Madrid | Issue #134
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Here Are 5 Things to Do in Madrid This Weekend
Itās Friday again!
And what do you know? Weāre once again recommending activities that involve a high-calorie diet and getting out of downtown Madrid your comfort zone because, unless youāre a certain British spy, you only live once. I donāt think you can blame us.
This has undoubtedly been the winter of our discontent: non-stop rain, stupidly cold mornings, and the inevitable retreat of democratic values. Dude, if youāre not depressed, do you even have a pulse?
So loosen that belt, put away those ridiculous winter jackets (finally!), and get ready for a weekend of fun and sun with your friends.
The nuclear winterSpring is only a few weeks away, so youād better make it count.
Happy weekend!
But first, click on this if you love art and the Prado Museum ā¬ļø
1.š„¢ China Taste 2026: A taste of the Year of the Horse
Yes, we celebrated the Chinese New Year last week, but that doesnāt mean weāre done partying. In fact, Madrid is hosting the ninth edition of China Taste, a month-long gastronomic festival bringing together 24 top Chinese restaurants across Madrid to celebrate the Year of the Horse.
Each restaurant offers a special menu or dish inspired by Lunar New Year traditions, giving you the perfect excuse to explore everything from fiery Sichuan flavors to delicate Cantonese classics.
And itās not just about food; thereās meaning behind every bite. In Chinese culture, the New Year reunion dinner is the most important meal of the year, symbolising prosperity, longevity, and good fortune.
Some of the dishes include whole fish (unity), long noodles (long life), dumplings, and other traditional delicacies reimagined for the occasion.
We know that for some of you, making it all the way to Usera (Madridās Chinatown) is cause for anxiety. So before you go all Kim Kardashian on us, asking if itās āsafe to be there šā, let us tell you the good news: some of these restaurants are in the Centro area. Youāre welcome.
Oh, and thereās also a solidarity angle: for every special menu sold, a donation goes to the Red Cross.
š„ļø What: China Taste 2026
š Where: 24 participating restaurants across Madrid
š When: Through March 3
š Prices vary by restaurant (special set menus available)
2.š¤¤ The reopening of the Mercado de San Miguel
In the immortal words of contemporary mean girl Madison Montgomery: Surprise, bitch. Thatās right, after being closed for renovations for some time, one of Madridās most iconic tourist traps culinary landmarks reopened this week and itās ready to be busy.
Oh, we kid. The Mercado de San Miguel was inaugurated in 1916 as a traditional food market and one of the cityās best examples of iron architecture. But it exploded in popularity in 2009, when it became the first gastronomic market in the city.
Located just steps from
another tourist trapPlaza Mayor, it now attracts more than 10 million visitors a year and remains a temple of Spanish produce under one elegant glass-and-iron roof.Inside, youāll find more than 30 stalls showcasing top-quality ingredients from across Spain: Galician seafood, Iberian ham, artisan cheeses, rice dishes, tortillas, smoked fish, vermouth, pastries, and more.
Big culinary names that you probably never heard of are part of the draw, including Joan Rocaās Rocambolesc ice cream, Rodrigo de la Calleās paellas, and ArzĆ”balās classic Madrid-style tapas.
So yes, itās one of the cityās most touristed spots. But if you time it right and go in with a strategy (lap first, order second), itās still one of the easiest ways to taste Spain in one sitting.
š„ļø What: Reopening of Mercado de San Miguel
š Where: Plaza de San Miguel s/n, Madrid
š When: It just re-opened!
š Tickets start at: Free entry, but you must pay for the food inside, or youāll get kicked out and/or arrested.
3.šØ From Heaven to Hell: Boschās nightmares return with a digital twist
Alright, so youāre on a diet because the summer is only four months away. Then let us offer you something darker (and stranger) than tapas and vermut.
The FundaciĆ³n Juan March is presenting an exhibition co-produced with the ColecciĆ³n SOLO that places two small panels by a follower of Hieronymus Bosch (aka El Bosco, aka the guy who painted this) alongside contemporary works charged with surreal, metamorphic, and fantastical imagery.
The two paintings (Heaven and Hell) originally formed part of a now-lost triptych dedicated to the Last Judgment. They capture the moral satire, meticulous detail and delirious imagination that made Bosch a singular figure in art history. But the exhibition makes a bigger point: Boschās dreamlike logic didnāt die in the 15th century.
From AndrĆ© Breton (who saw in Bosch a kind of proto-surrealist) to todayās digital artists experimenting with AI as a āmachine of metamorphosis,ā the show traces a lineage of fantasy, mutation, and black humor that runs straight into the present. Medieval nightmares meet Fortnite on psychedelics.
