Madrid/Northern Suburbs
.jpg)
The Northern Suburbs of Madrid is a large region that can be taken as the city in miniature. Comprising the districts of Chamartín, Tetuán, Fuencarral-El Pardo, Ciudad Lineal, Hortaleza, San Blas-Canillejas and Barajas, this part of the city is home to everything from working-class ethnic enclaves and sprawling green spaces to towering skyscrapers and some of Madrid's wealthiest and most exclusive residential neighborhoods.
Get in
[edit]
Map of Madrid/Northern Suburbs
Several modes of transportation converge in the northern suburbs. Madrid's second largest train station, the eponymously-named 1 Estación de Chamartín-Clara Campoamor in Chamartín, primarily serves destinations north of Madrid, while the 2 Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport is in Barajas. A large bus terminal, meanwhile, is located at Plaza de Castilla.
Get around
[edit]Most of the metro lines visit also the this area, including 1 2 4 5 7 8 9 10 .
See
[edit]- 1 Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MCNM / National Museum of Natural Sciences), C/ José Gutiérrez Abascal, 2 (Metro: Gregorio Marañón, Nuevos Ministerios; Renfe Cercanias: Nuevos Ministerios), ☏ +34 914 111 328, info.edu@mncn.csic.es. Tu-F 10:00-17:00, Sa Su and holidays 10:00-20:00; Sa Su in Aug 10:00-15:00. Contains a large collection of fossils and minerals, plus educational exhibits (some are described in English but many are in Spanish only). Has two parts open to visitors with separate entrances. The ticket is purchased at the main entrance and to visit the other part you need to exit from the main entrance, turn left and follow the building until you reach the second entrance. Your ticket will be checked again there so don't lose it. €7 (adults), €3.50 (students/children 4-16), free (seniors/children under 4).
- 2 Plaza de Castilla (Plaza de Castilla 1 9 10 ; bus 27). On the north side of the city and bisected by Paseo de la Castellana, this plaza is in the center of Madrid's skyscraper district. A tall obelisk sits in the center of the plaza while the Gate of Europe (Puerta de Europa) towers, two slanted towers which frame the boulevard, are situated on the north side of the plaza. Taking the #27 bus, which runs along Paseo del Prado and Paseo de la Castellana and ends at Plaza de Castilla, will take you pass several Madrid highrises. North of the Plaza is the Four Towers (Cuatro Torres), four sleek new skyscrapers which are the tallest in Spain.
- 3 Parque de El Capricho (El Capricho 5 ). Oct-Mar: Sa Su and holidays 09:00-18:30 (last admission at 18:00); Apr-Sep: Sa Su and holidays 09:00-21:00 (last admission at 20:30). One of the most beautiful parks in Madrid. Built in 1797-1839, it has a strong Romanticism influence. Declared as an Historic Garden, its lakes with swans and ducks, labyrinths, palaces, squares and fountains makes this a lovely place.
- 4 Spanish National Research Council Headquarters (CSIC). Headquarters of the largest public institution dedicated to research in Spain and the third largest in Europe. Not a real touristic place, and they would probably not let you in to take a photo of the building, but this is the main filming location of the Royal Mint of Spain in the Spanish Emmy winner TV show, Money Heist (La Casa De Papel).
- 5 Palacio Real de El Pardo (Royal Palace of El Pardo), Calle Manuel Alonso, s/n (Moncloa 3 6 , then bus 601). T-Su 10:00-19:00 (last admission at 18:00). Originally built as a hunting lodge for the Spanish royal family, it was famously commandeered by Francisco Franco to serve as his residence. Today it serves as the official guest house for foreign dignitaries visiting Madrid, and is also open to the public when not in use. Check out the vast collection of tapestries hanging from the palace walls, some of which were even designed by Goya himself. €9 (adults), €4 (reduced); free W and Su 15:00-19:00.
Do
[edit]- 1 Auditorio Nacional de Música (National Auditorium of Music), C/ Príncipe de Vergara, 146, ☏ +34 913 370 140, +34 913 370 139, auditorio.nacional@inaem.mcu.es. Ticket office: M 16:00-18:00, Tu-F 10:00-17:00, Sa 11:00-13:00; closed Sa in July and the month of Aug. The main concert venue for the Spanish National Orchestra and the Madrid Symphony Orchestra, as well as the main venue for touring classical artists and orchestras.
