Go to Madrid to Eat All the Meat and Drink All the Wine

From Cosmopolitan

Sometimes I dream of quitting my job (sorry, @ my boss), fleeing to Europe, and opening a rustic tapas restaurant where I can eat cured meats and drink buckets of good wine all year round. Here’s the thing: I’m too chicken to buy a one-way flight and commit to this blissful alternate universe I’ve created in my head, so for now, I’m just happy to take quick trips to my favorite places whenever I can. I decided to confront my end-of-summer sadness in September by escaping to Madrid to tap into my mostly fictional European happy place.

I was still in a high-altitude haze when I was whisked away from the airport to the VP Plaza España Design, located in the center of Madrid. This five-star hotel opened last March and is known for its unique architecture and contemporary art. Like, hello, just look at this giant water sculpture that cascades five stories from the bottom of the hotel’s glass-bottom pool (more on that later):

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Immediately upon entering my room, I was drawn to the window like a moth to a flame. The bird's eye view of Spain’s red and gold city was so spectacular that I had to wipe down my glasses to fully believe that it wasn't a mirage. Yes, I thought to myself, this is much better than my usual NYC view of pigeons and trash bags.

I would have been perfectly happy watching the sun rise and set on the ceramic-topped houses and the cloud-steeples from my enormous bed all week, but I had a checklist of experiences I knew I wanted to conquer before flying back home. Make this your to-do list when (not if) you make it to Madrid.

Book Now VP Plaza España Design

Wait! Before you go, buy all these things to wear:

1. Eat all the jamón.

Jamón—a dry-cured ham that pairs well with cheese, wine, olives, and happiness—is a celebrity in Spain. There are literally museums dedicated to this meat that you will see peppered all over Madrid (yes, you can eat at them). Two major kinds of jamón exist: jamón ibérico and jamón serrano. The first is the more expensive variety of the two because it’s made from rare acorn-eating black ibérico pigs and is cured for two to four years. A single jamón ibérico (like, the whole damn pig) can cost over $2,000. You can’t bring this snack back to the states, so it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner while you still can!

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2. Take a walking tour.

Listen, I know this sounds tourist-y, but you will learn so much about a city if you let a true local show you around on foot. Civitatis, a top Spanish-speaking distributor of excursions and tours worldwide, arranged a fantastic two-hour tour that provided a highlights reel of Madrid's top tourist destinations including Plaza del Sol, Plaza de la Villa, the Royal Palace of Madrid (Palacio Real de Madrid), and so much more. However, if you go on a self-guided tour, look out for these three fascinating Easter eggs:

• Kilometer Zero - The distances of all the roads in Spain are measured from this small stone in Puerta del Sol. Legend has it that if you step on this plaque, you’re destined to return to Madrid.

• Calle del Codo - While this little street off of Plaza de la Villa looks innocent, it has a ~naughty~ history. "Calle del Codo" roughly translates to "street of the elbows," and it was given this name because it’s shaped like an elbow, but also because it's where young couples went to do ~naughty~ things when pre-marital sex was still largely frowned upon and they would walk out afterwards elbow-in-elbow.

• The Glass Palace in Retiro Park - Retiro Park is to Madrid what Central Park is to New York: a sprawling park in the middle of the city that contains magical hidden gems, like La Rosaleda (a rose garden) and the Retiro Park lake, where you can sit in a rowboat with a lover or an entire bottle of Tempranillo wine. But if you want something special for the 'gram, walk deep into the park to find the Glass Palace. This structure, which was originally a giant greenhouse for tropical plants, is now empty and open to the public. It’s something straight out of a Disney movie.

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3. Go shopping in Malasaña.

Malasaña is basically the Williamsburg of Madrid because the #cool kids buzz around this neighborhood at all hours of the day. If you’re looking to shop, walk down Calle Fuencarral towards Gran Via, and you will find everything from amazing vintage shops to tiny bookstores that look like they’re from another century. If you need a drink after you realized that you accidentally spent all your money shopping, stop at El Rincón on Calle del Espíritu Santo for a traditional tapas experience, complete with a Spanish omelet.

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4. Eat more jamón (and other delicious things) at the Mercado de San Miguel.

You want to be really, really, really hungry when you arrive at Mercado de San Miguel. This historic market is packed with delicacies from around the country, making it easy for you to try lots of must-taste plates in a short amount of time. I highly suggest grabbing a drink (aka sangria or vermouth on tap) and taking a lap around all the vendors to see all your options before you start eating like it’s your last day on earth. There’s nothing worse than seeing your dream food and having no room in your belly left to eat it. IMO, the most notable bites are in this gallery right here:

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Highlights include fried quail egg and sausage over crusty bread, a chorizo empanada, freshly shucked oysters, JAMON! CUPS!, and jamón-wrapped burrata cheese stacked on top of a tomato. NOW I'M HUNGRY.

5. Go visit Picasso's "Guernica" at the Reina Sofia museum.

If you studied art in high school or college and want to impress your travel buddies, take them to the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía for a few hours. You’ll be able to see famous works of art like Picasso’s enormous “Guernica” and learn about new artists that you’ve never heard before. The gift shop is not to be missed either. It's packed with unique jewelry and souvenirs to bring back home.

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Fun fact: This building was originally the first General Hospital of Madrid, and now it’s haunted by the ghosts of the many people who died there! As I said, fun!!! If this fact spooks you out, you can also get your fix of art at the Museo del Prado and the Thyssen.

6. Chill at the spa and pool for a while.

When you need a break from walking around and gorging your face ON cured meats, head back to the VP Plaza España Design to get your R&R on at the Biloba Spa, which offers treatments like massages, peels and wraps, and facials. Within the Biloba Spa is a calming water circuit pool that massages your entire body and a sauna with Insta-worthy lighting.

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If you’re really into water these days, check out the outdoor glass-bottom pool (I told you we’d get back to this) that offers 360º views of the Royal Palace.

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7. Catch a show and golden hour at Ginkgo Restaurant & Sky Bar.

Once you dry off and put on your cutest “I’m in Madrid!” outfit, head over to VP’s Ginkgo Restaurant & Sky Bar, where you can listen to live music, sip on a delicious cocktail at golden hour, and take literally one million selfies.

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When it comes to beverages, I highly recommend the Little Bird, which is made with tequila, rose petal liqueur, sherry, grapefruit juice, citrus, and grapefruit soda.

8. Go see a Flamenco show 💃🏻.

It should be mandatory that you have to see a flamenco show before you leave Madrid. Book tickets for dinner and entertainment at the Michelin-star restaurant Corral de la Morería, which happens to be the oldest flamenco show restaurant in the world. The talent that you will watch dance, sing, and stomp across the stage will illuminate every cell of your being and captivate you for weeks and/or decades to come.

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