La Latina perfectly mixes cafes, terraces, restaurants and bars making it a super lively place both day and night. Culturally, it’s a very active neighborhood as well featuring theaters and street art on one hand and the tapas and cañas culture on the other hand. Especially during spring, summer and autumn (yes, the weather in Madrid is mostly great!) the outdoor terraces are quite popular and in La Latina you will find a lot of them. Keep reading to find out the best ways to start your night and where to eventually go clubbing.

1. Start with delicious local food

Going out in La Latina means eating local food and drinking cañas and tinto de verano. If you are a foodie and would like to participate in food tours led by experts, we recommend you the Spanish Food & Wine Tasting and the Gourmet Tapas Tour.

Traditional dishes at Casa Lucio

Casa Lucio, located on Cava Baja, is a historical restaurant where both tourists and locals go to enjoy typical local dishes from starters to desserts. With its traditional decoration and outstanding food, Casa Lucio takes you back in time providing you with an authentic eating experience.

Authentic food with a modern touch at Juana la Loca

Juana la Loca stands for quality. It’s the perfect place to discover a great variety of authentic Spanish dishes with a modern touch. They have a wide selection of plates and pintxos that are ideal to share. Combined with a cold beer there’s nothing that can top that!

Tapas and drinks on the terraces

If you are an outdoor terrace fan, La Latina won’t disappoint you. Almost all year round the terraces are open and there are quite a lot of them. Just grab a seat, order your favorite tapas and drinks and you are ready to soak in the La Latina feeling.

2. Continue with drinks at Cava Baja or a food market

Do you want to start your night like a real Madrileño? Well, then La Latina  is the place to be! You will find infinite opportunities to enjoy a good meal or better yet an excellent tapas to accompany your favorite drink.

Cava Baja – 50 bars and restaurants on 300 meters

Cava Baja, which used to be a water pit located along the city walls to defend the center, is a street which hosts on 300 meters around 50 restaurants and bars which gives it an unique atmosphere. Cava Baja is packed at lunch time from dinner to late night with people that are looking for typical food and a great time.

Around the corner but not as famous as its parallel sister is Cava Alta. It’s quite busy and packed with bars and taverns as well. It’s definitely worth it to check out the vibes, sample traditional food which is ideal to share, and have some beers along.

Both Cava Baja and Cava Alta are safe bets to start your night out with local food and drinks.

Don’t forget the food markets

Visiting a food market during your time in Madrid is a great experience. They offer a great variety of food, mostly small portions which are ideal to sample and share.

At Mercado de San Miguel you can sample a great variety of Spanish food such as cheese, jamon, tapas, pintxos, croquetas and of course all types of wine. Although it’s very touristy and pricy, Mercado de San Miguel is definitely a highlight which even attracts a lot of locals because of its quality and atmosphere. Mercado de San Miguel usually opens from 10:00 in the morning until midnight and on Fridays and Saturdays until 1:00 in the night.

On the contrary, Mercado de la Cebada is the most local food market that you can find. It’s located in the heart of La Latina and looks a bit worn down with many stands being closed. Don’t get a wrong impression from that, go to the bottom floor which is where the food stands are and enjoy the Spanish cuisine together with the local crowd. Check the opening hours before you go! They usually open from 8:30 to 14:00, then take a break until 17:00 and open again until 20:30. Another feature why Mercado de la Cebada is known for is its huge parking lot in the basement which is even known outside Madrid.

3. Party it up in La Latina or the city center

La Latina is known for its tapas and caña culture with endless options, but in terms of night clubs there’s not much going on. But no worries, the city center is only a short walk away!

Shoko – Madrid’s urban music temple

Shoko Madrid is La Latina biggest and most known club, however it’s nothing you would expect in La Latina. The crowd and music is nothing you will see and hear in the bars. The club is known as Madrid’s urban music temple playing Reggaeton, Trap and a bit of Hip Hop all night long attracting a specific crowd that rather comes from the outskirts of the city. Check out Shoko Madrid in our club section for more information.

Icon – The best party experience in the center

Icon Madrid is the best option if you are looking for a fun night with a commercial music mix. The club is open from Wednesday to Sunday with the most popular night being Friday where they are hosting a very popular international party called Hashtag Friday. Icon Madrid is only a short walk of about 10 minutes or less from the bar epi center Cava Baja. Check out Icon Madrid in our club section for more information.

Teatro Kapital – Hit Madrid’s mega club

Teatro Kapital is undoubtedly Madrid’s most known club outside the city and country. Surely it’s because of its size and the fact of having 7-floors, but also because of the amazing parties they have hosted over the last 25 years. The club opens from Thursday to Saturday and offers something for each and every taste. Check out Teatro Kapital in our club section for more information.

4. Not a night owl? Discover the alternative side of La Latina?

La Latina is a curious neighborhood with a very laid back lifestyle and places out of the box. In the following are two places you should check out if you are looking for something out of the box.

Check out El Rastro on Sunday morning

El Rastro is Madrid’s famous open air flea market which takes place on Sunday morning from 9:00 until about 14:00/15:00. On El Rastro you can find everything from typical everyday items to very curious and cool things. It’s popular for internationals and locals alike and is often combined with some tapas and drinks in the area. Just be careful with your wallet and cell phone. As it’s a very busy place it attracts pickpockets as well. Check our post about how to avoid being pickpocketed in Madrid.

El Campo de la Cebada – Madrid’s most curious place

El Campo de la Cebada is surely the most liberal and surprising place you can find in Madrid. The urban project is located next to the La Latina metro stop and has graffiti walls built around it. It’s a great place to have cheap drinks (just bring them from home), enjoy the sun, watch people playing basketball or even have political discussions. Give it a try!

– Gustavo