Everything you’ve heard about traffic jams in the small hours and office workers heading straight to work from the clubs is true; the madrileños’ reputation as party fiends is more than justified, despite municipal meddling and earlier closing times. El terraceo (terrace-hopping) is the preferred nightlife activity during the city’s warmer months.

For straightforward drinking, the perennial favourites are Viva Madrid (C/Manuel Fernández y González 7, 91 429 36 40) and Los Gabrieles (C/Echegaray 17, 91 429 62 61), with their fabulous floor-to-ceiling tiling (and wall-to-wall tourists), and the dusty old tabernas around Los Austrias, with aproned barmen and vermut pulled from silver taps. For a younger, funkier atmosphere, Malasaña has it all, from cineaste’s delight Pepe Botella (C/San Andrés 12, 91 522 43 09) to the Iberian Friends set that is La Ida (C/Colón 11, 91 522 91 07, closed 1wk Aug).

For bar-hopping until 2am or thereabouts, C/Huertas, the Plaza Santa Ana and the streets around are unbeatable. Close by, you’ll also find the monster seven-floor Kapital (C/Atocha 125, 91 420 2906, www.grupo-kapital.com, closed Mon-Wed), with every kind of music and a rooftop bar for gazing at the stars, and the sassy techno den the Room (C/Arlabán 7, 91 523 86 54, Fridays only). A stone’s throw away is the eclectic Lavapiés, popular with the bohemian crowd. For traditional flamenco performances, Casa Patas (C/Cañizares 10, Lavapiés, 91 369 04 96, www.casapatas.com, closed Sun) is a highly prized, if pricey, establishment. For glitzy monster discos, explore the triangle between Sol, Callao and Gran Via. Joy Eslava (C/Arenal 11, 91 366 37 33, www.joy-esclava.com) is the granddaddy of them all. Nearby is the stylish Cool (C/Isabel la Católica 6, 91 542 34 39, closed Mon-Wed), where the crowd and the decor wrestle for aesthetic supremacy.

Chueca is the centre of Madrid’s gay scene, but it’s also the place to be for the determinedly hip. Though its hub is the Plaza de Chueca, itself thronging with terrazas in summer, close by are mixed bars such as Stars Café (C/Marqués de Valdeiglesias 5, 91 522 2712, closed Sun & 2wks Aug) or Liquid (C/Barquillo 8, 91 532 7428, closed Mon).

Just when you thought it was all over, it’s time to head to ‘los afters’, Sunday morning clubs that refuse to keep the Sabbath holy. Now officially illegal, they still thrive, but open and close with gay abandon – keep an eye out for flyers or ask around to find them.

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