If you are only going to hit the town for 1 night, you should see a flamenco show. Madrid is at the forefront of the flamenco revival and much of the credit goes to Casa Patas, which presents established artists and rising stars. But we also have great respect for some of the showier and more touristic offerings, which help introduce people to the art form. Good choices include Cardamomo which often features well-known performers and Corral de la Morería which is located near the Palacio Real and has championed flamenco since 1956. Prices above are for the show and one drink. Dinner is available, but you are better off eating elsewhere. For a more casual performance, try Villa Rosa, which occupies an historic tiled building on Plaza Santa Ana.

If you prefer cool jazz to hot flamenco, check out Cafe Central, which has been presenting touring musicians since the early 1980s. The Malasaña mega-club Clamores often programs live jazz in the early evening, before it turns into a late-night disco. In nearby Chueca, Madrid’s premier gay bar Black & White features a basement disco and a street-level bar with drag shows, male strip tease, and other entertainment. For a more centrally located dance club, Disco-Teatro Joy Eslava occupies a 19th-century theater near Puerta del Sol. For late-night chocolate and churros, Joy Eslava is conveniently located near Chocolatería San Gines.

Nightlife in Madrid can be roughly divided into the following “night zones”:

Plaza Mayor/Puerto del Sol — The most popular areas can also be dangerous, so explore them with caution, especially late at night. They are filled with tapas bars and cuevas (drinking caves). It is customary to begin a tasca crawl here, going to tavern after tavern, sampling the wine in each, along with a selection of tapas. The major streets for such a crawl are Cava de San Miguel, Cava Alta, and Cava Baja.

Gran Vía — This area contains mainly cinemas and theaters. Most of the after-dark action takes place on little streets branching off the Gran Vía.

Plaza de Isabel/Plaza de Oriente — Another area frequented by tourists, many restaurants and cafes flourish here, including the famous Café de Oriente.

Chueca — Along such streets as Hortaleza, Infantas, Barquillo, and San Lucas, this is the gay nightlife district, with dozens of clubs. Cheap restaurants, along with a few female strip joints, are also found here. This area can also be dangerous in the early hours of the morning, though the customary presence of weekend revelers who throng the streets till around 3am often manages to deter potential pickpockets and muggers. The reasonably active police presence at night also helps.

Argüelles/Moncloa — For university students, this part of town sees most of the action. Many dance clubs are found here, along with ale houses and fast-food joints. The area is bounded by Pintor Rosales, Cea Bermúdez, Bravo Murillo, San Bernardo, and Conde Duque.

Madrid’s nightlife is no longer steeped in prudishness, as it was (at least officially) during the Franco era. You can now see glossy cabaret acts and shows with lots of nudity.

In Madrid most clubs are open from around 6 to 9pm, later reopening around 11pm. They really start going at midnight or thereabouts.

Summer Terrazas — At the first blush of spring weather, Madrileños rush outdoors to drink, talk, and sit at a string of open-air cafes, called terrazas, throughout the city. Some of the best (and most expensive) ones are along Paseo de la Castellana, between the Plaza de la Cibeles and the Plaza Emilio Castelar. You can wander up and down these boulevards, selecting one that appeals to you; then move on later to another one if you get bored. Sometimes these terrazas are called chirinquitos. You’ll find them along other paseos, the Recoletos and the Prado, both fashionable areas but not as hip as the Castellana. For old traditional atmosphere, the terraces at the Plaza Mayor and in nearby Plaza Santa Ana are among the most atmospheric choices within the old city. Friday and Saturday are the most popular nights for drinking; many locals sit here all night. Most relaxing of all, though, are the terrazas along Paseo Rosales, beside the leafy Parque del Oeste in the westerly Argüelles district.

Cave Crawling — To capture a peculiar Madrid joie de vivre of the 18th century, visit some mesones and cuevas, many found in the barrios bajos. From Plaza Mayor, walk down the Arco de Cuchilleros until you find a gypsylike cave that fits your fancy. Young people love to meet in the taverns and caves of Old Madrid for communal drinking and songfests. The sangria flows freely, the atmosphere is charged, and the room is usually packed; the sounds of guitars waft into the night air. Sometimes you’ll see a strolling band of singing students going from bar to bar, colorfully attired, with ribbons fluttering from their outfits

Madrid has a number of theaters, opera companies, and dance companies. To discover where and when specific cultural events are being performed, pick up a copy of Guía del Ocio at any city newsstand. The sheer volume of cultural offerings can be staggering. Below is a concise summary of the highlights.

Among dance companies, the national ballet of Spain — devoted exclusively to Spanish dance — is the Ballet Nacional de España. Their performances are always well attended. The national lyrical ballet company is the Ballet Lírico Nacional.

Madrid offers many different theater performances, useful to you only if you are fluent in Spanish. If you aren’t, check the Guía del Ocio for performances by English-speaking companies on tour from Britain, or select a concert or subtitled movie instead. Madrid has at least 30 other theaters, including one devoted almost entirely to children’s plays at the Ciudad de los Niños, which was moved from its former location in the Casa de Campo to the Retiro Park in 2009.

Madrid offers a modest but fascinating choice of imaginative and original “alternative” shows — ranging from sharp satires to esoteric sketches. Unlike the more accessible mainstream theater, where you can usually get by without a full command of Spanish, knowledge of the language and thought processes is essential if you decide on a visit to one of these venues.