Madrid Stag Do Ideas

• Country: Spain
• Language: Spanish
• Currency: Euros
• Cost of a pint: €2
• Airport: Adolfo Suárez Madrid–­Barajas Airport
• Flight duration: 2 hrs 30mins

Best Places to Eat in Madrid?

We are sure many of you will not know this but Madrid rises above all of its claims when it comes to its food. Over the years this city has evolved into one of the culinary capitals of Europe which means you will all be eating good during your Madrid stag do. Spanish tapas is well-loved in and outside of Spain, and the beer brewed in this capital always has a refreshing hint in the Spanish sun. Because it’s the central capital of Spain, you can guarantee a wide scope of cuisines to cater for all the lads – even your fussiest friends!

Shall we kick off the list of places to eat in Madrid with the traditional tapas? Dotted all around the inner city you can find places to enjoy classic tiny dishes that are packed with flavour. Most are pretty small with outdoor seating to spill onto the streets during the warmer months. Two top tapas venues are definitely El Sur and La Mi Venta. Situated on Calle de la Torrecilla del Leal, El Sur is a longstanding tapas restaurant that’s a local favourite. In this tiny wooden café you’ll find fresh bread, meaty dishes and a well-stocked bar to keep you going through all the weekend antics. As for La Mi Venta, you can cool off while you quench your hunger in their underground venue found on Plaza de la Marina Española.

Just because you’re a big group of lads celebrating doesn’t mean you shouldn’t enjoy the finer things in life! Madrid is extremely popular with celebrities, and this creates a treasure trove of fine dining restaurants around the city centre. A pricy and unique place to tantalise your taste buds is DSTAgE. Taking tapas to a new level, you can try food that you’ve never even heard of before! If fine dining really isn’t your thing, have no fear. For quick, delicious food in massive portions let Hot Now Pizzeria look after you. The laid back seating, epic sides and always hot pizzas are sure to line your stomachs for a night out.

Huertas

One of the things that Madrid is known for is live music. When the sun goes down, the city comes alive with buzzing music venues dotted around the city to keep groups entertained into the early hours. Huertas is a prime district of the Spanish capital to listen to great bands live and raw, with pints flowing all night. For a mix of everything and everyone, we highly suggest you try out Café Central on the night.

Huertas is always lively at night, and party of that is because of the sheer amount of nightclubs this area homes. If you’re heading out a little later and need somewhere to celebrate well into the small hours of the morning, any one of the nightclubs around this area are sure to tickle your fancy. On one side of the Huertas area, you have Samsara nightclub for fancy drinks and modern décor. There’s enough room for everyone, and they’re open until a whopping 6am on Fridays and Saturdays. Just down the road you might stumble across Planet Club, which looks small from the outside but opens up into an adult playground inside. Setting drinks on fire and neon face paint is the norm here, and sure to make your night one to remember.

Surprisingly, the clubs don’t end there. If you’re nightclub hopping or you don’t like the sound of the previously mentioned venues, give Nomad Club a go while you’re in Madrid. Situated on Calle de Manuel Fernández y González, this place is known as the Party Arena and the place to go for events and dancefloors. If clubs just aren’t your thing, Huertas has just the thing for you. The Jazz Bar offers late-night grooves and very strong drinks!

Malasaña

Right in the centre, Malasaña is probably the easiest nightlife district to access if you’ve had one or two pre-drinks already. Head to the inner centre of the capital and follow the bright lights and music until you’re fully-immersed in a classic Spanish night out. Carrying a hipster and bohemian vibe, this area is perfect if you’re looking for something a bit different to your average UK night out. Malasaña always keeps up with the trends, and this is proven by the excellent La Pasa Bar Gin gin bar. Jumping on the gin craze, this relaxed bar is small inside and offers a bit of food, plus an outdoor seating area if you want to visit while the sun is going down.

Obviously, not everyone likes gin. However, if you just hop down the road you’ll find an array of bars to keep you from going thirsty. One crowd-pleaser is La Vía Láctea, an old school bar that is decorating with American style bar stools and references from years past. For a quirky couple of drinks and a ton of Stranger Things references, get yourself down to the one of a kind Tupper Ware bar. The bartenders are friendly and the décor is wacky, making for an interesting night out with the guys.

