9 Reasons Why the Chueca Neighborhood in Madrid Should Be on Your Radar
Updated: Oct 29
Traveling to Madrid, I always kind of groan about having to spend the night in a big city. We do this occasionally, however, for one night only, en route from our home in Zaragoza to the airport in Madrid. Having a night to unwind, have a good meal, and a relaxing morning getting to the airport is the ultimate goal, so for these reasons Madrid is alright.
However, I have always found it just that - alright. I hate loud, large cities - everyone is pushy, everything is dusty from construction, and it generally buzzes at a way higher frequency than I prefer to manage before a travel day.
So when I discovered, quite by accident, the lovely barrio of Chueca near the Gran Via, I had to pop onto the blog here to tell the world.
Below, discover the reasons why the Chueca neighborhood should be your next home base for an overnight stay in Madrid. From quirky restaurants to hip, walkable alleys, I fell in love with the area immediately, and maybe you will too. Learn 9 great reasons that Chueca is the best place to stay in Madrid below!
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Pedestrian Friendly Alleys
For starters, Chueca is full of quaint lanes with few cars, making a stroll before or after dinner quite pleasant. You'll find numerous spots to pop in for a coffee, some dinner, or little boutique shops to browse.
The district plays host to numerous Spanish bars, street food style tapas joints, and casual eateries, making it great for an afternoon tapas romp or a hip evening event.
Hip, Welcoming People
The area is full of welcoming people, all very hip and honestly, of the younger generation. I was recently coined an "elder millenial", but as I think I've proven I'm a bit older than my years, perhaps I am the "eldest millenial". At any case, there's plenty more like me in this neighborhood.
And if you're looking for the gay-brohood, apparently this is also the spot to find the gay community in Madrid.
All are welcome in this hip Madrid neighborhood, even families. We felt like we had landed in a cool suburb in New York with great shops and restaurants, and I had no worries bringing my 4 year old anywhere. It is Spain, after all, and Spain is super welcoming to families with children.
If you are of any other persuasion, no worries. In my experience, just go to find your people in Chueca. They'll welcome you.
Rooftop Cocktails at Mercado San Anton
Mercado San Anton is a great little spot with a few options available to you including:
Full sized grocery store
Two levels of gastronomic options from tapas, bar drinks, or takeaway cuisine
Top floor rooftop bar and restaurant for sunsets and happy hour (although I use that word loosely, I didn't see any happy hour prices)
Expect upmarket vibes and similar prices on the rooftop, and be sure to grab some pinchos from the second level tapas offerings - go where it's crowded.
On the roof, you can also get snacks and apertivo munchies so it's great before dinner.
The Paella at La Barraca
La Barraca, little did I know, is really old and fairly infamous in the city of Madrid. Nestled in a neighborhood of eclectic and trendy fare, the classic La Barraca is a seafood arroceria full of history.
Go here for a special dinner and be greeted with white table cloths, tons of great seafood (I recommend the simplistic but delicious garlic al ajillo), and then get their signature dish - the Valencian seafood paella.
Not the cheapest dig in town, but it was a perfect closer to a trip to Spain - more than the popular line-out-the-door taco place, TKO Tacos, around the corner. (Which to be fair, looked awesome).
Kitschy American Breakfast Vibes
For morning eats, the trendy set will want to dine at Bucolico, which was dimly lit for romance and low whispers...but at breakfast with my four year old it wasn't the right vibe for us. So, we went next door to the American spot called La Desayuneria.
This place was so quirky and over the top with Americana - we just loved it. Kids (and adults!) can color on the placemats while they wait for meals like Denver Omelettes, pancakes, and even Native American fixings like corn fry bread and wojapi (which I looked it up, it's a jam).
This is just another example of the cute gems you can find in the Chueca neighborhood.
Family Friendly Lodging Steps Away
What I loved most about our neighborhood stay was our little cozy apartment. I was actually envious of the appliances and amenities in this place, which completely outrank some of the older stuff I have in my apartment in Zaragoza, but that was beside the point. All to say, it was a really comfortable one night stay.
For more information, the place is called NQN Apart & Suites, and it's an apartment hotel. Typically this type of place I fear will not have a person manning a desk, and will only have a lock box or something, but it was a great hotel-like experience for an amazing little one bedroom apartment.
We had everything we needed, and they watched our bags once we checked out while we roamed town for a couple hours.
I highly recommend this apartment hotel for your Chueca neighborhood stay. If you want to check out pricing and rates for your visit dates you can click on the link here, which will take you to Expedia.
Sadly, I did not take any photos of the apartment room! You'll have to just go see it for yourself!
Walk to Puerta del Sol
For the morning or early evening hours, it's an easy and quick walk to Madrid's Puerta del Sol, which is essentially their "Times Square". At Puerta del Sol you will find a large plaza and metro station entrance with the typical tour groups and perhaps and occasional beggar, but you will also see the clock tower where they do their similar New Year's Eve ball drop.
If you know the tradition in Spain, it is customary to eat one grape at every toll of the clock chimes at midnight, shoving all 12 grapes in your mouth before the midnight hour. Imagine the amount of grapes eaten in this square!
Aside from the clocktower there's loads of cafes and souvenir shops.
In fact, along the walk there from Chueca you can find souvenir shops, cafe terraces, and a stop for buying Big Bus tour tickets. This is a fun and low key activity if you aren't into walking so much.
Easy Walk to the Royal Palace of Madrid
Also just minutes away on foot, the Central Madrid location offers easy access to the Opera House and the Royal Palace of Madrid, where it is necessary to get tickets in advance online if you want to make sure you get in on your schedule terms.
The Palace is nice to see from the outside too if you are short on time, and good for some photo ops.
You might meet a giant Mario or see hawkers later in the day, adding that little touch of tourism to an otherwise stately attraction.
Within 15 minutes you are back in the Chueca neighborhood, making Chueca's location perfect for siteseeing.
Shopping on the Gran Via
Lastly, the mighty Gran Via is the artery that dictates the Chueca neighborhood borders, with a cool Ale-Hop store on the corner (a favorite of mine in Spain for inexpensive gifts and kitschy items) and it's also a great place to catch a taxi.
Grabbing airport transportation from the Gran Via is super simple and costs about 30 euros if I recall, around 20-30 minutes transfer time to Terminal 1.
Chueca is Worth Visiting
So if you are looking for somewhere different, and I mean away from touristy Plaza Mayor or the Sunday Rastro, go check out Chueca for its authentic vibes, eclectic eats, and truly welcoming people.
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