Chamberí
A traditional district with an aristocratic architectural flair in the heart of Madrid
Comprising several neighbourhoods –Trafalgar, Arapiles, Gaztambide, Vallehermoso, Ríos Rosas and Almagro –, the district of Chamberí was the place of residence of many aristocrats in the past two centuries.
In Chamberí stand the Sorolla Museum and the Geomineral Museum. The former is housed in the home the painter from Valencia used to live in in Madrid. As interesting as his paintings is the collection of sculptures, furniture and ceramics, and there’s a beautiful garden too.
A short walk from these museums you’ll come across Andén Cero-Estación de Chamberí, an old tube station closed in 1969 and converted to a visitor centre of Madrid’s underground system. Here, you’ll travel back in time to 1919, the year when the first underground line, running across the centre of town from Cuatro Caminos to Gran Vía, opened to the public.
Plaza de Olavide, in Trafalgar, is a nice landscaped square surrounded by terraces. It’s a good place to meet friends and eat tapas.
The Canal Theatres, whose building –winner of the National Prize for Architecture –, is the work of Juan Navarro Baldeweg, can be found between the neighbourhoods of Arapiles and Vallehermoso, in Calle Cea Bermúdez, built on a modern complex occupying 35,200 square metres devoted to performing arts. The hall incorporates the latest technological developments and is the venue for classical texts and modern pieces to concerts, dance, flamenco, zarzuela, opera, circus or cabaret. In the surrounding area you will also find the Teatro de la Abadía, the Teatro Quique San Francisco with a summer terrace where you can enjoy theatre productions, and Los Teatros Luchana, resulting from the project to convert the former Cines Luchana cinema into theatres.
In the section of Calle Fuencarral that goes from the Bilbao roundabout to the Quevedo roundabout, there is the Cine Paz, opened in 1943 and which offers a selection of the best signature and independent films of today. Practically opposite it, there is the Cine Proyecciones in an art decó building that dates back to 1932, where the latest film premieres can be seen with the most advanced technology. They are the only remains of a section of the street that was known as the cinema street, as there were seven cinemas in just five hundred metres in the 1990s.
Close by, in the Chamberí district, you can find the Sala Berlanga (in Argüelles, owned by the General Society of Authors and which screens Spanish, Latin American, European and signature films), the charming Pequeño Cine Estudio (next to Quevedo and which offers classical films), and Verdi Cinemas (in original version, in Calle Bravo Murillo).
You cannot miss Calle Zurbano, which has been described in the New York Times as "one of the best in Europe", a street splattered with mansions, boutiques, restaurants and charming museums, highly recommendable for those looking to explore Madrid beyond the conventional tourist circuits.
The largest green area in Chamberí is Santander Park, making golf facilities available in the very heart of Madrid. On 120,000m2, the park combines vegetation with modern sports infrastructure (artificial turf football pitches, paddle tennis courts, and a 1,200m circular tartan track for running).
It is worth pointing out that this neighbourhood is home to the Beti-Jai Pelota Court designed by Joaquín Rucoba and declared a National Monument in 1991 and Site of Cultural Interest in 2011; and the House of the Flowers designed in 1931 by Secundino Zuazo and declared a National Monument in 1981.
Although it’s an upscale district in Madrid, Chamberí has hotel properties of every level of comfort, service and price. This means that here you can find a hotel that meets your needs, whatever your budget.
From the luxury of the NH Collection Madrid Abascal, the Santo Mauro, a Luxury Collection Hotel, located in the former residence of the Duke of the same name, the Exe Moncloa, with a spectacular terrace-rooftop, or the InterContinental Madrid, considered to be one of the city’s best business hotels, to the simplicity of other, more modest accommodation, including the traditional guesthouses. Hotel Orfila is located in a 19th century palace in one of the most charming areas of the city, in the street of the same name in the heart of Chamberí.
Some establishments like the Gran Versalles and the NH Zurbano are ranked high on value for money.
There are many areas in Chamberí (Plaza de Olavide and surrounding area, streets adjacent to the Quevedo roundabout, Calle San Bernardo or the Argüelles district) where the aperitif is taken on terraces, in traditional taverns, such as Casa Ricardo and some more modern establishments with a varied international cuisine.
In recent years, Calle Ponzano has been the chosen location for many of the city’s restaurateurs, who have opened up new establishments here. The Sala de Despiece, Casa Fonzo, Picsa, or 99 Sushi Bar are just some of the establishments that add to the fame of the 'ponzaning' phenomenon.
This neighbourhood has two Michelin-starred restaurants: Saddle, awarded a Michelin star in 2021 thanks to the work of chef Adolfo Santos, the creator of a menu based on top quality, seasonal ingredients; and El Invernadero run by Madrid chef Rodrigo de la Calle who confirmed his Michelin star in 2022 and also won the new Green Star.
In Chamberí, you can also visit Madrid’s Little Italy, located between Ríos Rosas and General Martínez Campos up to the Plaza de Olavide, with a whole host of restaurants specialising in Italian cuisine. These include Forneria Ballaro, Da Giuseppina and Mercato Italiano.
As for nightlife, Chamberí is home to one of the musical temples par excellence of the Madrid night scene, the legendary concert hall, Galileo Galilei, opened in 1985 on the site of the former Galileo Cinema. Other halls, such as Copernico The Club, Penélope (now Sala Mon Live) are nearby and Clamores, one of Madrid’s jazz temples, is at Number 14, Calle de Alburquerque. The fashion establishments, Changó Club and Marta, Cariño!, are organised into four areas: restaurant, cocktail-bar, club, chocolate shop and terrace.
The busiest shopping street in this district is Calle Fuencarral from Glorieta de Bilbao to Glorieta de Quevedo. It’s dotted with stores selling cosmetics and children’s clothes, plus fashion stores and bookstores.
If you are a cheese lover, you must visit the Poncelet Cheese Bar (Calle José Abascal, 61), an innovative space where you can observe and savour cheeses and diverse dishes.
Furthermore, Chamberí boasts three municipal markets: Guzmán el Bueno, Vallehermoso – recently refurbished with many stalls for gourmets - and Chamberí. The latter, opened in 1943, has become consolidated throughout the 70 years that it has been constantly open as one of the main references of the network of markets in Madrid, both for the quality and variety of products and services. In its 50 stands on the ground floor of the market and the surrounding shops, it is possible to find decoration products, clothes and accessories, flowers, plants or household articles, although it stands out for La Chispería, its select tapas area.
