Locals' Madrid
More than most other Spanish cities, Madrid can take time to get under your skin, but once it does it rewards your patience a thousand times over. A little local knowledge is the key.
A Very Madrid Sunday
Madrileños like nothing better than Sunday morning at El Rastro (
GOOGLE MAP
; Calle de la Ribera de Curtidores; 
h8am-3pm Sun; 
mLa Latina, Puerta de Toledo, Tirso de Molina) flea market, followed by tapas and vermouth around 1pm along Calle de la Cava Baja in La Latina. Then it's across town to the Parque del Buen Retiro where, east of the lake, crowds gather, drums start to beat and people begin to dance as the sun nears the horizon
Food Icons
In this food-obsessed city you'll find countless treasures that capture the city's culinary essence. The Mercado de San Miguel epitomises the irresistible buzz that goes with eating here. Nearby Casa Revuelta is not much to look at but it's similarly adored by locals.
Informal Flamenco
Madrid has many outstanding flamenco stages but most are pretty formal affairs. While upstairs at Candela fits this description, the downstairs bar is for true aficionados and it's a more spontaneous proposition. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but therein lies the magic of flamenco.
Barrio Life
North of the centre, the locals reclaim their city. Plaza de Olavide is the heart and soul of Chamberí and offers an authentic slice of local life. It's not that there's much to see here: instead, the agreeable show of local life, watched from the outdoor tables that encircle the plaza, is a fascinating window on how locals experience Madrid.