At Naked Madrid, we love supporting the city’s local, independent businesses. And fortunately, the holiday season is a wonderful way to give our favorite shops a shoutout and also let you know where to find the perfect items for your loved ones. Check out these 15 small shops in Madrid where you can find one-of-a-kind gifts, from clothing to jewelry, craft beer and wine, artisan coffee, and much more. 1. peSeta A fan-favorite located in Barrio de Las Letras (formerly located in Malasaña), here you’ll find an array of unique gifts made from fabrics from all around the world, transformed into on ..read more

If you found yourself working an office job in early 2020, you’ve probably had the same flurry of questions in the past two years as I have: Will the office shut? Will we work from home forever? What does the future of work look like? How will company culture survive??? And while we don’t quite have all the answers yet, one thing is for sure: the pandemic has ushered in a new era of hybrid working that is here to stay. When we at NakedMadrid (and VeraContent) closed our physical doors in summer 2021, we opened many non-physical ones: flexible working, more time with our pets at home, and a mem ..read more

The Atkins diet has a lot to answer for. It essentially demonised bread, and that is not okay. Carbs were out, and carne was in. But let’s be real, what is life without eating carbs? Not one worth living if you ask me. And with this logic, off I went in search of some banging bread at Santo Bakehouse, the recently opened bakery on Calle Espíritu Santo, hence the name. Santo Bakehouse is owned by the most warm and welcoming pair, George and Valerie. George hails from Bristol in the UK and not to perpetuate the self-deprecating nature of Brits, but he was so modest about what quickly became his ..read more

Like most people who live abroad, there’s a multitude of things that I miss from home. Marmite, check. Being the happy recipient of a Colin the Caterpillar cake on my birthday, double check. Perhaps most surprisingly of all, I still pine for greetings cards. Back when I lived in London, I could spend hours (and inevitably a small fortune) in both Paperchase or Oliver Bonas. I’d gladly while away hours mooching through the aisles to find the perfect card for any occasion. What came next was a move to Madrid; land of cheap wine, but sadly, no greetings cards. Save for some sad excuse of a b ..read more

If you’ve ever taken a stroll through Chueca, one of Madrid’s trendiest neighborhoods—and headquarters for the LGBTQ+ community—then you’ve most likely stumbled upon the buzzing street corner where Calle Gravina meets Calle Pelayo, seen a massive crowd of people, and wondered: “What’s all the fuss about?” Nearing closer, and noticing the sweet, sugary scent wafting through the air, you’ll see that people are waiting in line for a dessert shop. However, upon further inspection, you’ll realize this isn’t your typical confection spot, but rather one of Madrid’s most iconic shops: La Pollería. Pa ..read more

Building on its success in Barcelona, The Fish & Chips Shop has just opened its first restaurant in Madrid’s Chueca neighborhood, and aren’t we lucky! The Alam brothers, Mani and Majid, decided to open their first location in Barcelona in February 2015, after searching the city for a fish and chips antidote to a long night of partying, to no avail. Since then, they’ve opened eight Fish & Chip Shops in Barcelona, and now their first in the capital. Image by Cristina Góngora Situated on Calle Campoamor 2, their Madrid location is a lovely, small eatery with an open kitchen, modern d ..read more

A little over a year before COVID hit, I bought a flat. A tiny space, but a space to call my own nonetheless. I remember flat hunting with my Mum and her telling me: ‘Choose the flat, or the location—but you can’t have both.’ And to be fair, she was right. So I opted for the location and plumped for a piso on Ponzano. It meant that what I sacrificed on space, I made up for through ponzaning—being out and about on my street felt like a permanent holiday. However, fast forward to lockdown, I can’t lie, I absolutely hated it. I questioned my choice of having purchased a bijou (read, small) flat d ..read more

Today we’re sharing a benefit raffle from our friends at Madrid For Refugees, a nonprofit organization that empowers refugees, asylum seekers and migrants through a range of community-run initiatives, such as job-oriented training courses, donation drives for essential items and fundraising events. There are many ways you can get involved. Participating in this raffle is one of them! This month we celebrate World Refugee Day on 20 June, a key moment to communicate with the world about who refugees are and why they require protection. We celebrate re ..read more

It’s International Women’s Day! And in order to celebrate, we’ve compiled a list of our favorite women-owned businesses, artistic projects and local initiatives in Madrid. This useful guide was created by Naked Madrid and VeraContent to showcase Madrid’s inspiring community of female entrepreneurs. And in collaboration with Madrid For Refugees, these businesses have generously donated prizes for a benefit raffle to help celebrate International Women’s Day. To take part in the raffle, click here! Find out how you can support local, female-owned businesses in Madrid and win some fantastic prizes ..read more

Building on its success in Barcelona, The Fish & Chips Shop has just opened its first restaurant in Madrid’s Chueca neighborhood, and aren’t we lucky! The Alam brothers, Mani and Majid, decided to open their first location in Barcelona in February 2015, after searching the city for a fish and chips antidote to a long night of partying, to no avail. Since then, they’ve opened eight Fish & Chip Shops in Barcelona, and now their first in the capital. Image by Cristina Góngora Situated on Calle Campoamor 2, their Madrid location is a lovely, small eatery with an open kitchen, modern d ..read more