A friend and I had a couple days in Madrid on our way to and from Morocco back in 2010. On our first day we were walking around looking for a place for an afternoon drink. With so many bars, we chose Chez Loulou basically on a whim. What a lucky find! We wanted somewhere not too touristy; somewhere Madrileños would go. And we found it. We ended up going there every night we were in Madrid.
Owned by a lovely Mexican woman, Loulou, and her amiable French husband (Bernard, I think), Chez Loulou preserves the flamenco heritage of the previous bar at this location, even keeping "Triana" on the sign above the door as an homage to the birthplace of flamenco. Reflecting her Mexican roots, the typical Spanish tapas menu is supplemented with several Mexican dishes. Live music is usually provided by Flamenco guitarists or Marco, a phenomenal Colombian harpist with a homemade harp.
The couple's experience running bars/restaurants in both their native countries really shows. At the time the place was a work in progress but Loulou's way with her guests needed no revision. I say "guests" because, unlike some large American corporations who prefer to call their customers guests out of some halfhearted faux hospitality, I actually felt like an honored guest in her home. For example, my Spanish is okay, but she was willing to speak Spanish with me for practice and switch to English (in which she is fluent) when it became too difficult or tedious. When a nasty stomach bug I picked up in Marrakech finally started doing its worst she improvised something mild to eat to ease my stomach. And finally, for our last night in Spain she arranged a special Flamenco performance and we drank for free! Just for helping her close the place down the night before.
There are a lot of things I love about Madrid. I can't think of a single experience I wouldn't care to relive but the next time I'm there one of my first stops will be Chez Loulou. read more