Our stay in Madrid, Spain might have been brief, but the city left a big impression on us, especially when it comes to the scrumptious local cuisine.

How long to stay?

We’ve been to Madrid, Spain twice, but unfortunately, both visits were just quick one-night stays due to the timing of our flights. That will explain why we didn’t get a chance to do too much yet. From the research we did, we think a stay of 3-4 nights would be better for a first visit. If you’re forced into a quick overnight like we were and have time to visit the city, we’d still recommend you stay in the city. And if you can try out Restaurant Botín while you’re here, even better.

Notably, of all the European cities we’ve been to thus far, we found English proficiency to be lower in Madrid. Or, perhaps, the locals we talked to didn’t feel like engaging. We wouldn’t say speaking Spanish is truly a must, but it will absolutely help if you know some words and phrases to help get you by.

Lastly, I feel compelled to tell you that street signs might be high up on the sides of buildings. If you’re looking for the name of the street and are looking for a traditional street sign by the corner of the road, you might not find it there. We had some trouble with that when we first arrived.

What we did in Madrid, Spain

Royal Palace of Madrid

Want to visit one of the largest palaces in the world? The Royal Palace of Madrid is more than twice as large as Versailles in terms of floor space. It’s another visually stunning place to visit and a must-do for your visit to Madrid. If you’re a fan of armor and historical weapons, check out the royal armory inside. Or spend some time in the throne room and imagine yourself standing amongst royalty.

Just a quick aside: it’s actually impressive that they make admission free if you’re unemployed. You will need documentation to prove you’re actively looking for work, so don’t expect to just sweet talk your way in.

While you’re here, take a look of the view around the Royal Palace. It’s impressive, especially if you happen to be here when the colors are changing in autumn. It almost makes you feel like you’re not in the city anymore.

Jardines de El Buen Retiro

If you want to take a walk around a large park, there aren’t many better places to do it than at the Jardines de El Buen Retiro. At one corner of the park is the monument known as Puerta de Alcalá. This was at one point a gateway to enter you into the city. It should be obvious at this point that the city has grown substantially beyond its walls and now it’s preserved as a national treasure.

The park itself is impressively large. Unfortunately, when we walked around here, it was a bit later in the evening when it was tough to take photos. If we had come here during daylight hours, we would have checked out some of the buildings in this area, like the Palacio de Cristal and perhaps rent a rowboat to take onto the lake,.

Almudena Cathedral

This Catholic cathedral is the first cathedral to be consecrated outside Rome’s limits. You this is pretty close to the Royal Palace of Madrid, so pairing them together is easy. Some notable people are buried here, including a queen and several princes.

Admission to the church itself is free, but expect to pay an admission fee to see the museum and crypt. Worth a visit if you’re in the area already for the palace.

Where we ate in Madrid, Spain

Botín

Want to know what Guinness World Records considers the oldest restaurant in the world? That’s right, it’s Botín. And wouldn’t you know that it remains a popular and delicious place to visit. It’s open for dining between 1PM and 11:30PM daily. Reservations are highly recommended (ideally made more than two months in advance).

Once inside, eating some jamón ibérico (Ibérico ham) is a must. It’s thinly sliced and a splendid appetizer to share as you wait for the rest of your meal. It’s a far better choice than filling up with bread.

If you’re feeling adventurous, you could order morcilla de Burgos (blood sausage) and croquettes. I’ve had cubed pork blood before (a dim sum delicacy) but I much prefer the flavor of morcilla de Burgos. It’s a little crumbly because there’s rice and onions in the sausage but it’s also rich and flavorful. The croquettes give a nice offset in flavor.

After dinner, our server brought us down to their wine cellar where we were able to get a pretty good sense of how historic the restaurant is. It’s dark down here and it was a treat to be able to see it.

They even gave us a decorative plate to commemorate our visit. Thankfully it survived the flight home and still sits on our shelf. But we prefer not to use it as a plate and more just a bit of nostalgia for our visit.

Chocolat

Yes, yes, yes! If you’re a fan of churros and chocolate, you must come to Chocolat. It has some of the best churros we’ve ever tasted (yes, better than Disneyland).

These churros aren’t in straight lines like you might come to expect if you’re used to how it looks in the United States. You absolutely will want to get the dipping chocolate that comes with it. The combination of sweets simply cannot be beat.

Where we stayed in Madrid, Spain

Radisson Blu Hotel, Madrid Prado

Back when Radisson had a decent award program (and when the U.S. and European properties were under a single program), we stayed at the Radisson Blu. I think it’s fair to say that Radisson Blu is a pretty reliable chain–far better than your typical Radisson–and they’re all over Europe. This might not be one of the best properties in Europe, but it’s not bad and the location works if you’re looking to be near the heart of the city.

The room design has changed a bit since we’ve been there, but it worked. It’s functional but didn’t have anything truly noteworthy in terms of unique features. This hotel has an indoor pool, which is great if you’re here during colder months like we were.

I’ll admit we stayed here on two separate one-night stays. On our first night, there was a nice fruit platter waiting for us in the room.

Only… it wasn’t for us. Up to this point, this remains our own (known) time where the hotel placed us in a room intended for someone else. At least, that’s what I assume because why else would this note be here? I guess we weren’t special in the eyes of the hotel!

What is your favorite thing to do in Madrid, Spain?

Suggested reading:

• Other destinations we’ve visited
• Why You Need to Collect Iberia Avios
• What to Know When You Book Infant Tickets