Jazz group playing in Cafe Central.

Café Central

Top choice in Madrid


In 2011 the respected jazz magazine Down Beat included this art-deco bar on the list of the world's best jazz clubs, the only place in Spain to earn the prestigious accolade (said by some to be the jazz equivalent of earning a Michelin star). With well over 1000 gigs under its belt, it rarely misses a beat.

Big international names like Chano Domínguez, Tal Farlow and Wynton Marsalis have all played here and you'll hear everything from Latin jazz and fusion to tango and classical jazz. Performers usually play here for a week and then move on, so getting tickets shouldn’t be a problem, except on weekends. Shows start at 9pm and tickets go on sale from 6pm before the set starts. You can also reserve by phone.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Madrid attractions

1. Plaza de Santa Ana

0.07 MILES

Plaza de Santa Ana is a delightful confluence of elegant architecture and irresistible energy. It presides over the upper reaches of the Barrio de las…

2. Calle de Cervantes 2

0.16 MILES

Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (1547–1616), the author of Don Quijote, spent much of his adult life in Madrid and lived and died at Calle de Cervantes 2; a…

3. Casa de Correos

0.19 MILES

The main building on the Plaza de la Puerta del Sol houses the regional government of the Comunidad de Madrid. The Casa de Correos was built as the city’s…

5. Bear Statue

0.2 MILES

Look out for the statue of a bear nuzzling a madroño (strawberry tree) at the eastern end of the Plaza de la Puerta del Sol; this is the official symbol…

6. Carlos III Equestrian Statue

0.21 MILES

The Plaza de la Puerta del Sol owes its present appearance in part to the Bourbon king Carlos III (r 1759–88), whose equestrian statue (complete with his…

7. Plaza de la Puerta del Sol

0.22 MILES

The official centre point of Spain is a gracious, crowded hemisphere of elegant facades. It is, above all, a crossroads: people here are forever heading…

8. Palacio de Santa Cruz

0.23 MILES

Just off the southeastern corner of Plaza Mayor and dominating Plaza de Santa Cruz is this baroque edifice, which houses the Ministerio de Asuntos…