151. What I Wore and Where I Stayed, Ate, and Shopped in Madrid

Don't miss this email if you're going to Madrid. And you should.

May 10, 2026

∙ Paid

I spent five days in Madrid last month and came back with a moving timeline and a phone full of Google Maps pins. Today’s newsletter references over 55 addresses. Restaurants, tapas spots, cafés, bakeries, wine bars, boutiques, vintage shops, and more for you to save for your next trip.

I share a full day-by-day diary, a neighborhood breakdown, and a packing debrief. What I wore is in here, too. You’ll find out which two of the three restaurants everyone will tell you to book are worth the hype and which one is terribly overrated. Where to find a Khaite-adjacent linen dress for €99. Where the chicest woman I know in Madrid sends you shopping. And where you'll find a daytime party on a Sunday that makes you never want to leave.

Thursday April 23rd

2.15 PM

Land in Madrid after a spicy go-around.

2.50 PM

Madrid Airport is unlike other European airports. It has the chaotic, vibrant energy of a global hub. We wait in a taxi queue that stretches the length of the terminal. Against my local friends’ advice: order an Uber. Taxis and Uber operate on a flat €30 rate to take you into the city.

3.20 PM

Arrive at our address. The Airbnb we booked is one of the best I’ve ever stayed at.