a city guide: madrid

So I recently decided to book a spontaneous three day trip to Madrid, with the new man in tow and while I wasn't really feeling asking him to shoot outfit pictures just yet, I had to produce a little city guide. It was my second time in Madrid, and I have to admit that I wasn't overwhelmed the first time so I really researched different places this time and think I found a few gems.

1. parque del retiro Starting with an obvious one, but we naturally had to have a little wander around El Retiro park. It's full of beautiful grounds and has a huge lake (? or pond?) in the centre where you can hire little rowing boats. Overall a pretty romantic place to stroll around - plus there's loads of little cafes to stop for an ice cream...

2. room007 sol The reason we ended up picking Madrid for our little break was actually due to an email from Room007 offering us a complimentary stay which was perfectly timed. Room007 is a hostel but with all of the amenities of a hotel. We had a private room which was v.important to me (I don't think I'm a sharing kind of girl!) with a cute little shower and toilet encased within. The room was pretty much brand new and super minimal with a cool Scandi vibe which I loved. Pretty much all you need for a few nights R&R.  Worth mentioning we did have a few problems with our reservation (i.e. a receptionist came into our room at 4am thinking it was empty and woke us up!) but the hotel dealt with it professionally and all ended well so overall I totally recommend a stay!

3. platea This was potentially my favourite place to visit - Platea is a beautifully decorated 'restaurant' for want of a better word, but with loads of different cuisines and two cocktail bars inside. The atmosphere was buzzing and the fact you're seated with a menu rather than having to trawl around ordering from different places was a total plus. I went for pulled pork tacos which were amazzzing, while Mike had a steak because he literally always gets that. We also sampled the bar on the entry level and it was fab. I had a gin Collins while Mike had a Negroni. He's a bar manager/mixologist guy by trade and says they were good - so there's your review!

4. chocolaterîa san gines A CHURRO RESTAURANT THAT IS OPEN 24/7. Need I say more? You get a mug of chocolate. Go already.

5. roommate oscar terrace As our hotel didn't have a pool, and the weather hit a ridiculous 35 degrees - we went on a search for somewhere we could chill out and have a dip. While Madrid does have various lidos, I had heard that they get very busy so we looked for something a little more private. Roommate Oscar is a hotel in the town centre where you can pay €35 each to relax on their roof terrace, use their towels and be greeted with a glass of champagne on arrival. Totally worth it and a lovely space. Just a warning though, everything up here is really pricey so bare that in mind!


lots of love xxx

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