- 2 Real Madrid. They play soccer in La Liga, the top tier, and are the most successful football club not only in Spain but in Europe, having been Spanish champions 32 times and European champions 14 times. Their biggest rivals are FC Barcelona, and these twice-yearly El Clásico matches sell out quickly, as does El Derbi against local rivals Atlético de Madrid. Their stadium, the Santiago Bernabéu, has a capacity of 81,000. It's one km south of Chamartin railway station and has its own Metro stop. On non-match days you can take a self-guided tour, adult €25, which includes the pitch, dressing rooms, Press Room and trophy museum. On days close to matches there is reduced access & entry price but the museum remains open. (The women's team play in Liga F their top tier at Alfredo Di Stéfano Stadium towards the airport.) Real Madrid also runs a basketball team known as Real Madrid Baloncesto, which like its illustrious football counterpart is the most successful in Spain and Europe, having won a record 34 Spanish league titles and 10 EuroLeague titles.
- 3 Atlético de Madrid. They play in La Liga, the top tier, and are one of the most successful teams in Spain, having won both La Liga and the Copa del Rey on ten occasions. They were European Cup runners-up in 2014 and 2016 and won the UEFA Europa League in 2010 and 2012. Since 2017 their home ground is Estadio Metropolitano, capacity 67,700, also known as Wanda Metropolitano. It's 10 km east of city centre in San Blas district, with its own metro station. The women's team play in Liga F (their top tier) at CD Wanda in Alcalá de Henares northeast of the city.
Buy
[edit]- 1 El Corte Inglés Castellana, Calle de Raimundo Fernández Villaverde, 65 (Nuevos Ministerios 6 8 10 ), ☏ +34 914 188 800. M-Sa 10:00-22:00, Su 11:00-21:00. If for some reason you will end up in the concrete jungle of Nuevos Ministerios with time to kill, the flagship 8-storey sprawling El Corte Inglés is there for your delight just beside the station.
- 2 Centro Comercial La Vaguada, Avenida de Monforte de Lemos, 36 (Barrio del Pilar 9 ; bus 49, 128 or 132), ☏ +34 91 730 10 00, recepcion@enlavaguada.com. M-Sa 10:00-22:00, Su 11:00-21:00. Mostly patronized by locals, Madrid's first and oldest shopping mall has several stores from Spanish and foreign brands to suit your fancy, as well as several restaurants and a cinema.
- 3 Palacio de Hielo, Calle de Silvano, 77 (Canillas 4 ; bus 73, 112, 120 or 153), ☏ +34 917 160 400, info@palaciodehielo.com. M-Sa 10:00-22:00, Su 12:00-20:00. Popular with locals, especially among the residents of surrounding Hortaleza, this mall contains Madrid's only year-round ice skating rink (hence the name), as well as a gym, a bowling alley, a minigolf course and a swimming pool, plus a cinema and several shops and restaurants.
- 4 Caleido, Paseo de la Castellana, 259E (Chamartín 1 10 or Begoña 10 ), hola@caleido.es. M-Th 10:00-21:00, F-Sa 10:00-22:00, Su 12:00-20:00. Madrid's newest shopping mall, the podium of the Torre Caleido office tower in the Cuatro Torres Business Area is home to exclusive stores, several art installations and a variety of restaurants and bars which close later (until 2:00 the next day) than the mall itself.
Eat
[edit]Budget
[edit]- 1 Home Burger Bar, Paseo de la Castellana, 210, ☏ +34 912 195 658. M 13:00-17:00, Tu-Su 13:00-17:00 20:00-24:00. Other burger bars of this brand can be found in Malasaña-Chueca.
- 2 Churrería La Andaluza, Calle de Hernani, 10 (Cuatro Caminos 1 2 6 ), ☏ +34 915 537 612, contacto@churrerialaandaluza.com. M-Sa 06:30-13:00. Opened in the 1930s just beside the Mercado de Maravillas, this Tetuán institution is regarded as one of the best churrerías in Madrid, with freshly-made churros, porras and buñuelos (round, donut-shaped fritters) available year-round.
- 3 Bar Tambayan, Calle de Mundillo, 1 (Valdeacederas 1 ; bus 49), ☏ +34 602 691 139. T-Su 12:00-0:00. Located in the northern reaches of Tetuán, this is arguably the best Filipino restaurant in Madrid, located in the heart of the city's Filipino neighborhood.
