This article is part of FT Globetrotter’s guide to Madrid
I first moved to Madrid in 2000. Since then it’s changed enormously, becoming a popular tourist destination mostly aimed at the luxury market, and some classic bars and restaurants have sadly closed and been replaced with US fast-food chains. The city is now more culturally and racially diverse thanks to immigration, and in the business sense it has become much more internationalised.
Take the stereotypical Spanish tardiness. This has fallen by the wayside to be replaced with a more Anglo-Saxon punctuality. Not so long ago, many companies still imposed an obligatory two-hour lunch break. But the days of being able to go home at lunchtime, eat and have a quick snooze before returning to the office are long gone in Madrid. That’s not to say Madrileños don’t still nap — they will at the weekend and on vacation — but these days it’s best not to ask if people still have a siesta in a business capital such as Madrid, for risk of offence.
Nonetheless, this is a city that never lets you forget that you are in the beating heart of Spain, thanks to seemingly endless traffic jams through the main boulevards and avenues, thronging streets, a wealth of Spanish culinary choice and a cacophony of chatter everywhere you turn.
Don’t be put off by the demonstrations in Spain calling for a new model of tourism — in particular the water-pistol-squirting protesters in Barcelona. The majority of people you will meet in Madrid will be absolutely delighted to have you in their city and will want to tell you all about their culture, history and in particular their food. It’s very social: you can expect a warm and friendly welcome in the enviable wealth of bars and restaurants — a scene that is flourishing thanks to the city’s simultaneous economic and cultural boom. It’s buzzy. It’s upbeat. So don’t put a dampener on proceedings. Here’s how.
Greetings
Madrileños are often characterised as being very open, tactile and personable right from the start, even in a business setting. Don’t be surprised if a complete stranger offers a loud and cheery “Buenos días” when entering a lift with you, or even in the bathroom — or (horror!) standing side by side at a urinal.
When men greet other men, a preliminary handshake can quickly progress to a hug when a relationship has developed. When men are meeting with women, and women with women, even for the first time, it’s very common to give two kisses on the cheek (you lean to the left first, then to the right, compared to the Italians, who go right and then left — something that can cause all kinds of inadvertent, awkward face-bumping when these two nationalities meet).
That said, many Spanish women were somewhat relieved when the pandemic temporarily put paid to the traditional dos besos and are now more inclined to offer a hand. I’d advise visitors to do the same, but if a hug or two kisses are offered, go with the flow.
If you are a Spanish speaker, don’t worry too much about using the polite usted form rather than tú. It’s very rarely used these days, even in a business context, unless you happen to be meeting with a CEO or other very high-ranking executive.
Eating
Some serious adjustment is often needed if you are to fit in with Madrileños and their eating habits. While breakfast is enjoyed anywhere between 7am and 10am, depending on your work timetable, lunchtime most commonly begins at 2pm or 2.30pm. If you need an earlier start, bear in mind that many restaurants will not start serving until 1pm.
Dinner, meanwhile, is served as late as 9pm or 10pm for most Spanish families (the result of Spain shifting to Central European Time in 1940) — even during the work week, and even for young children. (In fact, primetime Spanish TV doesn’t start until 10pm.)
This means that lunch is the biggest meal of the day, and quite often enjoyed by in a local bar or restaurant in the form of the menú del día (a set meal that includes an ever-changing choice of first course, main dish, dessert, drink, bread and coffee, all for a very reasonable price).
Lunch hours are still sacred for Spaniards. These days, 90 minutes is the minimum for a business lunch. But do be prepared for them to potentially run on. And do not be tempted to have lunch at your desk: it’s valuable time to get to know colleagues and associates better and forge stronger relationships.
Likewise, invitations to a mid-morning or mid-afternoon coffee should always be accepted. Nipping out for a mid-morning and mid-afternoon snack is de rigueur in Spain, to see you through the long, hungry hours between the three main meals. Business in Madrid is done around a whole lot of food and drink.
