corner: This bar is quite a distance from the city centre (in Ciudad Lineal) but it has one feature that many will find quite quirky. Whilst having a few beers here you can play on the Playstation with your friends, since there is one at every table.

Now do you feel like visiting Madrid? Check out our flights here !

The island of Majorca is full of surprises. It has many leisure options, as well as nature, culture, traditions and contrasts. It’s worth spending a few days exploring, and you’re sure to come again! Join us on a five-day getaway to discover the best of the island’s slow life. Are you ready?

Barcelona is clearly a favourite shopping destination. The string of stores is endless, and design plays an important role in them. The good thing about shops in Barcelona is that you can find anything, from second-hand bargains in Els Encants to sophisticated luxury goods in the Passeig de Gràcia. Here, then, is a rundown of different areas in the city to save you from perishing in your endeavour to hunt down your much coveted Christmas presents.

Diagonal

The Diagonal has become a large, attractive, comfortable and glamorous promenade abuzz with commercial, tourist, gastronomic and urban activity. On a stroll along the avenue you can delight in the best brands and interior design stores, designer furniture and premium accessories. It boasts the leading shopping malls, iconic buildings and personalised “made in Barcelona” attention for shoppers. The avenue is lined with shops of all kinds, specialising in beauty care, accessories, home furnishings, jewellery, fashion, children’s goods and four large department stores – El Corte Inglés Diagonal, El Corte Inglés Plaça de Francesc Macià, L’Illa Diagonal and Pedralbes Centre.

Eixample

On a walk through the streets of this district you can spot myriad examples of Modernist buildings, architectural gems in their own right. Here, the shopping is noteworthy for its quality, glamour, specialisation and variety of products and establishments, featuring both world-famous designer stores and centuries-old shops redolent with history and tradition. Craftwork, beauty care, accessories, gourmet delicatessen, home furnishings, jewellery, fashion, children’s goods and shoe shops are the forte of this shopping area.

Casco Antiguo (Inner City)

Prominent here are shops featuring antiques, craftwork, beauty care, accessories, delicatessen, home furnishings, jewellery, fashion, children’s goods, shoe stores and the five leading department stores – El Corte Inglés, on the Avinguda Portal de l’Àngel, La Rambla and Plaça Catalunya and, in the harbour area, El Triangle and Maremagnum. This is the area with the most history in the city. It starts at the Plaça Catalunya, in the centre, proceeds along La Rambla, Barcelona’s most popular and colourful promenade, and into the districts of El Raval and the Gothic Quarter, where traditional and modern commercial establishments rub shoulders with cultural centres, not to mention the shopping centres and department stores. 

Born

With its more than two thousand years of history, El Born quarter is an area of contrasts, with history and culture coexisting side by side with trendy shops, culinary offerings, fashion and art. Prominent are the establishments offering antiques, craftwork, beauty care, accessories, delicatessen, jewellery and fashion.

Shopping Centres

Apart from shops, Barcelona boasts a large number of shopping centres and department stores offering goods of all kinds. They are ideal spots to shop when time is scarce, and they also provide leisure and catering facilities for spending time, either alone or with the family. In addition to those mentioned in the previous sections, the other must-visit shopping centres in the city are Diagonal Mar Shopping, La Maquinista and Las Arenas, the latter housed in a former bullring.

Retail Hubs

The city’s retail hubs stretch across all districts, where modern establishments are interspersed with long-standing traditional stores. A visit to these stores provides an enjoyment of Mediterranean-style shopping, which is essentially a family venture, with personalised attention based on a friendly demeanour and the professional service that comes through long tradition. All kinds of goods are available through these channels.

Additionally, this year, as part of the Barcelona Christmas Shopping campaign set up by Turisme de Barcelona, you can win one of the three trips for two people to come and shop in Barcelona over the Christmas season. If you visit this website, you can gain access to discounts in over 50 stores in the city and look up all the festive activities on the shopping agenda.

Don’t miss out on the chance to enjoy one of the greatest pleasures in your favourite city – check out our flights here.

