Local Expert
Sean McLachlan
I'm a freelance writer specializing in history and travel. Besides that, my interests include film, hiking, archaeology (did it professionally for ten years), real ale, and good books. I have a travel…
I'm a freelance writer specializing in history and travel. Besides that, my interests include film, hiking, archaeology (did it professionally for ten years), real ale, and good books. I have a travel blog at grizzledoldtraveler.blogspot.com and a blog on life as a professional writer at midlistwriter.blogspot.com. Drop me a line at seansontheweb (at) yahoo (dot) com.
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Madrid: One of the best cities for a pub crawl
MSNBC recently ranked Madrid as number 11 on their list of best places for pub crawls; I'd put it up as number 1, but I guess that'd be me being biased.
The little route they have suggested is in the neighbourhood of La Latina. A great place to start indeed. Instead of trying to find the places they have suggested, just get on to Cava Baja -- THE bar street of La Latina, and you can hop from one cool bar to another. The first cool bar on this street is called Lamiak -- it's a cool arty spot with large drinks and delicious tapas. I recommend starting there; odds are you will meet many people and then just follow file! At the end of the street you will be close to Plaza Mayor, from where you can decided where you want to hit the nightclubs.
The other great barrio to go on a pub-crawl is Lavapies. Pick Calle Argumosa or Calle Ave Maria to start with. There are so many bars on these streets, that, if you make it to the end, you will definitely need someone to carry you home. The end of the Calle Ave Maria will take you to the barrio Anton Martin, which also has a string of trendy and fancy bars.
Should you want some more insight on these neighbourhoods, I've written more about these barrios here.
Post bar hop, to sooth in the alcohol and sleep happy, chocolate con churros at Cafeteria San Gines is your best bet.