La Vieja Estación (Nightclubs in Madrid)

Member Name: quirky

Product:	Nightclubs in Madrid
Date:	23/08/01 (427 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cool outdoor atmosphere, wide variety of music, open as late as you like

Disadvantages: Bit expensive for Madrid, not very busy until the wee small hours

Built on the remains of the old Atocha station in the centre of Madrid, La Vieja Estación (literally "the Old Station") is the best place to go for a night out in the hottest part of the year.

You see, Madrid in the summer isn't just hot. It is stiflingly hot. The heat suffocates you as soon as you step outside, with the sun cracking the pavement and causing everyone to head for the beach. Those that remain head for the swimming pool during the day, but at night the place to be is outside! As the only open-air club in the city centre, LVE is pretty popular with the locals and stays buzzing until breakfast time.

The actual setting at first looks a bit strange. The entrance, marked by a garish neon light ”donut”, appears to be at the junction of two main roads. You have to risk life and limb crossing to the centre, dodging the lethal taxis on the way. After reaching the junction, there are some stairs that lead down to the lower level, the site of the old station. Descending to the bottom of the stairs, everything looks a bit better, the “club” is surrounded by a bamboo style fence while all around there are discarded railway sleepers and old bits of rolling stock.

It’s pretty pricey to get into by Madrid standards, but the fee is reasonable and includes a drink. Speaking of booze, there are plenty of bars inside and all have a great selection of shorts, though the beer isn’t too good. The system for buying is novel and slightly railway based. First you buy a ticket from one of the kiosks dotted around the interior, then take it to the bar to get the drink (you see, like buying a train ticket, then getting on … oh never mind…). It cuts down on random shoving at the bar, but takes some getting used to.

The club décor is suitably tacky – the bars are all built in or on old trains – with potted plants scattered around and plenty of overhead lighting rigs. There
are heaps of seats too, and there is no problem getting a table while you gather your strength for dancing.

Musically it is a mixed bag, ranging from contemporary Spanish pop early on in the evening, through to more trancey stuff later on. The sound system is pretty decent too, but being out doors you do tend to loose the sound if you move too far away from the main dance floor. There is also a separate indoor section, built into the old waiting rooms. In here you can do a spot of karaoke (although to be honest I had never heard of ANY of the songs on offer!), or if you prefer, in another room, dance like a fool to the latest R&B hits from Europe and America.

All in all, it is a great venue. The only downers are the slightly inflated prices (not a problem for UK folk used to the prices here!) and the fact that it doesn’t get really busy until VERY late.

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