La Tabacalera 20s / 30s / Alternative / Art / Artists / Artsy / Basketball / Bohemian / Cafés / Casual / Chill / Concerts / Courtyard / Creative / Dance / Diverse / Dog Friendly / Down-to-earth / Downtown Chic / Free / Friendly / Funky / Good for Groups / Graffiti / Groups / Hip / Hippies / Hipster / Hipster / Japanese Food / Live Entertainment / Live Music / Locals / Moderate / Movies / Musicians / Music Lovers / Occasional Live Jazz / Occasional Live Music / Outdoor Area / Patio / People Watching / Performance / Pizza / Punks / Rockers / Smoking Area / Underground / Wi-Fi / Venue / Café

Well what can I say about this place, it's well known because it's between the centre and the southern part of the city and it used to be Madrid's old tobacco factory. Just as El Matadero was rescued and completely renewed and embellished, La Tabacalera didn't quite become the center of photography that it should have been. But that has not taken any of the charm away from the place. There you can see exhibitions with an incredible presentation and a very good flow in terms of display. There are also lessons of many different things! From languages to workshops of mostly anything you can imagine. Now and then there are also amazing parties of very different music genres, which in this particular venue work amazingly well, a part from it being ridiculously cheap to have a drink inside. There's a very good, tolerant and alternative vibe there, being extremely easy to meet new people and have an amazing time. On the downturn it closes very early for spanish standards sometime even at 8:30 in the evening! and never on going after 11 at night. But to make the best of it, it's the best place to hang out with your friends before going out and you'll always see or learn something great surrounded by always very interesting people.

My take: La Tabacalera is the most unique space in Madrid. It is also hands down my favorite spot in the city! It is an old tobacco factory turned into a somewhat community centre, art space, and live music venue. You can literally do any sort of activity in here. Even if you have an event idea, you can contact the program coordinators of La tabacalera and you can use the space for the event to take place. Because it's a space completely open to any public there is a wide range and activities and classes! I also should mention that most of these classes, activities, and events are free! Huge upside! Twice a month they have a huge music event. For example last month I went to an urban festival one weekend and a reggae festival in the other. Since there are so many different rooms (being that it's an ex-factory), in one room there would be one guy rapping in Arabic, the next would have people scratching, and the next would have people doing graffiti. There is also an outdoor patio/courtyard area where people would be playing basketball or skateboarding. There are also other events such as vintage markets, “lucha libre”, Spanish classes, African percussion instruments, classes on how to grow your own vegetables, and more. You can literally find anything and everything! I also have to mention that it is so funky inside, as there's graffiti all over the walls. Crowd: Being that you can do any type of activity in La Tabacelera, there's a huge variety in the crowd. You can find people anywhere from punks and rockers to hippies and hipsters. It is also filled with many artists and musicians. Generally though, the crowd is friendly, down to earth, and laid back. Cocktails and Cuisine: None When to go: You can go during the day or at night. It depends on when the classes or events are happening that you would like to go to. Insider info: To find out what and when different events are taking place check their website regularly! What to wear: You can literally wear anything because the vibe is really chill and down to earth. There are guys in rastafari braids and crazy coloured outfits and same with some of the girls. You can also see a lot of hipster types with glasses, blouses, and cool pants or skirts.