El Rastro on Sunday, vermouth at Mercado de San Miguel, and 2am churros at Chocolatería San Ginés
Madrid is the highest capital city in the EU (667m above sea level) and one of the most underrated cities on the continent relative to its actual food and cultural quality. The food runs on schedules that bewilder non-Spaniards: breakfast at 8–10am (tostada con tomate — sourdough toast rubbed with fresh tomato and extra-virgin olive oil), lunch as the main meal at 2–4pm (a €13 menú del día covers three courses with bread and wine), a light tapas evening at 7pm, and dinner no earlier than 9:30pm. The Mercado de San Miguel (1916 iron-and-glass structure, 33 stalls, open daily 10am–midnight) is…
Madrid became Spain's capital by royal decree in 1561 — Philip II moved the court from Toledo because Madrid was geographically central in the Iberian Peninsula, not for any historical significance. Before Philip's decision, Madrid was a small walled town of 30,000 people. The Prado Museum (opened 1819) was built as a natural history museum under Charles III in the 1780s; its conversion to house the royal art collection under Ferdinand VII made it the first national art museum in Europe. The Spanish Civil War (1936–1939) was fought with Madrid at its center — Franco's forces besieged the city…