Bar Museo Chicote (Chicote Bar Museum), Madrid

When considering your itinerary in Madrid, don't let the name deceive you – Museo Chicote on Gran Vía is not a museum but rather Madrid's classic cocktail bar. Opened back in 1931, Chicote was a popular meeting spot for foreign journalists during the Spanish Civil War, with Hemingway as one of its most regular patrons. While the bar maintains its authentic 1930s ambiance, it has incorporated modern lighting, acoustics, a dance floor, and top Spanish DJs to create an entertaining atmosphere that lasts late into the night.

The walls are festooned with the great and famous who have sipped refreshing cocktails in the heat of the Spanish summer nights. Here you can see – apart from the famous Ernest – photos of Dalí, Sophia Loren, Frank Sinatra, and Orson Welles, among others.

The bar is popular with tourists nowadays, but even so, it's a civilized and calm place to enjoy a pre-dinner cocktail. You won't find a lot of trendy concoctions, but you also won't find any artificial juices, mixers, extracts, or additives. Each classic cocktail is crafted by hand with extreme, almost obsessive care, and served just at the right temperature.