I'm sure if this is the right forum to post this, but I didn't see any other forum that looked appropriate for this question.

Does anyone know where there is a nice cafe with WIFI (free is best, but pay is fine too) that you can kick back with your laptop and work out of?

I am not looking for an internet cafe, but a cafe/coffee shop (like Starbucks type) that has WIFI.

I must have gone to a dozen Starbucks and they have all said that Starbucks no longer has WIFI.

I would appreciate any tips on this. I run some websites and want to work away from the house from time to time.

Thanks!

Starbucks is definitely feeling the "crisis" and has shut down a few outlets here in Madrid ( Good riddance in my opinion ! ) .. When I was studying in Chueca there was a Mexican restaurant / bar on C/Augusto Figueroa .. I´ll try and remember the name for you . It offered free wi-fi and I used it regularly .
Bear in mind that the district ( barrio ) of Chueca is the first region in Europe to go completely WiFi .. I´ve not tested that out as I´m connected here at home , but even a few years ago I could get a reasonable connection to the internet whilst sitting in Plaza de Chueca . Ok ... The restaurant is called Sabor a Mi .. It´s quite smart inside but there´s only one power point and it´s often taken , so make sure your battery is powered up .

Most of the VIPs chain restaurants have free Wi-Fi too. I've been known to stand outside their windows with my PDA to connect briefly. Also, I understand that in addition to the Plaza de Chueca, the Plaza de Santo Domingo also has free, public Wi-Fi. But, of course, it can be hot and impossible to see your screen outside.

When you find something reliable or something you like, please do share it with us here in this/your thread. Thanks!

Saludos, MadridMan

Thanks for the reply, amigos! The only problem for me right now is that my Macbook battery has a life of about 10 minutes , so I definitely need to stay plugged in.

I appreciate the tips on VIPs and Sabor a Mi! I shall try them both and will let you know if I find anything else.

Update on this. I found 2 spots.

I've been to a fancy ice cream/coffe shop chain called Giangrossi a couple of times (think starbucks but bigger and fancier decor). There are a few of them (check google maps), but I've only hung out at the one just west of the San Bernardo metro. The wifi is free, but you'll feel out of place if you don't buy a drink or something. For wifi, ask for tickets with passwords every 45 minutes from the cashier. They're free.

The second one is Moore's Irish Pub right across the street from the Tribunal metro.

Again, buy a beer or coffee at the very least and you can use the wifi all you want.

Both places are great and they are great for working online with good ambiance.

Last week I went back to the Vips on Plaza de los Cubos/Plaza de España and couldn't connect to their Wifi signal when standing outside the windows. It said I was connected but couldn't surf.

Saludos, MadridMan

Great thread here!

Hope we can keep this alive. These days it seems to be very important.

MM, that'll likely be a MAC filter causing that. they've caught on to you!

If you are looking for free/cheap WIFI, you should look at the FON initiative: http://www.fon.com/en/ <- most of the website is about sharing a connection, but you can also connect to existing ones. The "Find WIFI" section is a good place to start.

I also found an interactive map of free WIFI areas: http://inthesity.wordpress.com/wi-fi-gratis/
(sorry MM, looks like you might have a competitor there...)

I used the wifi at VIPs at Plaza Espana in March. Was able to get a table each night and put my small lap top on it and make good connection.

I guess you have to eat VIPS food if you want to use their internet.