Turisme de Barcelona

Lovers of good food will be especially impressed with Lisbon. Here, tradition and the avant-garde coexist in mutual harmony and quality. At times, they even fuse to create the coolest, most delectable foodie experiences. Take note of these five venues well worth visiting, and deserving more than just a bite.

An Unforgettable Brunch at Chafariz del Rei

An unassuming alleway to those who don’t suspect what lies in this quaint 13th-century building, breathing the luxury of bygone times, behind its imposing, locked door. Visitors have to ring the bell and wait. And, as they hear the key turning in the lock, the mystery deepens. Inside lie stately rooms with unusual, meticulous interior design. You have come to Chafariz del Rei, a place which is surprising and captivating from start to finish. It is ideal for enjoying a brunch (18 euros per head), comprising tea or coffee, natural fruit juices, homemade buns, bread, homemade jams, eggs any style, fruit salads, a cheeseboard, sausage and dessert. The best place to enjoy this food is of course on the terrace, bathed in sunlight, with the murmur of a fountain and a relaxing view. A divine moment you will never forget. But, you have to book in advance.

A Traditional Bill of Fare at the Cova Funda Intendente

The cantinas, an old Lisbon favourite, are still going strong. These genuine, popular eateries, replete with surly waiters, parties who talk (too) loud and paper place mats, where the menu is cobbled up by the family’s grandmother and two diners can wolf down food like there was no tomorrow for under 30 euros. With wine, coffee and dessert included. Take, for instance, the Cova Funda Intendente. Their speciality is – naturally – codfish, cooked to a thousand different recipes. Special mention goes to this fish done à brás (a sort of hashed codfish with egg, garlic, courgette, olives, onion and potatoes). The dish is as tasty as it is addictive. It is impossible to stop eating it, even when you’re about to burst. But, don’t even think of ordering one dish per person, as here the helpings are gargantuan. One helping is for two or more diners. As a first course, they make a superb bread soup (a vegetable broth with egg and sliced bread).

Original, Inimitable Pastéis de Belém

As soon as you set foot in the airport, your mouth will water by simply catching a glimpse of the pastéis de Belém, the country’s best known confectionery. And, you come across it all over Lisbon. But, in this case, I make no excuses for being a purist – the originals are inimitable. To try them, you have to go to Belém and wait patiently in the queue that forms on a daily basis in front of the Casa Pastéis de Belém and goes around the block. Here, where they make about 10,000 tarts a day, the confectionery was first invented. It’s worth waiting for. A mere bite into one of these custard tarts, eaten freshly baked and dusted with castor sugar and cinnamon, is simply divine.

A Cool Market for the Modern

Something has changed. Something is simmering here. Something is happening in Lisbon and the ferment smacks of a commitment to tradition, but with a modern touch. Tried and tested favourites always endure, but they adapt to an audience eager for new culinary experiences. This is what strikes you at the Mercado da Ribeira, now converted into a cool market boasting the best street food stalls in the city. Here you can feast on anything – local sausage or cheeses, internationally-inspired delicacies (pizza, prawn-and-beef hamburgers), traditional dishes (seafood grill, croquettes, rices…), preserves, cocktails, pastries, ice-creams, etc. The prices do, however, soar in comparison to the street stalls in the city centre, but a visit to this gastronomic market, which draws hundreds of people sharing tables each weekend, comes highly recommended. Mercado da Ribeira: Avenida 24 de Julho 50, 1200-109, Lisboa.

Charming Restaurant, Lisboan Fare

Typically Lisboan cuisine which gives a nod to the present, served in a priceless, modern establishment full of charm – the former premises of the Real Fábrica da Seda. What’s on the menu? Pastéis de bacalhau (cod fritters), duck with rice and octopus feijoada, a seafood stew with beans. The average price is 30 euros per head.

Come on! I’m sure your mouth was watering as you read this post. Check out our flights to Lisbon and feast on their culinary delights.

Text and images by Laia Zieger (Gastronomistas)