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  From Mauritania to Lavapiés: meet Usman, the alternative vegetable farmer
  
  Anarchy in Madrid’s 11 most no-frills vegan restaurants
  
  The Rastro fish bar that will never give in to tourism (even when it totally could)
  
  Around the world in 10 Embajadores eateries
  
  Bar El Jamón: the Godfather of Lavapiés
  
  Anarchy in Madrid’s 11 most no-frills vegan restaurants
  
  El Rinconcito Cusqueño: a no-frills Peruvian diner in Puerta del Ángel
  
  From Mauritania to Lavapiés: meet Usman, the alternative vegetable farmer
  
  Around the world in 10 Embajadores eateries
Bars
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  Míticos, típicos y no-frilleños: Malasaña’s 10 best bars
  
  The prettiest little no-frills bar in Tetuán
  
  Bodega Maribel: donde los parroquianos son el bar
  
  The Rastro fish bar that will never give in to tourism (even when it totally could)
Living Museums
- Bodegas Rojo: Carabanchel Alto’s living museum of niche wine and spirits
  
  Pilgrimage to El Coleccionista: Lavapiés’ iconic comic book store
  
  A homage to Madrid’s Chinese corner shops
  
  La Movida sigue viva en Malasaña: La Pelu de Iván
  
  Parallel worlds: saving Buenos Aires’ no-frills bars
Lost & Found
- All Latest Obsession Lost Stories No-Frills Finds Trapdoor
  
  Trapdoor to Catania No Frills
  
  Trapdoor to the British underdog town of Blyth
  
  Latest obsession: Madrid’s no-frills Christmas spirit
  
  10 no-frills finds (Vol. VIII)
  
  Latest obsession: Madrid’s no-frills Christmas spirit
  
  Latest obsession: Urban Sky Frames
  
  Latest obsession: confessionals
  
  Latest obsession: Madrid’s ‘hidden’ drinking fountains
  
  Madrid’s lost stories (Vol. VII)
  
  Madrid’s lost stories (Vol. VI)
  
  Madrid’s lost stories (Vol. V)
  
  Madrid’s lost stories (Vol. IV)
  
  10 no-frills finds (Vol. VIII)
  
  10 no-frills finds (Vol. VII)
  
  10 no-frills finds (Vol. VI)
  
  10 no-frills finds (Vol. V)
  
  Trapdoor to Catania No Frills
  
  Trapdoor to the British underdog town of Blyth
  
  Trapdoor to Christmas in India
  
  Trapdoor to the tiny Spanish border town of Valdepeñas
Untold Stories
- A mother’s tribute to the amazing woman behind a play school lost to gentrification
  
  Madrid’s poorest neighbourhoods are still condemned by their ancient invisible borders
  
  A homage to Madrid’s Chinese corner shops
  
  Spotlight on Plaza Nelson Mandela: the heart and the underbelly of Lavapiés
  
  The battle for Baobab
Art
- The art of war on Coronavirus
  
  The secret lives of Madrid’s underdog slum kids
  
  The inspiring wartime art of bomb-proofing windows
  
  Madrid’s secret art city in an abandoned military barracks
  
  Seven inspiring Instagram accounts that unveil an alternative Madrid (Vol. II)
Our Story
About

HOME
Food
- All Spanish World
  
  Anarchy in Madrid’s 11 most no-frills vegan restaurants
  
  The Rastro fish bar that will never give in to tourism (even when it totally could)
  
  El Rinconcito Cusqueño: a no-frills Peruvian diner in Puerta del Ángel
  
  From Mauritania to Lavapiés: meet Usman, the alternative vegetable farmer
  
  Anarchy in Madrid’s 11 most no-frills vegan restaurants
  
  The Rastro fish bar that will never give in to tourism (even when it totally could)
  
  Around the world in 10 Embajadores eateries
  
  Bar El Jamón: the Godfather of Lavapiés
  
  Anarchy in Madrid’s 11 most no-frills vegan restaurants
  
  El Rinconcito Cusqueño: a no-frills Peruvian diner in Puerta del Ángel
  
  From Mauritania to Lavapiés: meet Usman, the alternative vegetable farmer
  
  Around the world in 10 Embajadores eateries
Bars
- Bodegas Rojo: Carabanchel Alto’s living museum of niche wine and spirits
  
  Míticos, típicos y no-frilleños: Malasaña’s 10 best bars
  
  The prettiest little no-frills bar in Tetuán
  
  Bodega Maribel: donde los parroquianos son el bar
  
  The Rastro fish bar that will never give in to tourism (even when it totally could)
Living Museums
- Bodegas Rojo: Carabanchel Alto’s living museum of niche wine and spirits
  
  Pilgrimage to El Coleccionista: Lavapiés’ iconic comic book store
  
  A homage to Madrid’s Chinese corner shops
  
  La Movida sigue viva en Malasaña: La Pelu de Iván
  
  Parallel worlds: saving Buenos Aires’ no-frills bars
Lost & Found
- All Latest Obsession Lost Stories No-Frills Finds Trapdoor
  
  Trapdoor to Catania No Frills
  
  Trapdoor to the British underdog town of Blyth
  
  Latest obsession: Madrid’s no-frills Christmas spirit
  
  10 no-frills finds (Vol. VIII)
  
