Moncloa & Arguelles Madrid – All our local tips

Chapandaz is a famous pub/bar in Madrid that has been open for many years. When you get to this original place, you find out that you seem to be in a big and warm cave. It is safe to say that the decoration is amazing and you feel really comfortable. You can listen to good and soft music.

Here you can choose a lot of drinks, from a simple beer to Chapandaz’ most well-known drink, called ‘Leche de Pantera’ with rum, milk, cinnamon and secret ingredients. Also you can order for this drink in many sizes!

For short, we can say that Chapandaz is the ideal place to go with your friends after a dinner to start the night.

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Chapandaz | Bars, Music
Calle Fernando el Católico 77 | Moncloa & Arguelles | +34915492968
22:00 – 03:30 daily

This impressive building is considered of the “Madrileña” architectural style (this is of note only because so many historical buildings here are Gothic, Romanesque, etc…). Its use has changed over the years, from a military academy to an astrological observatory and now it houses cultural studies and presentations.

In the summer there are concerts and festivals in the two inner courtyards, but there are always exhibits and activities in the various installation rooms. You have to buy tickets for the concerts, but the rest of the activities are usually free. I especially like the contemporary art collection which has some lesser-known Spanish artists. Sometimes if the concerts are loud, you can hear the music from the street and have a drink on nearby Calle Cristo (see Calle Cristo article).

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Conde Duque Cultural Center | Art & culture | Free
Calle Conde Duque 11 | Moncloa & Arguelles | +34915885834
Tue – Sat 10:00 – 14:00 & 17:30 – 21:00, Sun 10:30 – 14:30

El Macetero is a unusual bar in Moncloa, where you can drink whatever you want. However, the most important thing that makes it different from the rest of bars in Madrid, is, as well indicated its name, the drink is served in flowerpots. Yes, flowerpots!

The size of the drinks depends on the flowerpot that we choose whose names are related with studies. From minor to major we find (as the grade in an exam):  aprobado (C), notable (B), sobresaliente (A), matrícula (magna cum laude), doctorado (doctorate), catedrático (professor) and el Gran Macetero (The Large Flowerpot).

What size do you dare to choose? Remember that here you are evaluated by the size of your drink, not your knowledge!

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El Macetero | Bars
Calle del Arcipreste de Hita 12 | Moncloa & Arguelles | +34915443528
10:00 – 01:00 daily

This bar is ideal for young people and for everyone who wants to have a great time with friends. The reason? Because is a little and narrow place that is constructed in a kind of basement, so the roof is not high at all and this increases the feeling of overwhelmed.

On the menu you can find the classical Spanish omelet – or how we call it here “Tortilla de patatas“- with a lot of sauces and varieties. Also you can eat tapas (Spanish traditional food). But you must taste at least their tortilla de patatas.

There is a reason they call it The King!

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El Rey de las Tortillas | Bars, Restaurants (Tapas)
Andrés Mellado 16 | Moncloa & Arguelles | +34915540250
13:30 – 16:30 & 21:00 – 00:00 daily

In comparison with Goya’s bizarre dark paintings and prints, the restored luminous fresco ceilings at the Ermita de San Antonio seem bright and cheerful. But there is a dark “Goya-esque” side to these renditions of Saint Anthony’s miracles. Goya added a bit of street life – grungy stone workers, prostitutes, dogs, kids playing, etc! Luckily, King Carlos IV approved it when it was completed in 1798, and the chapel has since become known as Goya’s masterpiece. His tomb is noted by a marble slab at the altar, while most of your attention is directed upwards to the ceiling via mirrors so you don’t hurt your neck.

Saint Anthony is considered the go-to saint for marriage set-ups, so on his saint day, June 13th, the single ladies flock to the Ermita. Next door is a replica of the chapel that is still used for religious services. If you’re hungry, go next door to Casa Mingo (check the Casa Mingo article).

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Ermita de San Antonio | Art & culture | Free
Paseo de La Florida 2 | Moncloa & Arguelles | +34915420722
Tue – Fri 09:30 – 20:00, Sat – Sun 10:00 – 14:00

This is a little place, with small tables and a charming atmosphere. It’s the best place if you want to have a date with someone special. The menu is very good because it has – apart from the tasty crepes- different kind of salads and platters with foie and cheese.

But the main thing here are the crepes. Salty or sweet, you can choose between many different crepes with the most assorted combination. For dessert, you can taste  the ‘Hawaian Paradise’; for a refreshing and sweet final.

My favourite crepe is the ‘Bávaro’. Which one do you prefer?

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La Creperie ‘easycrep’ | Snacks, Restaurants | Per person € 15.00
Avenida Filipinas 16 | Moncloa & Arguelles | +34915537925
13:30 – 16:15 & 20:00 – 00:00 daily

If you are looking for a quiet café, this is it! This is the perfect place to spend an afternoon just reading a good book or having a good conversation with friends.

The café is peaceful and the service is really nice. The prices are very low and you can also have a game of pool or darts. Just come and relax yourself.

The best? Their milkshakes. You will love them!

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La Hemeroteca | Bars, Coffee & tea, Relaxing
Avenida Filipinas 14 | Moncloa & Arguelles | +34915343483
11:00 – 02:00 daily

This place has a very special decoration. It’s all about the ocean and it has pictures from sailing ships. “La Sultana” is the name of a ship that the establishment’s owners have.

This is a suitable place if you want to spend the night with friends enjoying and chatting with good music and a charming environment. It has a young atmosphere. Especially the days when there’s a football match it gets very crowded.

It has a pizzeria integrated inside, a perfect opportunity to have dinner with friends and taste their delightful ‘nachos’ & ‘pizzas’. Their prices are reasonable.

It stands out, above all, for its rum list; they have more than 20 types of different rum cocktails. You must taste them!

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La Sultana | Bars, Music | Cocktail € 5.00
Calle Melendez Valdes 51 | Moncloa & Arguelles | +34915438181
13:00 – 03:00 daily

I don’t know if it has to do with the inner child that is in all of us, or with the fact that the shop seems to be the ‘games room’ that we’ve never had; but the truth is that this place is the greatest one I have ever found.

It is very small but since the first step when you come into it, you realise that this shop of games has something special. Here you will find all kind of games: from the most recent -risk, monopoly, quarto, clued, party&co.-, to the most ancient ones -puzzles, playing cards, snakes and ladders, backgammon, ludo- … even the original versions made in wood.

A little paradise!

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Naipe Juegos | Shopping | Playing cards € 4.80
Calle Meléndez Valdés 55 | Moncloa & Arguelles | +34915444319
10:00 – 14:00 & 17:00 – 20:00 daily

Savoy is an original and special place: it is divided in two!

When you get into it you find the Bar Zone, a spacious room with a large bar in the middle of the lounge. It is very comfortable because of the faint light and the music that is not too loud. There is also a dartboard you can play with.

The Disco Zone is inside, crossing the corridor. There is a bar (more little than the other one), a dance floor in the middle and a couple of sofas at the back of the room. It is not very large but you can dance perfectly. The atmosphere of this room seems to be like an ancient house, with its big drapes, columns, chimney, mirrors… very charming!

And the most curious thing: on Wednesday you can learn to dance Salsa! Don’t you want to try it?

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Savoy | Bars, Music | Beer € 5.00
Calle Melendez Valdés 28 | Moncloa & Arguelles | +34914444162
22:00 – 02:00 daily