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Agatha Ruiz de la PradaFashion designer
Learn about the history of what people wore and why …“The
Museo del Traje [Museum of the Dress] is one of the best in the world. It’s really an anthropological study of the development of clothing from the Roman Empire to today, with amazing pieces such as men’s frock coats from the 1700s and high-waisted coats from the next century. Afterward, you can have lunch in the garden restaurant in the back.”
Antonio GonzálezDirector of the oldest restaurant in the world, Restaurante Botín
Buy Spanish food products to take home …González says that the best assortment of cloudy, fruity Andalusian olive oils can be found in the gourmet section of the food halls of
El Corte Inglés, Spain’s largest department store. “What makes our olive oils special?” he asks. “The beauty of the Spanish earth.”
Donald CusimanoAssistant director of the Punto radio (106.3 FM) lifestyle show, La Buena Vida
See Madrid’s skyline at night … “Now that the weather is nice, the rooftop bar at
Hotel Urban and the penthouse terrace at
Me Madrid hotel are the places to be. You’ll see everyone, from the mayor of
Madrid to
Antonio Banderas to Penélope Cruz.”
Henny WrightAttorney
Have lunch with locals …Take a number, wait for a table, and order the menu del día (menu of the day) at
Casa Dani, near the Mercado de
la Paz in Salamanca. “The special is often a fillet, which in Madrid means a quarter-inch-thick piece of chicken or beef, breaded and fried,” she says. “It’s delicious and cheap, and it attracts the real people of Madrid, from lawyers to construction workers.”
Rafael de La-HozAward-winning architect
Admire Spanish architecture …The best building in Madrid is more famous for what’s inside. “Architect to King Charles III, Juan de Villanueva created neoclassical Spanish style with the
Museo Nacional del Prado, which was originally a botanical and science museum,” he says. “Post–French Revolution, it was a reaction against everything baroque.”