Taking the aperitif is a very Spanish custom. Especially with the good weather, the terraces of bars and restaurants throughout the geography are crowded with people. The sun and the outdoors, the beer and the bravas are a good combination. If, in addition, good views with historical enclaves are added, the enjoyment is maximum.

We leave the city, not far away, in search of bars or restaurants with terraces in some of the most historic squares of the Community of Madrid to snack on some popular gastronomy. Be careful, before taking the car (or train) it is recommended to book.

Plaza Mayor (Chinchón)

It is considered one of the most beautiful in Spain and is in perfect condition despite its medieval origin (XV and XVI centuries). Quite irregularly shaped, it is surrounded by old buildings with 234 balconies painted green, on whose ground floor there are numerous shops, bars with terraces and restaurants. On Saturdays, in addition, there is usually a flea market. The options to sit down for an aperitif overlooking the balconies or the imposing church of the Assumption, at the top, is huge. From Casa del Pregonero (Tel. 918 940 696) with its traditional cuisine renovated and reinterpreted; to La Balconada Restaurant (Tel. 918 941 303), with Castilian dishes from its balconies or the bar La Tahona de Iberia (Tel. 918 940 847) with its portions of crumbs, croquettes, chistorra ... and reeds.

Segovia Square (Navalcarnero)

The charming Plaza de Segovia, surrounded by three-storey arcaded buildings and wooden balconies, is one of the obligatory stops in this city 31 km southwest of Madrid cataloged as Villa Real. Hermitages and humiliations dot the town with more than 500 years of history.

In the aforementioned Plaza de Segovia stand out the building of the Town Hall and the church of Our Lady of the Assumption (sixteenth century), where the link between Philip IV and Mariana of Austria took place. In this environment are La Posada (Tel. 918 115 027), with a nice terrace overlooking to take portions. For grilled meat and fish, Asador La Plaza (Tel. 669 551 181) and Taberna Las Torres de Navalcarnero (Tel. 918 114 424).

Plaza Mayor (Colmenar de Oreja)

40 km from Madrid is located this charming villa with the most beautiful and emblematic Plaza Mayor of the Community, after that of its neighbor Chinchón. Typical Castilian arcaded square of the eighteenth century, in it are the Town Hall and the Casa del Pósito, which has served as an old communal granary, municipal court, jail, serene checkpoint, wooden warehouse (to prepare the square for the steers), children's school and library over the years.

It is also home to El Palique (Plaza Mayor, 3. Tel.: 918 94 47 73), with a large terrace. Both at the bar and outside you can enjoy the skewers and rations of typical food of the area, such as meat in disarray, porridge, pickles or cool potatoes.
On the other side of the square, under the arcades, is Casa Pepe Restaurant (Tel. 918 943 570). From the tables of its terrace you can see the Church of Santa María La Mayor (thirteenth century in the form of a fortress) and among its specialties, in addition to the aforementioned meat or cool potatoes, are the cowboy ratatouille and its juicy meats.

After the aperitif (or meal) other places to visit in the town are the Arch of Zacatín, the hermitage of Cristo del Humilladero and the Ulpiano Czech Museum (1860-1916), in honor of the painter born in Colmenar de Oreja.

Constitution Square (San Lorenzo de El Escorial)

Terrace of Las Viandas in San Lorenzo de El Escorial.

At the foot of the southern slope of the Sierra de Guadarrama, the town is one of the most visited destinations in the Community of Madrid, thanks to its imposing Monastery, listed as a World Heritage Site. A labyrinth of cobbled streets, beautiful parks and a set of palaces and houses are arranged around the monastery, such as the Casa de los Oficios, the Casa de los Infantes and the Casa de la Reina, the Real Coliseo de Carlos III and the Casita del Infante and the Historic Gardens of high botanical value.

In the central Plaza de la Constitución, presided over by the Town Hall building, there are appetizing terraces overlooking the domes of the Monastery, such as those of the Las Viandas restaurant (Tel. 918 90 09 86), a classic of the town. Its classic dishes of Spanish cuisine with modern touches can be tasted both on the terrace at street level and in its elegant lounges.

Plaza de Cervantes (Alcalá de Henares)

Terrace of the restaurant Casino de Alcalá de Henares.

The town where Cervantes was born (you can still visit what was his home, in the Cervantes Birthplace Museum) is one of the three World Heritage cities of Madrid. Strolling through its streets, squares and gardens is a constant reminder of the splendor of this university city. A must visit is the complex of the Cisneriana University (founded in 1499 by Cardinal Cisneros and the great center of academic excellence during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries), its Colegio Mayor San Ildefonso (1553), the courtyard of Santo Tomás de Villanueva and the Paraninfo, the most emblematic room of the building, with a Mudejar coffered ceiling of the sixteenth century inside and where the Cervantes Prize for Literature is awarded.

One of the most emblematic places of the town is the central Plaza Cervantes, of medieval origin, located in the old town of the municipality. With garden areas, it is presided over by the statue of Miguel de Cervantes (from 1879) and the Kiosk de la Música (1898). There is the Casino restaurant (Tel.: 91 265 69 29), with two terraces, one in height, from where you can see enclaves such as the Town Hall, the Chapel of the Oidor, the College of Malaga and the Church of Santamaría, with its medieval tower, and another in the same square. What to eat? Recipes of a lifetime with modern touches. Among the suggestions: the famous torreznos or empanadas mushrooms, as well as rice, suckling pig, charcoal bluefin tuna tataki or its renowned grilled octopus.

Constitution Square (Buitrago del Lozoya)

Plaza de la Constitución, Buitrago del Lozoya

The beautiful medieval town, 75 km from Madrid, is another of the most visited places by the people of Madrid at the weekend, for its idyllic location at the foot of Somosierra and for its historical value. The old town, located on a promontory on the banks of the Lozoya River, is protected by the wall of Muslim origin (s. XI) and reaches a perimeter of 800 m. Its degree of conservation is so good that the town is also known as "The wall of Madrid". Within the walls you can see towers, moats, the Castle of the s. XIV, the Church of Santa María del Castillo (XIV century), the Clock Tower or the Picasso Museum ...

One of its most emblematic squares is that of La Constitución, next to the walls. In the small stone enclosure is the well-known restaurant Las Murallas, a classic to go with the family specialized in roasts and traditional homemade cuisine (Tel.: 918 68 04 84). On its terrace you can enjoy portions of patatas bravas, suckling sweetbreads, black pudding from burgos, scrambled ham, croquettes, spoon dishes and grilled meats while getting the best views of Torre del Reloj or Torre Albarrana (XIV century), which presides over the square. At the base of the tower, 16 meters high, is the main access to the walled enclosure. The clock dates from the mid-twentieth century, although its machinery is the original of the nineteenth century.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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