OCCUPATION: Model and designer of N+V baby line
MY STYLE IS: I like to wear casual clothes during the day but I’m more sophisticated during the evening. My favorite labels are Giambattista Valli, Stella McCartney, Rick Owens, Miu Miu, Zadig & Voltaire and Isabel Marant.
I LOVE MADRID BECAUSE: There are so many things you can do with your children. The weather is fantastic and there are beautiful lights, parks, and museums. It’s also close enough to the mountains for a weekend escape.
Photo courtesy of: Eduardo Parra/Getty Images
Mercado de San Miguel
Markets are one of the few places in any city that bustle constantly from dawn until dusk, and Mercado de San Miguel is no exception. Originally built in 1916 in the style of Paris’s Les Halles, the market fell into disrepair before closing for a revamp, reopening in 2009. Now, it’s a feast for the senses—equal parts tourist attraction and local favorite—where daytime commerce can turn into nighttime tapas, seafood, and champagne.
99 Sushi Bar
Tourists and locals alike rave about 99 Sushi Bar, which has three locations in Madrid, and Nieves Alvarez agrees that it’s one of the best in town. The dishes can be sumptuously enjoyed in the restaurants’ sleek, trendy interior. For pickier palates, some cooked delicacies are included on the menu.
Flash Flash
This famous culinary hotspot pays homage to the staple of the Barcelona restaurant scene from the ’70s. Opened in 2008, Flash Flash was designed to provide Madrid’s trendiest with a place to see and be seen. The sleek, mostly-white interiors provide the perfect canvas for patrons’ stylish duds, purchased from the surrounding Barrio de Salamanca—Madrid’s shopping district. Nieves Alvarez’s children love the restaurants 50-plus varieties of tortilla, Flash Flash’s specialty.
Le Cabrera
Those in a cocktail rut should seek a change at Le Cabrera, a gastrobar that serves creative, seasonal concoctions in a chic, two-level venue. While the much-brighter top level is meant for enjoying dishes like steak tartare, ham croquettes, and paté; the intimate, dimly lit ground floor is designed with drinks in mind. In the summer, enjoy a fresh fruit cocktail (and maybe a soccer match) at Le Cabrera’s terrace bar, located in the picturesque Linares Palace.
Biblioketa
This international bookstore specializes in children’s literature in Spanish, French, and English. So whether it’s Le Petit Prince or Goodnight Moon, you can be sure to find it at Biblioketa. The store’s bright and colorful interior invites kids in and makes them want to stay, find a book and expand their imagination! In addition to books, Biblioketa also offers activities such as music, art, storytelling, and drama workshops. “They have fantastic storytelling sessions by authors in the evenings,” says Kavita Parmar. Check the website for a schedule of events.
Baby Deli
Pretty much a mother’s dream come true, Baby Deli is comprised of three components: a retail space for toys and clothes, a snack bar with healthful bites, and an educational center where children can engage in activities galore. Stacy Knoell, one of the founders, recommends some of her favorite edibles: “Make sure your snack includes my favorite vanilla PurNatur yogurt and a Natur-Frisk lemonade. Also take some organic and healthy snack foods with you for later like Organix’s Goodies Cheese and Herb Puffs and a Kidz fruit bar.”