Food

La Catrina is a little Mexican dive bar in Malasaña. The outside gives you a taste of what you’ll expect inside. The door is adorned with a large art motif of a Mexican skull and the sign to the bar is a human heart. I've heard talk about this place being a restaurant but don’t be fooled. They might serve food but this place is a bar, through and through.

On entering the bar the theme is clear; kitsch Mexican. Some places hold back but not La Catrina, it’s like the interior decorating was done by a 6 year old from Tijuana. There are toys on every shelf possible, everything from the typical “Lucha Libre” Mexican wrestlers to Homer Simpsons figurines. La Catrina doesn't stop at toys, all sorts of Mexican memorabilia such as skulls, virgins and other religious tat can be found here.

As for the food, I've read good things about it but I've never tried it. There’s a little room in the back with tables where people generally go to eat. I've never taken a seat there either. As I mentioned earlier, for me this is just a great Mexican dive bar. A place to drink micheladas and margaritas or if you’re so inclined grab yourself a bottle of tequila.

Standing outside of Bodegas Melibea you are immediately tempted in by murals of naked bathing beauties. Very tasteful of course. With all the bars around Sol offering cheap beers and the promise of drunken shenanigans, it’s a nice change from a young student handing you a flyer for a free shot.

Inside there are more murals which become even more captivating. On the left side there are bathing women similar to the outside but with the central one being an erotic piece depicting two women kissing. On the right is a scene made up of skeletons drinking and partying. When you look closer you realise that it’s actually the bar itself where you can even see the same mural that’s on the left of the bar. Weird, funky and kinda cool.

The food and drinks are inexpensive and it’s one of the few places that'll give you free tapas with your drink that’s not just crisps or olives. The staff are friendly and so are the clientele. Of course being near Sol they do cater to the tourists so you can easily find a Sangria here if you really must.

Since these photos were taken the bar has gone through a bit of a makeover. Not really to my taste. The cool murals are still there but it's now more of a restaurant and less of a bar. Still a great place to have a beer.

Mar y Ola is Spanish for Sea & Wave, as the name suggests it's a seafood bar. Seafood is hugely popular in Spain and there are literally hundreds of restaurants dedicated to it but as far as bars go this place is relatively unique. The outside of the bar comes across as being a bit of a traditional bar with old wooden shutters but the inside is simple, modern and clean.

Mar y Ola is not content to be a great seafood bar, it’s one of the best places that I know for cocktails. They really take pride in them. It’s great to watch the mojitos being made with fresh fruit, the glasses being lightly scented with oils from freshly cut peels or the mint being delicately hand crushed in order to just release the flavours without bruising the mint itself.

As if great seafood and cocktails was not enough this bar has many more things going on. They project films on the wall and often have micro theater or bands to attract customers throughout the week. Strangely enough these are almost common in Madrid whereas the pub quizzes that they organise are pretty rare but be warned they are in Spanish.

El Vlajero is a bit of a classic in La Latina. With three floors it’s one of the largest bars in the area and it has recently been refurbished with a clean, light, hip atmosphere.

The first floor offers free WiFi during the day and food later at night. It has a modern clean feel with stainless steel high tables and brick walls. Up the steep stairs at the back of the bar you’ll find the second floor, which is very light and comfortable with large windows and vintage furniture. The walls are decorated with old wine boxes, flowers and greenery and is a nice contrast to the modern style of the first floor. During the day you can sit and have a quiet drink but at night it gets pretty busy so a cocktail standing at the bar is more likely.

The whole of the top floor is a pretty amazing terrace but for some reason it is shut until next summer, so we’ll have to wait and see if it’s undergone a makeover too.

This is the second place that Saporem has opened in Madrid after the success of the first one in Las Letras. It is more of a restaurant but does have a small bar at the front which is young, lively and hip.

A new fad in Madrid seems to be having a mix of many ideas in one place, well Saporem is following that tradition. The door advertises art, drinks, cinema & jazz but unfortunately the art and cinema haven’t started yet. Two out of four isn’t bad and at least we have something to look forward to.