- 4 Pastelería Mifer, Calle Virgen del Coro, 15 (El Carmen 5 ), ☏ +34 914 032 580. T-F 9:00-14:30 and 17:00-21:00, Sa-Su 9:00-20:30. This unassuming bakery in Ciudad Lineal sells a wide variety of cakes and pastries, but they are best known for their award-winning torrijas (Spanish-style French toast) sold only during the run-up to Lent.
- 5 Cafetería Nebraska, Calle de Bravo Murillo, 291 (Tetuán 1 ; bus 11, 66 or 124), ☏ +34 915 794 157. M-F 08:00-23:30, Sa-Su 08:30-23:30. Known throughout Madrid for their hot dogs, this Tetuán diner is the last of an old chain of restaurants dating back to 1955.
- 6 Restaurante Bar Rodrigo, Plaza de la Condesa de Gavia, 3 (Cuatro Caminos 1 2 6 ), ☏ +34 914 258 986. Tu-Fr 09:30-17:30 and 19:30-23:00, Sa-Su 12:00-17:30. Located behind the Mercado de Maravillas, this hidden gem in Tetuán serves affordable yet high-quality paellas that can compete with some of the best Madrid has to offer. Mostly patronized by locals, reservations are recommended, especially on weekends. €10-20.
- 7 Restaurante Malaysia, Calle de Alcalá, 501 (Suanzes 5 , bus 77 or 104), ☏ +34 917 444 997. Authentic Malaysian food served right in the heart of San Blas, with an extensive menu drawing from the diverse culinary traditions of Malaysia and its neighbors. €5-15.
Mid-range
[edit]- 8 Bar Jaén III, Calle de Poitiers, 3 (Metro: Coslada Estadio Olimpico), ☏ +34 630 036 987. M-Th 12:30-02:00, F Sa 11:30-03:00, Su 11:30-02:00. An excellent tapas bar and restaurant. A nice place to enjoy Spanish food and lifestyle without spending too much. Being located just outside central Madrid, it's far from being a tourist trap and you can enjoy good food and true raciónes (portions). The pleasant owners are very willing to share stories about Madrid and Spain more generally. In summer time it has a superb terrace, within a stone's throw of the Olympic Stadium.
- 9 Restaurante Samm, Calle de Carlos Caamaño, 3B (Pío XII 9 , bus 52), ☏ +34 913 453 074, +34 913 506 071. Su-F 11:00-19:00. A Chamartín institution lauded as having some of the best paellas (if not the best) in Madrid, but only if you bring more than two people by order of the proprietor. Walk-ins turned away from Casa Benigna on the other end of Chamartín are usually sent here. Frequented mainly by locals, prepare to be stared at by the wait staff if you are from out of town. €15-25.
Splurge
[edit]
- 10 Casa Nemesio, Paseo de la Castellana, 260, ☏ +34 913 238 410, nemesio@lamaquina-elb-582802240.eu-west-1.elb.amazonaws.com. Daily 12:00-01:00. Seafood.
- 11 El Telégrafo, C/ Padre Damián, 44 (500m from Bernabeu Stadium), ☏ +34 913 597 083, +34 913 506 119, eltelegrafomarisqueria@grupo-oter.com. Daily 12:30-00:30. Arguably the best seafood in Madrid.
- 12 Restaurante Casa Benigna, Calle de Benigno Soto, 9 (Concha Espina 9 ), ☏ +34 914 133 356, info@casabenigna.com. Daily 13:30-17:00, M-Sa 20:30-00:00. Owned by a Spanish-Norwegian family, this unassuming spot in Chamartín is known for serving traditional Spanish cuisine with a Nordic twist. Their paellas, served on custom-made copper pans, are reportedly among the best (if not the best) in Madrid, with prominent politicians, celebrities and businesspeople among their customers. Reservations recommended well in advance. Walk-ins are routinely turned away at the door and sent to Restaurante Samm on the other end of Chamartín. €20-30.
Drink
[edit]Sleep
[edit]- 1 Meliá Castilla, Calle del Poeta Joan Maragall, 43,, ☏ +34 915 67 50 00.
Connect
[edit]| Routes through Northern Suburbs |
 Burgos ← Aranda de Duero ← |
N  S |
→ merges with  |
| Southern Suburbs ← Moncloa ← | anticlockwise  clockwise |
→ Salamanca → Arganzuela |