Short Trip To Madrid: A One Night Stand With Madrid

Finding an overweight Spiderman in Madrid's main square

Having been to Spain many times before, it was about time we finally saw its capital. So, we booked a one‑night weekend break to Madrid in October 2013.

We arrived early on a Saturday morning and, after checking into our shoebox Airbnb apartment, headed straight out into a sunny city centre.

First stop was the main square, Plaza Sol.

Now, there are many majestic main squares in the world. Trafalgar, Times, Red, Tiananmen, even the small Triple Bridge square in Ljubljana.

But not, I must stress, Plaza Sol in Madrid.

When we first arrived, it looked like we’d walked onto a Disney set. There were entertainers everywhere dressed in all manner of costumes: Daffy Duck, Mickey Mouse, Superman, Spongebob, Papa Smurf and even Chucky.

All happily posing for photos with kids and Japanese tourists, making a small fortune in the process.

And then we spotted Spider‑Man.

Oh dear.

First, if you’re going to wear Lycra, at least have the body for it.

Second, if you want to make money, stop standing around chatting to your mate Charlie Chaplin.

This guy wasn’t climbing any walls. He would’ve been better known as Lazy Fat Man who’s superhero was sitting around trying to pull his top down over his belly.

Madrid by Day vs Madrid by Night

Madrid doesn’t have the big draw cards of Barcelona.

It’s a pretty place, with plenty of parks, grand buildings and squares, but it doesn’t have the beaches, architecture or buzz of its coastal rival.

However, come nighttime, Madrid became a city right up our street.

Anyone who’s read my blogs long enough knows our obsessions with food and drink, especially tapas and wine. In Madrid we found our heaven.

Madrid claims to have the highest number of bars per head of population of any city in the world.

That’s not difficult when each bar is the size of a hobbit’s bathroom.

But these tiny intimate bars ooze character and ambience.

Staff are welcoming, and you’re often treated to a small dish of tapas with each beer. Seats are rare, but standing shoulder‑to‑shoulder with fellow drinkers is the norm.

Bar crawling in Madrid took on a whole new meaning. Beer is served in small glasses, meaning you can get through several bars pretty quickly without getting too tipsy.

The Tapas Mix Up

Then it was food time. We had read about a great tapas restaurant called Casa Lucas, so we booked a table online to make sure we got in.

We headed out and arrived at number 64 Fernández Street.

We went inside.

We should’ve twigged something was off when the waiter awkwardly smiled when we said we had a booking and hurried us to a table.

The menu arrived. No tapas.

But we still ordered and had a meal I’d describe as… satisfactory.

Service was awful. They tried to hurry us and even take our plates before we’d finished.

Anya popped outside, looked next door, and then I got it right in the neck.

Somehow both buildings had the same number, but we were sat in Lucio, while next door was Lucas, where there was no doubt a table with a reserved sign still waiting for us.

We paid the bill, disappointed, and hit many more hobbit bars, drowning our sorrows and being rewarded with more mini tapas with each drink, before calling it a night around 2am.

Redemption at Casa Lucas

Still disappointed the next day, we headed over to the correct Casa Lucas for lunch.

And it didn’t disappoint.

Incredibly creative and exquisite tapas, fantastic red wine and friendly staff made it a lunch to remember and helped ease the mess‑up of the previous night.