It's THAT TIME once again. Time for "Party with MadridMan in Madrid!" Question is, WHEN are we going to have it?

I'm in Madrid Saturday June 18 to Wednesday June 29. Thing is, I'm CERTAIN I won't want to "Party with (almost ) ANYONE on Saturday night, June 29th, the day I arrive. The following weekend, Friday June 24th is not really an option as I have something planned. I'm not even sure Saturday June 25th will be available to me as I might be gone for the entire weekend.

While not as popular and no-doubt more sparsely attended, what do we think about a mid-week, less-formal "Party with MadridMan"? We could make it an earlier night for those who work the next day. Maybe some day between Monday June 20 & Thursday June 23?

I realize I've drastically narrowed the option but the Madrid trip only totals about 10 days. On the UP side, I'll be in Madrid for about an equal number of days around mid-October so there's a possibility we can plan another one then.

Comments? Ideas? Places to meet? Will my Spaniard friends NOT attend because of a mid-week get-together? I realize it's less convenient.

Looking forward to feedback.

Saludos, MadridMan

Hi MM and everyone!

My friend and I will be visiting Madrid June 21-25. If you have suggestions for a get-together or other activities to do that week, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks!

Since I normally spend summers in Madrid, I thought I would never get to attend a MadridMan party in Madrid. This is awesome! I arrive on the 22nd, so if the final date works out for me, I'll definitely be there! Thanks for the great site MM!

*sigh*

once again, I am out of time.

hey Madridman! I´ll try to make it as well. Mid-week I am not usually available until after 10pm.

So, be sure to post when and where!

Chica

You could even have two young men to accompany you I've warned them that it may be a compulsory activity for them whilst there

Jo

I don't know Jo... my "Teen Talk" group seems quite anxious to meet their counterparts and really show them Madrid! I'll bet those young men would have more fun with their Spanish counterparts than an "old nag" like me!!

MM, I arrive on Monday, June 27! Anyway you could have it on Tuesday before you leave? If you are anything like me, the night before leaving Madrid is not the optimum time for a party! Well, I probably will miss this one by a week, but I think some others are planning one in July, so will try to make that one.
I was just looking forward to meeting you all again!!!!

Lisa

laduque: sorry, but as you mentioned, I think having it on "my last night in Madrid" would not be the best time for me - considering the people I'm leaving behind - once again. I'm sure you understand. Typically my last night in Madrid consists of a large meal - with the family - and conversation. What a shame I'll miss you this time around. Maybe in October?

Saludos, MadridMan

I totally understand, and to think of it, my first day in Madrid is that day too, and it is much of the same thing as well, large meal with family...especially with a newish new granddaughter i'm toting over there!

I've no doubt there will be a next time!

Sorry i'll miss this one by only 1 week.

I am on vacation June 20. Is there a gathering then or not?

carmendeespana, I'm not sure yet but I guess I should make a firm decision sometime this weekend. Will it be Monday, June 20th? I don't know yet, sorry.

Any suggestions on WHERE it should be? El Brillante near Atocha, maybe? We haven't done that one for quite awhile, could sit outside too. Good and cheap food and drink.

Keep in mind that I expect this "Party with MadridMan in Madrid" to be MUCH smaller than the last one (50+ persons, I think) since this one is mid-week and not a weekend, and I'm not promoting it on the front of the website as I usually do. Again, this'll be a less formal gathering, won't go very late, and possibly just a one-stop get together as opposed to going from place to place.

Saludos, MadridMan

"Party with MadridMan in Madrid" on Thursday, June 23, 2005 8:00pm. Sound good?

Now we just need to decide where. While "El Brillante" is a favorite place of mine, maybe the large terraza on Plaza de San Andrés would be good once again. It's rather central and not too difficult to find but can be crowded. Well, if our group is small it won't matter so much.

Comments? Ideas? Suggestions?

