Don't Do This in Madrid

My 40 dos and don'ts for the people who don't want to be *that* tourist. Diving into my takes on Madrid food culture, social interactions, public transport, and more.

Everyone has different styles of traveling and it’s okay if you want to buy fridge magnets and see every landmark. That’s not me. When I visit a new city, I want to cosplay as a stay-at-home mom with a full-time nanny — basically window shopping, finding cute cafés, flirting with the locals, etc.. While it’s impossible to totally blend into a brand new place, I do try to abide by local customs and not stick out like a sore thumb. Since I’ve lived in Madrid for more than a year, here are my 40 best tips if you like to travel in a similar style.

DON’T order sangría. They rarely make it by the glass, and 9 times out of 10 they’ll just give you tinto de verano, which is fine—but it isn’t sangría.

DO order a vermouth on Sundays. It’s a thing and you will like it. It’s not the same type of vermouth you begrudgingly add to a dry martini.

DON’T expect any food to be spicy. Spicy paprika is as hot as it gets. Spanish cuisine tends to be very plain and focused on simple, high quality ingredients.

DO try jamón ibérico de bellota. It’s better than prosciutto.

DON’T think Mercado San Miguel is an authentic market. Madrid has 46 vibrant municipal markets worth visiting. San Miguel is not one of them—it’s just overpriced stuff designed for tourists. There are six real markets right in the core city center.

DO try the menú del día. Typically it’s a weekday lunch between €12-16 that includes an appetizer, main, drink, bread, and dessert or coffee.

DON’T be surprised if you see a lot of PDA. It’s common to see full-on makeout sessions in broad daylight.

DO expect to greet Spanish women with a kiss on each cheek if you’re introduced socially. In mixed company, men are expected to initiate; women find the flow naturally when greeting each other. Two men typically shake hands.

DON’T touch food at any market without gloves. Sometimes they are provided for you, and other times the vendor will handle it and you just tell them what you want.

DO consult my Madrid Restaurant Guide for a long list of restaurant, bakery and other food recs.

DON’T stay in Airbnbs. It massively inflates the housing market, and isn’t it nice to have your bed made for you anyway?

DO make reservations in advance for weekends—especially for lunch. Reservation culture isn’t as intense as in New York, but on weekends, lots of locals eat out with their families, and most good places won’t take walk-ins.

DON’T expect lunch spots to open before 1:00 to 1:30 p.m. or dinner before 8:30 to 9:00 p.m. Standard lunch time is around 2:00 (though I’ve seen people sit down as late as 4:30), and dinner usually starts around 9:30 at the earliest. As an foreigner, this can sometimes work in your favor—restaurants might have availability closer to 1 or 8 p.m. … you just might be the only ones there.

DO bring a student ID if you have one. You can get free or reduced entry to most museums. I’ve gotten away with also just showing my college email.

DON’T feel obligated to tip. If you’re paying in cash, it can be normal to add a few euro coins, but it’s really not customary. If they ask for it, it’s only because you’re a tourist.

DO keep your voice down and be respectful of locals who are not on vacation. Americans tend to have a louder-than-average baseline noise level.

DON’T eat at any restaurant or bar if they have someone out on the street trying to bring you in.

DO use public transportation to get around the city. It’s excellent. Uber and taxis are fine and will feel affordable by American standards, but the bus and metro system is easy to use, cheap, safe and often the fastest way to get around.

DON’T fall for the day-pass metro cards. Just get the regular 10-swipe pass—it’s €6 plus €2 for the card. Unlike other metro systems, you can share it with a friend: just pass it back after going through. There’s no tap-out on exit.

DO take an official taxi from the airport. Yes, there are public transportation options, but the €33 flat rate is reasonable, and the taxi line is the first thing you see when you exit the airport. It’s the lowest-stress option after a flight.

DON’T get in the taxi until you confirm they are abiding by the official flat rate and accepting credit cards. They are required to accept cards but will sometimes act like it’s not working. Say “Pagar con tarjeta.”

DO take an Uber to the airport instead of an official taxi. Although the price varies, it can be 30 to 50 percent cheaper.

DON’T stay in Sol or Plaza Mayor. It’s like being in Times Square.

DO drink the tap water. It’s not the same in all Spanish cities, but we have very good tap water here and madrileños are very proud of it. Beware—restaurants may take advantage of you and open a bottle of still water if you don’t specify “agua del grifo.”

DON’T leave any valuables in your back pockets. It’s not as bad as Barcelona, but people do get pickpocketed.

DO greet store clerks and randos in the elevator with a simple “buenas” (acceptable at all times of day) and say goodbye to everyone with “hasta luego” (although this gets shortened to more of a “’ta-lwogo” sound in natural speech). Saying “buenas” to strangers is equivalent to an American closed-mouth smile to acknowledge a person.

DON’T expect the check from a server without specifically asking for it. It’s normal for Spaniards to sit and chat after their meal for a long time, and it’s considered rude for the server to rush them out.

DO explore outside the center. The best parts of Madrid are not in Sol, Malasaña, La Latina, Chueca or Salamanca. Try a sunset picnic at El Parque del Cerro del Tío Pío and tacos from Valletako at Mercado de la Numancia.

DON’T pay in US dollars if the credit card machine gives you the option. The markup is insane, and your bank will give you the best rate when you pay in Euros.

DO check out museums other than the Prado and the Reina Sofía. The Thyssen and Sorolla are my favorites and the Cerralbo is cool too.

My first live Zoom cook-along class is April 13 for paid subscribers only. See this for more info.