Madrid Malasaña

La Vía Láctea, Velarde, 18 (☎91 446 75 81), This discoteca dates back to the beginning of the movida era and has the bric-a-brac to prove it. It's covered floor to ceiling with pop music memorabilia like album covers, concert posters, photographs, and more. Jams from the ‘50s through the ‘80s prove to be a popular mix and continue to delight young, international ravers more than 30 years after the club's inception. Tribunal. Walk north up C. Fuencarral and make a left onto Velarde. Cover €8-12. Open daily 7:30pm-3:30am. Takes credit cards. No wheelchair access. Serves alcohol.
La Sueca, C. de Hortaleza, 67 (☎91 319 04 87), Great for cocktails and conversations with friends, this Nordic-style modern bar serves Swedish finger food like herring and salmon if you get the munchies. Come early for a calmer atmosphere. Chueca. Make a right onto C. Augusto Figuroa, and another right onto C. Hortaleza. Cocktails €5-10. Open daily 8pm-2am. Takes credit cards. No wheelchair access. Serves alcohol. Has air conditioning.
CAFE Comercial, Glorieta de Bilbao, 7 (☎91 521 56 55), Although founded in 1887, the cavernous Cafe Commercial has kept up with the times, so look elsewhere for old world charm. Still, this place is an institution, serving up coffee and snacks by day and tapas and mixed drinks by night on marble tabletops surrounded by mirrored walls. Bilbao. Internet access €1.80 per hr. on 2nd fl. Drinks and tapas €3-7. Open M 7:30am-midnight, Tu-Th 7:30am-1am, F 7:30am-2am, Sa 8:30am-2am, Su 9am-midnight. Takes credit cards. No wheelchair access. Serves alcohol.
Club Nasti, San Vicente Ferrer, 33 (www.nasti.es), Come to Club Nasti on Saturday nights for a hipster heaven of synthesized pop, electro beats, and punk jams. For a lighter touch try Friday nights, when house DJs spin indie rock like The Strokes, The Artic Monkeys, and The Ramones. Small dance floor gets packed as the night progresses, and you might end up wanting to shimmy out of your sweaty plaid shirt to dance only in your Ray Bans. Just remember: what happens at Nasti stays at Nasti. Tribunal. Walk south down C. de Fuencarral and make a right onto San Vicente Ferrer. Drinks €8-12. Open Th 2-5am, F 1-6am, Sa 2-6am. Takes credit cards. No wheelchair access. Serves alcohol.
CAFE-Botilleria Manuela, C. de San Vicente Ferrer, 29 (☎91 531 70 37), Want to pretend like you're in pre-Franco Spain, when the closest thing to a discoteca was a rowdy Gypsy flamenco show? With flowers, candles, marble, and mirrors, Cafe-Botilleria Manuela exudes old world charm. Enjoy a coffee or cocktail while playing one of their many available board games. A Chopin sonata or two may lilt over to your table, thanks to impromptu piano playing in this cafe. Tribunal. Walk south down C. de Fuencarral and make a right onto San Vicente Ferrer. Cocktails €8-12. Open daily June-Aug 6pm-2am; Sept-May 4pm-2am. Takes credit cards. No wheelchair access. Serves alcohol. Has air conditioning.