Saludos, MadridMan

I will miss this edition of the Party with MadridMan, but since I am coming to Madrid from September 28 to October 7, perhaps that time will coincide with a MadridMan Party. This is a call to Mongo and Epaulino4 to synchronize your calendars, since I will, of course by staying at Hostal Adriano.

My wife, this time, and I know it is going to cost me plenty, is allowing me to journey to Madrid with a male friend, you know "Boys Trip"?

Don't worry....we are not very dangerous.

Hey MadridMan......This is great! My wife and kids are headed back to the states for a month to visit family and I am able to go to one of these. My suggestion would be to start out in Plaza de Santa Anna at the German "Natterbier". They have Beer taps in the tables and VinaTecha is right next door for our Wine drinkers. It is also centrally located right next to Sol for wherever the group wants to go. I'll monitor the subject.

MedicalMan: Good suggestions! I'm a little concerned about the Plaza Santa Ana terraza though. While all very nice, they're generally small and on a hot Thursday night in Madrid they're likely to be FULL at the 8pm start time which would leave everyone else to stand around - where there's really no space to stand except MAYBE inside and WHO wants to be inside on a hot evening? They'll likely simply have their doors open.

Hope to see you in Madrid on June 23, 2005!

Saludos, MadridMan

The choice of location also depends largely on whether people want to eat. I wouldn't recommend Plaza Santa Ana (even though I live there and it would be a very short stagger home) if people want to have tapas. It's expensive and the food's not great.- If people just want to drink, then it's fine and I could even tell the ladies in the terraza to keep us a few tables free. If it's food people want, Plaza San Andres is good, but perhaps hard to find enough tables. There is a fun place in Plaza Tirso de Molina. It's a rooftop bar with a Granada theme and with a wrap around terraza and views over the square. And it's cheap. They might be happy to take a reservation if we can give them approximate numbers.

barry: all good comments. And I agree with you about Plaza Santa Ana. I think we'll want to eat something along with our drinks - at least *I* will.

Your idea of the rooftop/wraparound terraza in Plaza Tirso de Molina sounds intriguing. But after some people have read the thread about Lavapies they may have other ideas about coming and then walking home/back after dark.

Regarding the terraza in Plaza de San Andrés and not having many tables available to us, I don't think we'll have all that many - not like in past years since I'm not promoting it anywhere but right here in this thread. In the past I've promoted it on the FRONT page of MadridMan.com and other strategic pages, also on get-together threads of other message boards, and even sent emails to my closest friends in Madrid to attend if they wanted - but not this year. So maybe we'll only need a few tables. And I was happy with the food at that Cervecería San Andrés. Wait... I DIDN'T EVEN GET ANYTHING TO EAT! Too much socializing. hehehe.. but the food did LOOK good and believe it was inexpensive.

Any other, additional suggesions? June 23 is drawing near!

Saludos, MadridMan

Wow, I just picked up on this thread yesterday. June 23rd? I think that's my last day of school, so I will have all the more reason to celebrate!

My only suggestion is that if you're looking for a terraza, and that sounds like a good idea, you should try to get a round figure of how many people are planning on going. This would be my first MadridMan get-together sound I can't even guess at how many people normally go to these events. Ten? Twenty? A thousand?

Anyway, if you have a ballpark figure, then you can go to one of these places and have them hold a table for you. This obviously works better if you know the owner. I mean right on my street (calle Ibiza) there are about twenty great terrazas in the boulevard, and I could get a table, but the only negative side is that it's on the other side of Retiro and not in the Sol, Santa Ana, La Latina, Cava Baja, Cava Alta areas. You may be looking for some place in those parts of town. If so, I'm sure one of you knows a terraza well enough to ask the owner to reserve a table. You might even be able to do it that very afternoon a couple of hours before people meet up.

I think it's the best way to avoid the old, "Now what do we do?" crisis. At least that's my first impression, but maybe that's not being very realistic since there's no way of knowing how many.

A la espera de más input...

