In a city housing some of the world’s top museums, there’s room for bold, avant-garde art too.

• La Neomudéjar. Calle de Antonio Nebrija, s/n. Beginning as a centre for resistance and self-promoted art, La Neomudéjar has become a stronghold of video art and the most subversive art practices. La Neomudejar has opened a new headquarters located in the former army barracks of Fuencarral. A "city of art" called the Zapadores Museum that welcomes all kinds of artists, gallerists and associations, thus creating a space for reflection and commitment to new talent.

• La Fresh Gallery. Calle del Conde de Aranda, 5. Surrounded by the most iconic art galleries in Madrid, La Fresh shares in the carefree spirit of its owner, Topacio Fresh, to turn the city’s art gallery scene upside down.

• La Juan Gallery. Calle Juanelo, 21. La Juan is one of the few venues dedicated to performance art in town, bringing the visual arts and the stage together.

• Espositivo. Calle Palafox, 5. Established a few years ago as a joint project to face the economic crisis, Espositivo has become a key venue in the emerging art market. In addition to the exhibition area, it has an academy and a residence programme.

• Marta Moriarty. Calle del Doctor Fourquet, 39. This brand-new art gallery is the heir to Slowtrack, a big name in the alternative art scene until not long ago.

• Swinton & Grant. Calle de Miguel Servet, 21. Swinton & Grant is both an art gallery and a bookshop. A must on the art itinerary from the Reina Sofía Museum to La Casa Encendida or La Tabacalera.

• Carabanchel. The neighbourhood has become the centre of a large creative and bohemian movement that now boasts more than 130 artists in around 40 studios, workshops and creative spaces.

• Espacio Cultural Serrería Belga. Calle Alameda, 15. Its refurbishment won the COAM 2013 Award, whereby it is part of the ecosystem of municipal cultural centres, adding a new profile as a centre that fosters projects and ideas from an experimental and interdisciplinary perspective.

New technologies and economic models are giving rise to spaces for social innovation.

• La Nave Boetticher. Calle de Cifuentes, 5. A centre for inspiration, open innovation and education, La Nave is aimed at transforming the social life and the economy of citizens in the district of Villaverde.

• Utopic_US. Calle Walia, 10. Utopic_US has several branches in Madrid. The one in Conde de Casal offers the funniest, most stimulating setting for entrepreneurs. You can work on the floor, swing your way to a new idea or plan your projects amidst giant balls.

• Impact Hub. Calle del Gobernador, 26. A living ecosystem for entrepreneurship and innovation. The branch in Barrio de las Letras (Literary Quarter) houses events on science, society, the environment and world cultures.

• Espacio Telefónica Foundation. Rue de Fuencarral, 3. Situé dans l’emblématique Bâtiment de Telefónica, sur la Gran Vía, cet espace se veut un représentant de la culture du XXIe siècle en posant une réflexion sur les télécommunications et l’art du passé, présent et futur. Il dispose de différents ateliers et d’espaces d’exposition répartis sur quatre étages, en plus d’accueillir son exposition permanente sur l’Histoire des télécommunications.

• IKONO. Calle de Sánchez Bustillo, 7. Located in front of the Reina Sofía Museum, this is a peculiar interactive art gallery that invites visitors to sharpen their senses through immersive activities, colours, smells and textures, where the moment can be immortalised by a professional photographer using the visitor’s own camera or mobile phone.

• Sweet Space Museum. Calle de Serrano, 61. An interactive tasting adventure on the second floor of the ABC Serrano Commercial Centre. Designed for those with a sweet tooth, it is a space full of innovative and fun experiences, where a connection is created through taste.

• Museum of Illusions Madrid. Calle del Doctor Cortezo, 8. An original museum that presents a space for social and entertaining tours, entering the world of optical illusions designed for visitors of all ages.  

If you’re trying to get away from celeb chefs or star-studded bars, you might like to be in one of these.