š„ļø What: A la Manera del Bosco
š Where: Calle de CastellĆ³ 77, Madrid
š When: Through April 12
š Tickets: Free admission
4.šø Unveiling the gaze: Hoda Afshar at La Casa Encendida
If youāre looking for something more esoteric so you can look cool on Instagram, La Casa Encendida is hosting The Fold, one of the seasonās most thought-provoking exhibitions, created by Iranian visual artist Hoda Afshar, who interrogates photography, power, and perception.
The exhibition stems from Afsharās research at Parisās MusĆ©e du Quai Branly, where she encountered an archive of thousands of photographs taken in Morocco by French psychiatrist and photographer GaĆ«tan Gatian de ClĆ©rambault.
His images of veiled Muslim women (and occasionally men) were tied to his psychoanalytic theories about the veil and fantasy ā and embedded in a distinctly colonial gaze.
In The Fold, Afshar reworks this archive for the first time in her practice, examining the legacy of Orientalist and colonial photography while asking a sharper question: who controls what we see ā and how we see it?
Through silver mirroring, darkroom printing, digital animation, video and installation, she builds a layered response that connects past regimes of representation with todayās politics of visibility.
Afsharās work consistently explores the tension between aesthetics and violence, knowledge and control. Highly recommended.
š„ļø What: The Fold by Hoda Afshar
š Where: La Casa Encendida (Sala A), Ronda de Valencia 2, Madrid
š When: Through April 26
š Tickets: Free admission
5.šš» Flamenco, pushed to the edge: JesĆŗs Carmonaās Tentativo at Matadero
You think you know flamenco? JesĆŗs Carmona is here to challenge you. Centro Danza Matadero hosts Tentativo (Basado en paisajes reales), the latest creation by the National Dance Prize-winning bailaor and choreographer.
Performed by his company, the piece is an exploration of identity, vulnerability and the limits of movement, all through the evolving language of contemporary flamenco.
Carmona, one of the most innovative figures in todayās dance scene, blends technical precision with emotional intensity. In Tentativo, he turns inward, questioning what it means to be a bailaor while opening flamenco to dialogue with other disciplines and soundscapes.
With an international career that includes stages like Sadlerās Wells in London and New York City Center, Carmona is synonymous with global experience, but the raw power remains deeply rooted in flamenco tradition.
š„ļø What: Tentativo (Basado en paisajes reales) by JesĆŗs Carmona
š Where: Centro Danza Matadero (Nave 11), Paseo de la Chopera 14, Madrid
š When: Through March 8 (Wednesday to Sunday performances)
š Tickets start at ā¬27
šŗ What to watch if youāre staying in this weekendā¦
š„ļø What: Singular | Movie | 2025
šWhere to watch: HBO Max
āWhatās it about: Twelve years after their son's death, Diana and MartĆn reunite for a weekend at their old lake house. She's an AI specialist; he lives in seclusion. When a mysterious young man appears, old secrets and new suspicions emerge.
š¤© Why you should watch: Because itās Spainās most direct, intimate answer to the AI anxiety weāve all been quietly absorbing since Black Mirror, and this time, it hits closer to home. It starts tense and elegant, and while the plot eventually loops and overstretches its central idea, Singular captures something unsettlingly current: the feeling that the future we feared is no longer theoretical.
š¬ English Subtitles: No.
šš» Places to try this weekendā¦
š¦ Colosso Gelato: Madridās creamiest obsession
Whatās it about: Colosso Gelato, in Plaza de Santa BĆ”rbara (Alonso MartĆnez), is serving authentic Italian artisan gelato made on-site under the direction of master gelato maker Julio Bertoni. Everything is produced in their own obrador, with Mediterranean-inspired recipes.
Why you should go: Because itās proper gelato. Less fat, creamier texture, served at the right temperature, so the flavor actually hits. The pistachio is a must. The Dulce de Leche Colosso (with chocolate shards folded in) is dangerously good. Tramontana and the viral Chocolate DubĆ”i are also standouts. Add specialty coffee and a prime central location, and youāve got the perfect post-lunch, mid-afternoon or late-night stop.
Bottom line: If you love real gelato, Colosso delivers some of the smoothest, most flavour-packed scoops in Madrid right now.
Address: Plaza de Santa Barbara, 6, Madrid
š¦ A taste of Galicia in Retiro: Why OāGrelo still delivers
Whatās it about: For over 30 years, O Grelo has been flying the Galician flag in Madridās Retiro neighbourhood. Get ready for top-quality seafood, fish, meats, and rice dishes prepared with traditional techniques and subtle modern touches.
Why you should go: Itās the kind of place that understands its product ā and doesnāt need to overcomplicate it. You order pulpo con cachelos, empanada de vieiras, arroz con bogavante or merluza a la gallega and let the ingredients do the talking.
Bottom line: If youāre craving Galicia without leaving Madrid, OāGrelo is a reliable classic that still earns its reputation.
Address: Calle de Menorca, 39, Madrid
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