Hey Barry--
Where's this roof-top terraza in Tirso?

Murdy, thanks for your input. I've heavily promoted these gatherings in the past so we've often had 45-60 people attending which, as you can imagine, makes it a great challenge to get everyone together at tables.

At the last "Party with MadridMan in Madrid" I went to Cervecería San Andrés the day before to ask about reserving some tables but the owner said no, we couldn't do it. And I could understand why. When I arrived early the next evening for the gathering there are nary a table to be had - totally full. The few early birds just stood around 'til a table came free, took it, then waited for the next one, etcetera. By the end of the night, about 3 hours later, we'd been able to put about 6 tables end to end and that was fun.

This time around, I'm only guessing that we MAY have 20 persons. It's my experience that about 25% of those on "the list" are no-shows for one reason or another. No problem. Plus, any terraza owner would be taking a big chance to RESERVE valuable tables for people who might not show up. Plus, people don't come all at once, they'll just come one-by-one. If we start at 8pm (I'll be there a little early) we MAY have a couple people come shortly AFTER 8pm (these are always the United Statesens) and the others will trickle in over the next couple of hours. Hopefully people won't come too late because I don't imagine we'll be there for more than 2 or 3 hours - depending on how much fun we're having, of course - but I, myself, don't expect to go "bar hopping" although there's usually a smaller group which breaks off and does just this.

Any more suggestions, anyone?

Saludos, MadridMan

Jo-Anne, are you going to go????

That makes sense to me, MadridMan. So, it's june 23rd at 8:00...and whatever place we decide on, right? I should be able to make it.

Working in our favour is the time. 8pm is early and the terrazas shouldn't be crowded just yet. I just recalled another bar with a garden/terraza. It's called Reporter and it's on Calle Fucar 6, just off Huertas. I haven't been for a long time and we'd have to check they have no concerts or such planned for that night. Has anyone been there recently? I'd go round myself except I'm catching a flight to Mallorca later and won't be back in Madrid till 18 June. Oh, that rooftop Granadan bar is on Calle Doctor Cortezo. It's the last building on your left as you walk from Plaza Benavente towards Tirso. The outside is a non-decript entrance to a block of pisos. Press the button for the sixth floor and wait to be let in, speak-easy style. But don't tell everyone Mariposita!
Sorry for that aside. Anyway, I think towards San Andres/La Latina is our best bet because they have real tapas there. There's also Plaza Dos de Mayo, which has lots of terrazas, but I'm not sure of the food situation. (I'm an incorrigible drunk, myself, and usually forget to line my stomach)

Hi Nevado

I'm not going , but my son and his friend will be in Madrid at that time so I may send them to spy on my behalf. Although, as Chica says, they may end up having 'better offers' (no offence MM ).

Are you going?

We still need that joint jaunt to Madrid so's you can show me all the things you know ... (have a memory of a conversation about beautifully tiled men's toilets? )

Can you re-send me your email address please? Ta

Have fun everyone.

Jo

Mariposita -- Let me know if you ever go to that resturant! It might be an interesting place to check out for our dinners!

Thanks Barry! I had heard about this place from a few others, but never understood exactly where it was... Want to come down and check it out with me someday Chica?

We still need to finalize the PLACE for our small gathering. Shall we just say the terraza of Cervecería San Andrés on the Plaza de San Andrés? Or dare we try the rooftop terraza on the Plaza de Tirso de Molino? Barry recommended the latter. Sounds like an interesting out-of-the-way place but not sure everyone (including me!) will be ble to find it.

Saludos, MadridMan

I leave for Madrid TODAY! Hope to see some of you on Thursday, June 23rd!

Saludos, MadridMan

I hope I can make it this time. I head to the States for a much too short vacation on the 24th, so don't know if I'll be too busy tying up loose ends. If I miss you all, hoist a couple for me and better luck next time around!

