Jardines de Sabatini Apartosuites (©Álvaro López del Cerro).
Rooftop bars with amazing views. Lush garden oases on terra firma. Pick one and enjoy all of the flavours the summer has to offer.
UP HIGH
The rooftop of Círculo de Bellas Artes boasts one of the most spectacular views of Madrid, offering an unbeatable prospect of its cityscape, including the nearby buildings on Gran Vía avenue. Located next to the statue of Minerva that crowns the building, this bar and restaurant is one of Madrid’s hottest summer spots, especially after dark. On the menu, you’ll find roasted artichokes topped with Manchego cheese, stewed calamari and caramelised onion, grilled Iberian pork shoulder with baby broccoli… and wonderful cocktails. Fancy a mojito under the stars? It’s almost like being at the beach.
With a height of 117 metres, the Edificio España building, which now houses the Hotel RIU Plaza España, is the eighth tallest building in the city. At the very top, on its 27th floor, you’ll find this terrace bar with 360º views of practically the whole of Madrid. In the foreground, there’s the Temple of Debod, Casa de Campo Park, the Royal Palace, the Telefónica building and Gran Vía avenue. In the background, the view seems to go on forever! Domes and rooftops, green spaces… An entire map unfolds before our eyes. It doesn’t have a restaurant (although they serve a few nibbles to go with the drinks), but what it does have is a walkway with a glass floor that’s not for the faint of heart. Gran Vía is right below it. Very, very far below. If you’re not a guest at the hotel you’ll need to buy a ticket (€5 on weekdays and €10 at weekends and public holidays).
Located on the 12th floor of the Hotel VP Plaza España Design, this sky bar is named after the ginkgo biloba tree, whose fan-shaped leaves feature heavily in the ceiling decorations on the covered part of the space, which also have mirrors that reflect the trees in the street. The menu has a strong focus on Mediterranean and Asian dishes, and the cocktail list includes both classic and contemporary drinks.
Toasting with a glass of wine while enjoying views of Madrid’s most famous fountain can be a memorable experience. You’ll need to go up to the sixth floor of Cibeles Palace to get to this rooftop bar with an extensive cocktail list that includes the “Cibeles”, made with a base of orange, pineapple, strawberry and watermelon.
The rooftop bar on the 10th floor of the Hotel Hyatt Centric Gran Vía Madrid is named after the Roman goddess Diana the Huntress. A statue of her crowns the building. The menu offers finger food (tacos, croquettes, hummus, etc.) and fun cocktails like the Very Well Manzango, made with mango, spicy apple syrup and lime juice.
At the Hotel NH Collection Gran Vía you’ll find this space consisting of a restaurant with views on the 8th floor and a sky bar offering a prospect of the city’s most emblematic rooftops. As for the cocktails, here are two suggestions: the Esperpento and the Bohemio, whose names allude to Valle-Inclán and his play Luces de Bohemia, in which Pica Lagartos was a tavern owner.
Jardines de Sabatini Apartosuites
A unique place to enjoy the best views of the Royal Palace and the most spectacular sunsets in the city, if you look out towards the Temple of Debod. Cocktails and a chilled-out atmosphere.
American fusion cuisine on a rooftop space inspired by the colonial courtyards of Cartagena de Indias. A courtyard that has Puerta del Sol right below it, of course.
GARDEN OASES
There are various spaces in this bar/restaurant in El Retiro Park, located in what was once the legendary nightclub Florida Park. Although you can have dinner at El Pabellón, now that summer has arrived it’s tempting to enjoy La Terraza, tucked amidst the treetops and next to the building’s iconic dome, built by King Ferdinand VII. The magical sunsets combine to perfection with the fresh cuisine (salads, salmon tacos, mini burgers, fried calamari with citrus mayonnaise, etc.) and the varied range of cocktails. Down on terra firma there’s another outdoor space, Los Kioskos, a sort of gastro-market whose offerings are a bit more casual and fun.
Located in the heart of Madrid Río Park, this café boasts a delightful vantage point offering views of the Royal Palace, La Almudena Cathedral and the dome of the Basilica of San Francisco el Grande. Some of the dishes on the menu send us on a journey to southern Spain. There are Andalusian-style fried calamari strips, marinated dogfish like that found in the Bay of Cádiz, Cordoba-style salmorejo (cold tomato, bread and garlic soup)… The cocktail list sends us a bit further afield.
This place was built to resemble a beach bar, to live up Madrid’s very own beach on the banks of the Manzanares River, next to the Puente Monumental de Arganzuela bridge designed by Dominique Perrault. It offers light cuisine and cocktails perfect for summer.
The restaurant at Linares Palace has outdoor seating in an idyllic garden featuring prominent nods to Ibero-American culture. The culinary offerings are a fusion of flavours from both continents, with exotic dishes like Venezuelan tequeños with lime mojo verde sauce and meagre, avocado and mango ceviche. And the drinks are utterly tempting!
Next to Cuesta de la Vega in Atenas Park, with magnificent views of La Almudena Cathedral, at this classic kiosk-style bar you can enjoy everything from a frozen lemonade to a vermouth or cocktail.
This recently opened restaurant helmed by chef Borja Segura has a beautiful garden terrace. There’s something to suit every taste: sit down at one of its tables to enjoy everything from Andalusian gazpacho with olive oil ice cream to duck gyozas with teriyaki sauce.
Bocanegra
A new gastro-space in the Palace of the Marquis of Casa Riera, which has a spectacular al fresco dining area with tables where you can enjoy a casual lunch or dinner. The menu includes tuna poke, aubergine in tempura with molasses, roast beef and goat cheese sandwiches… and eleven different types of cocktails.
The outdoor dining area at this restaurant is an oasis with a colonial air and lush greenery. It specialises in meat cooked over the grill, but it also offers other dishes, such as bluefin tuna with black sesame, quinoa, blackberry chutney and ginger foam. Its caipiriñas are famous in Madrid.
Palm trees, bamboo, loquats and olive trees give this unexpected garden right on Paseo de la Castellana a thoroughly inviting feel. The comfy lounge seating zone is the clientele’s favourite spot. There’s also the restaurant area, with its brightly-coloured tablecloths, and a snack area with high tables. Head there for: cocktails and raciones (small platters perfect for sharing)!
Silvia Roba