We've already given you the low-down on the best gay cafes in town here, and they are listed together for your convenience below in the A to Z section,

But there is so much more to Cafe Culture in Madrid than just the gay scene. Cafes are a way of life in the Summer months in Mardid and you will often find hot gay boys mixing with well to do ladies who lunch in some of the most popular terrazas in the city.

During the warm summer months, a great many sites and bars in Madrid increase their capacity by setting up tables and chairs out on the pavements, so avenues, squares and streets become quite attractive and full of life both in the day time and at night.

It is a very Spanish habit to have a beer, an aperitif or “tapas” out in the open, and this is particularly nice if you sit at a pavement table outside any bar or restaurant on Plaza Mayor (Madrid’s Old Square), Paseo del Pintor Rosales, Plaza de Oriente or Paseo de Recoletos, given their privileged situation.

Restaurant “Casa Mingo”, famous for its roasted chicken and cider, also has pavement tables and chairs - a must if you want to know one of the most characteristic sites of traditional Madrid.
As for more modern and “chic” terraces and restaurants, “Terraza de la Casa de América”, where you can view new proposals in contemporary art while you enjoy a drink or some light food; “Terraza Urban”, a design sunroof site with fabulous views and a swimming pool, or “Terraza Atenas”, with a “fashion” atmosphere and open from midday until the small hours of the morning.

If you want to spoil yourself, you can go to the Ritz Hotel and enjoy its Garden, where sitting on large wicker armchairs you can relax and stare at the small pond decorated with water flowers.
But the capital city is not the only place where you can enjoy pavement bars, cafes and restaurants. In every village and corner of Madrid, Alcalá de Henares, Aranjuez, Chinchón, San Lorenzo de El Escorial, visitors can find terraces facilities in the most charming places, surrounded by unbeatable architectural environments showing both tradition and modernity.