Madrid's bohemian quarter, north of Gran Vía and west of Chueca, centred on Plaza del Dos de Mayo. The neighbourhood was the cradle of the Movida madrileña — the post-Franco cultural explosion of the late 1970s and early 1980s — and still carries the flag for independent music venues, design shops, vintage clothing, vegetarian and brunch cafés, and the inevitable thicket of speciality coffee bars.
Calle del Pez and Calle de la Palma are the bar-heavy spines. La Vía Láctea is the last surviving bar from the Movida years; Lolina is the prettiest of the modern cafés; Café Comercial at Glorieta de Bilbao is the old-school grand café. Best at night, but pleasant for a slow weekend brunch as well. Metro Tribunal or Bilbao.