• Cafetería Lily. Mercado de los Mostenses, Plaza de los Mostenses, 1. Just off Gran Vía, this tucked-away Chinese restaurant has managed to blend into the Latin atmosphere contributed by its patrons, and so now it serves Peruvian-Chinese – or Chifa – food. The ceviche has become incredibly popular.

• Restaurante Xiongzai. Calle San Leonardo, 3. Famous for its curious décor – paying tribute to Winnie the Pooh – this little restaurant is very popular with the Chinese youth, as it serves genuine Asian dishes.

• Regional cuisine. Regional cuisine is on the rise – the living memory of the migrations that emptied many Spanish villages and filled the streets of Madrid with a variety of accents. Regional restaurants serve hearty homemade dishes at affordable prices in the heart of town. They’re still far from crowded, but are becoming increasingly popular due to word-of-mouth recommendation. Try Casa Hortensia, run by Centro Asturiano (Calle de la Farmacia, 2), Casa de Castilla-La Mancha (Calle de la Paz, 4); Hogar Extremeño (Gran Vía, 59), offering some of the best views of Gran Vía in the direction of Plaza de España; or Casa de Canarias (Santa Cruz de Marcenado, 13).

• Cocodrilo Rock Bar. Calle de Cebreros, 101. Far from the madness of fleeting trends, this bar in the neighbourhood of Lucero (Latina district) is firmly committed to timeless rock and a themed décor.

• Palermo Bar. Calle de Palermo, 21. Live music, rock classics, billiards, foosball and darts is what you can find in this well-established bar in the neighbourhood of Canillas (Hortaleza district).

• Citynizer Plaza. Calle de Juanelo, 17. Gardened terrace in the heart of Lavapíes that offers traditional snacks and sandwiches from Madrid’s cuisine, with international and creative touches.   It is a unique space that usually hosts events, such as concerts, karaoke, monologues or theatre performances.

In Madrid you can find the most surprising and special concept stores. We list some that you can not miss:

• Despacio. Calle de Belén, 10.  One of the most avant-garde and current concept store that can be found in the city located between Chueca and Alonso Martínez. It aims to create a meeting point with design in various disciplines that has the latest in fashion, accessories, slippers, decoration and design gadgets.

• Do Design. Calle de Fernando, VI. A store that breaks with the established concept of consumption. A space where you can live an experience, have a coffee or simply observe and be inspired, where exhibitions of emerging artists are also organized. Art, fashion and design with an exclusive selection of objects that are characterized by a beautiful design, functional, organic and handcrafted, collecting the latest trends with the most rustic and traditional design.

• AMEN. Calle San Andrés, 3. Original store in the neighborhood of Malasaña that offers a selection of fashion for men and women, accessories, jewelry and other curious items and accessories brought from different parts of the world. In this space decorated with a mixture of industrial air and sophistication, there is room for everything from Japanese sweets to 3D printed jewellery, sunglasses from our own brand or printed socks.

• La Positiva Shop. Calle de Ave María, 7. The Lavapiés district is home to this small shop by the designer and stylist, Saray Morales, where you can find all kinds of gifts and curious things created by independent designers, who are mainly Spanish. Events are sometimes organised to present small drawing or photography exhibitions.

• Templo de Susu. Calle del Espíritu Santo, 1. Vintage store specialised in clothes and accessories located in the Malasaña neighbourhood. It is a classic in the city, which has earned a reputation for being one of the best second-hand shops in Madrid.

• El Moderno Concept Store. Corredera Baja de San Pablo, 19. Located in Malasaña, this eclectic store stocks a wide variety of articles, ranging from decoration to furniture, works of art, jewellery, stationery, children's books, toys, gifts or souvenirs, among others, made by artisans.

• DirtyPop Concept Store. Gravina, 1. Store selling gifts and articles related to pop. An advanced queer concept store located in Chueca that merges art, fashion, culture in a single transgression idea.

Meet the most extravagant Madrid and the most classic Madrid!