  Latest obsession: Madrid’s no-frills Christmas spirit
  
  Latest obsession: Urban Sky Frames
  
  Latest obsession: confessionals
  
  Latest obsession: Madrid’s ‘hidden’ drinking fountains
  
  Madrid’s lost stories (Vol. VII)
  
  Madrid’s lost stories (Vol. VI)
  
  Madrid’s lost stories (Vol. V)
  
  Madrid’s lost stories (Vol. IV)
  
  10 no-frills finds (Vol. VIII)
  
  10 no-frills finds (Vol. VII)
  
  10 no-frills finds (Vol. VI)
  
  10 no-frills finds (Vol. V)
  
  Trapdoor to Catania No Frills
  
  Trapdoor to the British underdog town of Blyth
  
  Trapdoor to Christmas in India
  
  Trapdoor to the tiny Spanish border town of Valdepeñas
Untold Stories
- A mother’s tribute to the amazing woman behind a play school lost to gentrification
  
  Madrid’s poorest neighbourhoods are still condemned by their ancient invisible borders
  
  A homage to Madrid’s Chinese corner shops
  
  Spotlight on Plaza Nelson Mandela: the heart and the underbelly of Lavapiés
  
  The battle for Baobab
Art
- The art of war on Coronavirus
  
  The secret lives of Madrid’s underdog slum kids
  
  The inspiring wartime art of bomb-proofing windows
  
  Madrid’s secret art city in an abandoned military barracks
  
  Seven inspiring Instagram accounts that unveil an alternative Madrid (Vol. II)
Our Story
About

Contact

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Contact was last modified: October 1st, 2019 by Madrid No Frills

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Latest Posts

The art of war on Coronavirus
21 March 2020
Trapdoor to Catania No Frills
9 March 2020
A mother’s tribute to the amazing woman behind a play school lost to gentrification
8 March 2020
Bodegas Rojo: Carabanchel Alto’s living museum of niche wine and spirits
27 February 2020
Madrid’s poorest neighbourhoods are still condemned by their ancient invisible borders
20 February 2020

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#mequedoencasa means different things to different people.

Spain has the highest percentage of people living in flats (around 65%) than any other country in Europe. In Madrid, about half of these flats are interior and don't receive much – if any – sunlight.

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Bar Rafa has been derelict for many years, but its beautiful facade, though for a bit of sun-bleaching, remains perfectly preserved ❤️ 💙 💛

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I took this picture exactly two weeks ago, the night before Almeida ordered the closure of all bars in Madrid. When the city reopens after lockdown, will our beloved local bars open up too?

I know many of you are supporting independent businesses right now. Thank you! You're amazing! Keep doing that and those shops will survive!

As for our bars, you'd be right to feel a little helpless. It's up to the government, who need to act now to save those neighbourhood gems who knew solidarity and community well before the days of coronavirus.

If not, when Madrid, and indeed the whole world reopens, many shutters will remain permanently closed – an open door to gentrification like you've never seen it before.

So what can you do to help? Contact your favourite bars, restaurants, independent businesses and tell them you'll see them soon. Share your love for them on social media, and finally, stay posted, right here, as I try and find organisations that might be able to push this cause! Any help with this would be hugely welcomed! ❤️

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🏠 You know how the government has suspended mortgage payments for those whose jobs have been affected by coronavirus? Well they haven’t put a moratorium on rents.

Why?

I have absolutely no idea, though I do suspect favouritism towards the better off. You need a significant amount of money already (tens of thousands) to be granted a mortgage. This is something most renters don’t have and can’t do. Sure, renting liberates you from commitment to one location, but only younger renters really enjoy this freedom. Most people who are renting do so because of precarity in their lives – namely lack of a stable income, combined with the wildly high cost to buy.

All evictions have been put on hold during lockdown, but this is a public health measure for the judiciary, not a housing affordability measure. In any case, throwing people out of their homes under #quedateencasa would be a step way too far, but what will happen when quarantine is over?

Following two to three months of missed rent payments due to economic sabotage by coronavirus, landlords may want to evict their tenants and, post-lockdown, they will have the right to. Leaving rental tenants with no protection leaves them alone to fight for their homes – just like the 18 families in this building in Carabanchel, whose fight to stay put will presumably resume following the state of alarm.

If rental payments are suspended, however, then the landlord will be reimbursed some share meaning that post-quarantine, both the tenants and the landlord will be able to resume their relationship, and nobody will end up being evicted.

Spain already has an eviction issue: since the beginning of the 2008 financial crisis, 1.2 million people have been thrown out of their homes. This has to stop – now more than ever! Suspend rent payments now! #suspensiónalquileresya 🛑🏠✊

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Here's more incredible art under lockdown! But the story behind it goes back all the way to the 1930s during the State of Seige.

It's from this dark period in history that local artist @mrzethecreator has found inspiration. From the confines of his home in Madrid, a renaissance is happening.

Link to full article up in my bio @madridnofrills 📜🔍🦠✊

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I love the works emerging from artists under lockdown in Madrid!

Here's a beautiful illustration by @oma_dibujos of our nightly #aplausosanitario, our highlight of each day 👏❤️👏 Gracias Paloma por enviarmelo!

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