Chueca

Known primarily as a safe space for the LGBT community (and referred to as Madrid’s ‘Soho’), Chueca in Madrid has been a welcome space for decades. Locals regularly enjoy it and tourists reminisce going back to the variety of venues that make for a unique night out. This district has a good mix of everything, from live music to chilled out bars, old school pubs and unique places to grab a quirky drink. Chueca area is an easy place to have a bar crawl if you just can’t decide on one venue you want to stay at. An ever-popular bar for both locals and visitors is Black & White bar, situated on the edge of this area, Black & White is a mixture of bar and nightclub with some very cheesy décor to sink your teeth into! Think zebra print bar stools and neon green lights and you’ve got the idea guys.

Carrying on the cheesy theme, what better way to kick off an evening of pranks than a live drag show? LL Bar is a flamboyant venue with a lot of personality, and if you go with a big group of lads your groom to be is sure to have the spotlight on stage! For a break from all the lights and glamour, have a chilled drink at Intruso bar in their low-lit venue filled with live music. And at the end of the night? It wouldn’t be a trip to Madrid without trying the to die for food served at El Tigre Bar. Raking in over 9,000 reviews on Google, it’s definitely worth a visit!

Salamanca neighbourhood

Although Salamanca is world-renowned for the shopping Golden Mile, this neighbourhood in the depths of the capital also has some showstopping nightlife to sink your teeth into. In between the impressive mansions and expensive shops you’ll find some hidden gems to kick off the night in style. Salamanca has more of a mix of everything than the other areas of Madrid, with venues like La Posada de las Ánimas for late-night discos and Elitte Piano Bar for some epic karaoke from your groom to be!

If you’re flying over to Madrid for a long weekend, it’s easy to enjoy a different nightclub every single day you’re there. Salamanca alone has over 4 popular clubs, not including the small, independent venues in between. For class and sophistication, put on your best shirt and enjoy Le Boutique Club on Calle Serrano. For something a bit more gritty, there’s always Borinquen Madrid disco club where you can catch live performances any time of year.

What Are the Reasons to Visit Madrid?

It’s the Capital!

Whenever you’re travelling somewhere new, the safest bet is always a capital. Madrid has everything you need for a memorable celebration, including excellent accommodation and transport lines to make the most of your stay.

Calle De La Pasa

Legend has it that if you don’t pass through this street and past the iconic marriage Spanish sign, you’ll never get married. With a wedding planned, better safe than sorry right?

Unbelievable Nightlife

You could spend an entire week just getting know all the nightlife that this city has to offer, and there’s plenty of events to make the night one to truly remember.

Always Great Weather

The worst part of planning a weekend in the UK is the unpredictable weather. With Madrid, you don’t need to worry about frostbite or torrential rain when you’re trying to enjoy the celebrations.

Everything on Foot

Once you’re in the city, a lot of the landmarks and points of interest can be traversed on foot. This means you can really experience the location and cut some costs on transport while you’re here!

Cultural Activities

On top of over 100’s of activities to fill the trip away, there’s plenty of Spanish things to do like Prado Museum and Thyssen Bornemisza.

How to Get Around Madrid?

When describing transport around Madrid, three words come to mind – safe, clean and efficient. Madrid have really got a handle on the transportation around the massive city, and it’s reflected in how easy it is to find places you want to do on your first visit. Primarily, the city is easily walkable once you’re inside. But what about if you want to go a little further afield or rest your feet after a busy day of exploring?

The metro train dominates the transport links of Madrid. It’s cheap too, with a single journey ticket costing around 1.50 euros a pop. If you’re going for an extended stay (aka a week-long piss-up with your pals) then there’s a 10-day ticket pack for €12.20 is your best bet for budget-friendly travelling. For short journeys or travelling at night, the big blue buses known provided by the EMT company will be your best friend for the weekend. The buses obviously run all day, but they also have búhos (translating to ‘owls’ in English) running from midnight to 6am too.