I´m beginning to think the rooftop terraza on the Plaza de Tirso de Molina (Barry´s suggestion) might just be a great place. Shall we try it? Now, we just need to know EXACTLY where it is. Thursday is approaching QUICKLY!

ChrisR, it would be GREAT to see you at the gathering. If not, I´ll be CERTAIN to see you during my October visit.

Saludos, MadridMan

One point. If you do decide to go Casa de Granada (rooftop place) it might be worth calling in advance if you're going to eat etc as I have *never* been in there and seen more than about 2 places free at a time. Otherwise it's stand and wait at the bar for a place to become available and I always feel like I'm in the way when standing there as there's not too much space.

Cheers
Dom.

Okay, I just popped by the Casa de Granada (the rooftop terrace bar) They told me they can't reserve tables outside but can inside. From there it would be a case of colonising the outside tables bit by bit. That said, there might be a few free at 8pm. Keeping an eye on tables and dashing for them doesn't sound like much fun though. On the plus side, it's cheap and there is foo, including a MadridMan favourite, calamares. The address is Calle Doctor Cortezo, 17, 6th floor (there's a bell saying terraza, cafe or restaurante). Admittedly the entrance is unpromising and the lift up decidedly grim. But it's fun up on top.
I was chatting meanwhile to terraza folk on Santa Ana. Most said there should be no problem at 8pm. One, the Suiza, will even keep some tables for us - but they don't have much, regards food. And drinks are pricey.
What to do?

Seems to me the Casa de Granada is (or at least seems) to be the best options. I don´t think there will be many people attending so it shouldn´t be too much of a problem.

So it seems the rooftop terraza is more for eating/dining than just drinking/socializing, correct? We still have a little time to decide on someplace else but... well... better to decide SOON/NOW in case some travelers don't have internet access upon arriving.

Saludos, MadridMan

The terraza is more for drinking-socialising than eating. The place does tapas, decent basic fare, but most people just go for cañas. It's a basic, even "cutre" place but might fit the bill if there aren't too many people. The terraza is narrow and wraparound so not really suitable if there's a 20-plus crowd. i don't know if that helps!

Barry, we may only have 10 people or thereabouts. Do they allow people to STAND among the tables or must everyone be seated on the terraza?

Yes, people could loiter about. Why not peep in for yourself tomorrow - 12.00-24.00. It's a laid back kind of place. If it's only a question of 10 people or so, though, we could go to just about any terraza. Ten people is only two tables or so. Plaza San Andres might then fit the bill. Sorry for throwing out more options when you're trying to get things more concrete!

I don´t think I'll be able to stop by today between 12-24 unfortunately. I´m on my way out of the house soon (0900) for some banking in that area so I may walk by just to see the building. I´m sure it´ll be fine for our small group.

Saludos, MadridMan

Well where's it going to be then?

Casa de Granada (the rooftop terrace bar).
The address is Calle Doctor Cortezo, 17, 6th floor (there's a bell saying terraza, cafe or restaurante). 8pm until 10pm or thereabouts. I may be the only one there all night. hehehe... We´ll see.

For those thinking of going, I have very short brown hair and will likely be wearing shorts, sandals, and a blue button down summer shirt. Oh, I´ll probably be the person sweating more than the others. hehehe...

I imagine having to buzz a bell to enter, then taking a lift/elevator up to a mysterious place will scare off some of the potential attendees. Let´s see. If nothing else, I´ll enjoy a view (I hope!) from the rooftop with a couple of beers and some tapas. See some of you there!

Saludos, MadridMan

The strange location can only add to the thrill. The place is easy to find really, and nobody should feel daunted! Just push the bell and up the lift-elevator you go. I'll try and be there as early as I can escape from work, probably around 9pm. Fernando, please come - but don't bring a huge rally

"The following weekend, Friday June 24th is not really an option as I have something planned."

Well this seems mysterious enough. Shall we speculate what this something may be?

My wife and I wish we could join you all. Instead I am enjoying living vicariously through the online journal. Keep it coming.

