In Spain, the most authentic bars and cafes are what we call "old man bars." This is where, at all hours of the day, you'll see wizened Spanish tios hanging out, drinking beer as early as 9 a.m., watching football, or just ranting endlessly to each other. These bars are normally run by one of their mates and his wife, and they're filthy, cheap, have the best tapas (as they are made in-house by Spanish wives), and are always full. Although they're typical of Spain and not terribly pleasant, Bar El Palentino (Calle Pez 8) is an exception to the rule. It's all that an old man bar can be, but it's located in the trendy Malasaña barrio of Madrid, has information about the coolest happenings in the city, and is frequented by a groovy alternative Spanish and expat crowd. The service is warm and homely; it's called Palentino because the owner dude is from the northwestern city of Palencia. I asked the old aunty bartender woman for a business card (which of course they didn't have), so instead she gave me her little coin-purse which had the details of the place printed on it. Ain't that nice!?
Bar El Palentino [111870.com]