Drinking
Madrileños love to drink, whether it’s a pre-lunch or -dinner vermouth, an ice-cold frothy beer or, of course, a glass of Rioja and Ribera del Duero. But they do not, however, get drunk in a business context. And it is very important that you follow suit. It is frowned upon to drink to excess at company celebrations such as Christmas parties or dinners.
If bottles of liquor suddenly appear at your table, you can feel free to help yourself, as you are now locked into the sobremesa — a wonderful Spanish word meaning literally “on the table”, which describes that long and boozy postprandial debate that can last for hours.
Make like a Madrileño and always eat while you drink. A night out in the Spanish capital is a marathon, not a sprint; it requires the kind of pacing that will be somewhat foreign to anyone used to trying to beat the bell in UK pubs. You can expect restaurants to stay open until as late as 1am, bars to chuck out sometime after 3am, and nightclubs to keep serving until 6am. A word of advice: when seeking the attention of a bartender or waiter, a loud, confident greeting is often required, otherwise you may be waiting much longer than the Spanish customers to get served.
Paying the bill
Madrileño friends and colleagues will often insist on picking up the tab, to which a spirited, almost theatrical opposition should be offered. If a Spaniard says they want to “invite you”, that means they are going to pay — the verb invitar means to pick up the tab. It is important, however, to insist the next time that you do actually pay, so as to avoid any resentment as your relationship progresses.
Dinner parties
With such a wealth of bars and restaurants in Madrid, it is perhaps no surprise that invitations to clients’ or colleagues’ homes are few and far between. What’s more, particularly in the centre of the city, apartments can be somewhat on the small side, which is why so many Madrileños rely on la vida callejera (“life lived outdoors”) for their leisure activities.
Many close friends and colleagues will never have seen the inside of each other’s abodes, preferring instead to meet for lunch in restaurants, tapas in the city’s myriad establishments or bars for frothy, expertly pulled cañas (the smallest measure of beer).
How to dress
Business attire is ever more casual in Madrid. Ties are something of a rarity these days, bar in the expected places: investment banks, major consultancies, law firms. As a general rule, smart-casual — erring on the smart side — is the way to go.
When to set a meeting
Madrileños who have children may not be in the office or up and running remotely until 10am, and it’s best to set meetings from this time onward — and before 6pm; many workers will be looking to clock off from then. It’s also worth considering that many companies finish early on Fridays, usually around 3pm, and that during the sweltering months of July and August, when schools are closed, a lot of staff will be permitted to clock in around 8am or 9am and leave at 3pm.
Time was when Madrid turned into a ghost town in August, as bars, restaurants and smaller companies shut up shop for the whole month and everyone headed out to the beach. That’s no longer the case. But do expect staffing be on the thin side during the summer months and fewer key decisions to be taken, as people flee the furnace of the city centre for the cool north of the peninsula or the coast.
Topics of conversation
Spaniards can speak for hours about food and drink, and it’s no wonder. Most of what is eaten and drunk in the country is produced domestically, and many Madrileños have roots in other regions that all have their own culinary quirks. Expect, then, to be drawn into lengthy conversations about just how grandmas or aunts make their tortillas or croquetas, and be sure to show as much interest as you can muster for this enthusiasm.
As in so many other countries, topics to avoid include religion and politics. Spain is still as hopelessly divided across left and right lines as it has been for decades now — perhaps even more so since the emergence of far-right groups such as Vox and hard-left alliances such as Sumar and Podemos.
Football is generally a fail-safe topic. For many Madrileños, with their three top-flight teams Real Madrid, Atlético de Madrid and Rayo Vallecano, the sport occupies a close second to food on their list of priorities. And asking about someone’s family is generally a good idea: family units in Madrid, and in Spain in general, tend to remain incredibly close, as you will see any weekend of the year as generations come together for long, leisurely meals at restaurants.
It is also a lot more common in Spanish culture to interrupt others while speaking. Do not be offended — and do not be afraid to insist on making your point if you have been cut off, either during a business meeting or in a social setting.
One faux-pas to avoid: asking if the water in Madrid is safe to drink — there are few other things that natives of the city are as proud of as the quality of their tap water.
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