Ed S,
We promise to get him drunk and reveal any mystery. Watch this space!

HA! Don't even HOPE to get MadridMan drunk. I´m ALWAYS VERY CAREFUL not to make a fool out of myself at these things. Besides, I´m usually so busy talking to people that I rarely drink OR eat ANYTHING!

Saludos, MadridMan

Barry, MM.........I'm not familiar with this area. If I take the train from Majadahonda to Prince-Pio, What Metro line do I take and get off at? Would like to attend for a little while and meet some of the folks I have been talking to on the board. I will ask some of my co-workers directions as well.

I just looked on a map.......Real close to Sol and the English movie theater(Yelmo Cineplex).

Tonight´s the night! See some of you at 8pm!!

Saludos, MadridMan

Let's hope it stops raining! See you there between 9pm and 10pm.

Antonio might even be there, he says! Gotta get a quick siesta, then a shower, and I´m on my way there! Can´t wait.

Since it seems the rooftop terrace is covered I hope it DOES rain because, well, they need the rain here AND because it´ll lower the temperatures which, right now, are much lower than they were yesterday at this time.

Saludos, MadridMan

I was actually at this place in Jan, with a couple of locals! You'll have a blast, don't be scared by the "speak easy" aspect of ringing the bell to enter, once inside its all good. When i was there in late Jan, the temp outside was around 40F and we were still outside! served a mean vodka/tonic if i can recall....enjoy

Party´s Over! (I think) The place, Casa de Granada, was surprisingly nice! They have an air conditioned inside with many tables and a two-sided terraza outside. The terraza was narrow, just enough room for a small table, 3 chairs, and barely enough space to pass by each table. But no problem. GREAT view from up there. I´ll definitely go back someday.

As expected, there were few who showed up. Message board member Murdy was there before me (as any self-respecting, prompt United Statesen would be) and we had a nice long talk before message board member (and madrileño) replay arrived. replay drove me there and so while he parked the car at the Plaza de Santa Ana in an underground car park Murdy and I got acquainted.

replay, Murdy, and I talked quite a bit before Murdy had to leave. Too bad he couldn´t stay longer. replay and I were there quite a while, finally getting a table outside on the terraza. We were there for about 2 hours before message board member Barry and his two companions arrived. We five talked about life in Spain, each own´s future plans, politics, and other things over several beers. Barry did NOT get me drunk, by the way.

A while later my very good friend Julio, owner of Hostal Horizonte , arrived. Julio couldn´t stay late but long enough for us to catch up since our last visit last January. After Julio left it was the 5 of us again and we talked until replay and I left at around 11:30pm.

NO WOMEN were in attendance - to replay´s and Julio disappointment. hehehe... Oh well. Better luck next time.

No photos were taken either, I´m afraid. It was a small gathering and in some ways it was better because we could all talk together as one group as opposed to different groups talking amongst themselves. A pleasant evening was had by all, I believe.

Saludos, MadridMan

I'm glad the gathering was fun for those who attended. I had every intention of being there but I had something come up. Maybe next time.

No problem at all, MedicalMan. It´s been my experience over the years that usually about 50% of those who intend to attend do not. Stuff happens. And sometimes we just don´t feel like leaving the house.

Saludos, MadridMan

Yes, I was the first to arrive...but thank God you have a picture of yourself on the website, because for a fews minutes there I didn't know what to do. When in doubt, a caña and tapa!

Feeling was very much mutual MadridMan. It was great to finally meet you and I very much enjoyed talking to you and replay. In a sense it was good there weren't many people; that way we had more time to talk.

It was a shame I couldn't stay longer, but my wife already had her dinner plans arranged and well...those are the kinds of things the priest is talking about when he describes what getting married entails.

But it made me look forward to attending future events.

Replay, I will get more info about NYC if I think of anything you might want to know.

Barry, though I didn't meet you (I wish I had from how they described you! All very good, don't worry ), thanks for choosing a great place.

Saludos