When to shop
Tradition dies hard in Spain, even in the capital, and shopping hours vary quite wildly. Smaller stores even in the centre of town will likely keep "tapas hours" and be open from 9.30am to 1.30pm and reopen after lunch at 4.30 or 5pm until 8pm. Larger chain stores will be open all day from 10am to 8pm but may or may not be open on Sunday and public holidays. Yes, Madrileños love to shop but time spent with food, friends and family are equally important.
Salamanca
The grid of streets that makes up Salamanca is home to a quite staggering number of international and local designer brands' flagship stores. As well as outposts of the well-established Spanish department store, El Corte Ingles, you'll find Bulgari, Lladró, Prada, Loewe, Longchamp, Chopard, Carolina Herrera, Gucci, Bottega Veneta, Alfredo Villalba, Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Tiffany & Co and Officine Panerai on Calle de Serrano and the adjoining José Ortega y Gasset.
Pop into Spanish labels Bimba y Lola (www.bimbaylola.es) for a chic city wardrobe of brightly coloured, well-cut separates and Hoss Intropia (www.hossintropia.com) for floaty dresses. The wide boulevard is a leisurely, uncrowded place to shop and has the added attraction of the Plaza de Colón which celebrates the achievements of Christopher Columbus in a series of striking monumental stones. On the other side of the street, your fellow spenders will be buttoned down, rather conservative ladies who lunch.
Calle de Fuencarral
Boutique label Hakei (www.hakei.com) on Fuencarral, a well-established destination for a younger, more trendy crowd, just north of Gran Via at Telefonica, is shopping heaven with the softest leather goods, boots and bags, as well as pretty printed silk dresses for young Boho types. Other temptations on and around that street include Kiehl's, Carhartt, Swarovksi and Desigual. Pop into Camper (www.camper.com), Spain's most famous home-grown shoe label, for colourful but rather orthopaedic designs. El Ganso women's and menswear will strike a chord with preppy types with its selection of blazers and coloured polo shirts (www.elganso.com).
For kids
Children are meant to be seen and heard in Madrid and children's clothing labels are absurdly fine. Take Nanos (www.nanos.es) for example, which has branches in London's Knightsbridge and Kuwait, and whose designers think nothing of putting toddlers in broderie anglaise trimmed with silk ribbons and pastel-coloured cottons that wouldn't survive bleach or a hot wash but are irresistible nonetheless. In Madrid, the store is situated on Calle de Hermosilla, just off Calle de Serrano.
For foodies
Food is a mainstay of Spanish life and for those who love to shop like a local, the Mercado San Miguel near Plaza Mayor is an essential stop. Built in 1916, this attractive food market with a beautiful wrought-iron and glass-fronted exterior is now full of stalls selling everything from olives to oysters, caviar to croquetas. Take a large shopper and taste your way around (www.mercadodesanmiguel.es).
Where to stay
The 192-room ME Madrid Reina Victoria has comfortable contemporary-style rooms, reasonably priced, good food and a friendly, laid-back vibe, not to mention a great location on the corner of Plaza de Santa Ana. The penthouse duplex has a bathtub for two on one of its two private roof terraces and is popular with celebrity guests. A double room costs from 135 euros (Dh644) per night, including taxes (www.mebymelia.com; 00 34 91 7016000).
Those who prefer a grander style should check-in to 100-year-old, five-star Westin Palace with its memorable belle époque entrance hall and glass-domed restaurant, where a super Sunday brunch is served. It's on the doorstep of the Museo del Prado and some rooms have views of the Fuente de Neptuno where the local football team Atlético Madrid like to celebrate their victories. Bitter rivals, Real Madrid like to leap into the fountain on nearby Plaza de Cibeles, which is now one of the city's most visited tourist attractions. Double rooms cost from €169 (D816) per night, room only (www.westinpalacemadrid.com).
Where to eat
Madrid has more than 3,000 eateries, a good scattering of Michelin stars as well as the world's oldest restaurant. Botín (www.botin.es; 00 34 91 366 4217) is a traditional inn that has been serving up roast lamb and other meats from its wood-fired oven since 1725. Near Plaza Mayor and a favourite with locals, tourists and politicians, reservations are a must.
Take a seat in the narrow covered alley behind one of Madrid's oldest churches, Iglesa de San Ginés, and order a cup of scalding, almost sickly sweet chocolate and churros from another local institution Chocolatería de San Ginés. The drink more closely resembles a chocolate custard and has the perfect consistency for dipping deep-fried fingers of doughnut. As far as energy boosts go, the calorie count is off the scale. If the combination of summer heat and thermonuclear chocolate proves too much, the white-tile and mirrored, air-conditioned interior will offer some respite.
Calle de la Cava Baja in barrio La Latina is lined with some of Madrid's best traditional tapas bars and is popular with locals. It's worth wandering down the street and making a survey of what's available (often displayed on the bar) before heading inside. Madrileños are typically relaxed and friendly so don't be afraid to ask the waiter - or your neighbour - for recommendations. Worth a try: bacalao rebozado, calamares fritos, croquetas and patatas bravas. Dishes typically cost €3.80 (Dh18), with fish dishes and pintxos (larger, Basque-style appetisers) costing a little more at €6.50 to €8 (Dh31 to Dh38). Order a couple of dishes at a time and keep grazing for hours.
For more innovative tapas creations, head to the cafe/bar cum restaurants lining Plaza de Santa Ana, overlooked by the Teatro Espanol, and sit out in the large square until late, enjoying the warm summer nights. Croquetas and huelvos are still in evidence but you are also likely to find traditional recipes with a twist, including sashimi and tempura. Lateral (www.lateral.coom), part of a chain of tapas restaurants, with a modern interior, reliable service and varied menu, is a good choice. Don't leave without ordering crepes stuffed with creamy dolce de leche for dessert. For great views across the city and a late-night buzzy crowd, join the queue to visit the roof terrace at the top of the ME Madrid Reina Victoria, a hotel overlooking the square once famous for its bullfighting clientele.
Before you leave
No visit to Madrid is complete without stopping to admire any or all of its three world-class art museums: the Museo del Prado, the Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, home of Picasso's Guernica, and the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza. A few hours at the Museo del Prado makes for a whistlestop tour of Spain's complex history through the prism of her most celebrated painters, thanks to its royal collection of Velázquez, Murillo, Zurbaran, El Greco and Goya. To make the most of your time, hire the expertise of art historian Manuela Carrasco, who charges for €175 (Dh843) for a one-and-a-half-hour museum tour for up to six people (email manuelasertur@gmail.com; 00 34 630 858094).
Return flights from Dubai to Madrid with Emirates Airline (www.emirates.com) cost from Dh3,665, including taxes.
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