The most romance I have experienced in Madrid is witnessing my best friend meet her now-husband at a nightclub. It was four in the morning and with blood alcohol levels spiking, they kissed on the dance floor, exchanged phone numbers and the rest is history. Lightning doesn’t strike twice, however. Excellent nightlife may be a hallmark of the city, beloved by Madrileños of all ages, but it is not often a gateway to long-term love. If that is indeed what you are looking for.
Instead, the city’s excellent museums are a classier place for an early-in-the-relationship date. The Prado is a must for art lovers, while the Reina Sofia’s modern masters are extraordinary (though “Guernica” is not exactly an aphrodisiac). However, it’s the third vertex in what’s known as the city’s “Golden Triangle of Art” — the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museo Nacional — that I find the most romantic. Once the second-largest private collection in the world after the Royal Collection and housed in a neoclassical palace, it is encyclopaedic in its breadth and richness, manageable in size and inexplicably less crowded than its peers.
From there, a 10-minute walk will have you in Lavapiés, where a plethora of old school wine bars are ripe for cosying up in. Take your pick, though it’s Vinícola Mentridana that I’d suggest: the vibe is a bit like being in a Woody Allen film (with an age-appropriate romantic interest), and it offers an extensive, well-priced Spanish wine list, excellent tapas (skip the garlicky chorizo) and a flavour of real Madrid. If in need of talking points, nearby La Venencia (though it’s on the tourist trail), a sherry bar, offers plenty. After it opened in 1922, it became a favourite of the Lost Generation (including Hemingway) and during the Spanish civil war was used as a hideout for Republicans and journalists seeking intelligence from the frontlines. A house rule? No photography. Viva la phone-free-dating revolución.
— Niki Blasina, deputy editor, FT Globetrotter
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