Guided by a true house spirit packed with genres and subtle details, stretching from minimal to nu-jazz and trip-hop, through psychedelic textures, slow tempos, and radio-laced vocals, Valeria’s (aka vaLium) sets wonder on an innate curiosity. It’s this patchwork of sounds that shapes her signature style: dizzying, sensual, and deeply addictive. You’ll find that same energy running through Margarita Electrónica, the party she spearheads in Madrid.
Down below, she shares her personal love letter and secret compass through the city. And if you’re feeling the curious itch, here’s one of her recent live sets:
Handing over to Valeria:
This is my personal love letter to Madrid. Here you will find my go-to routines and the comfort spots I love to visit, whether solo or in good company. It is also an appeal to preserve a threatened identity—the Madrid that took me in, stimulated me, shook me up, and held me tight since the autumn of 2013: a city made for wandering with no set destination, scoping out street-level spots along the way.
A city where you have profound conversations in the back of a taxi, where you always can (and must) pull up an extra chair on the terrace for someone you haven’t met yet, but who hit it off with your friend. A city made for flexibility, warm plazas, and green parks that are both numerous and generous if you just know how to let go.
I stand up for Bicimad and always carrying cash—to slow down the aggression of cars and quietly support local mom-and-pop shops. I’m listing a few places, but rather than treating them as trendy hotspots or must-sees, think of them as an attitude: abundance, generosity, and a curious eye.
José Alfredo
An open secret for over 20 years. This cocktail bar is the ideal spot for a date, dropping by on a whim, or kicking off a night out. The location is so central it might make you wary, yet it serves the best drinks at the most honest prices I know. Go alone, and you’ll find incredible conversations; go accompanied, and you won’t want to leave—the atmosphere inside is unmatched.
If you’re lucky enough to catch it half-empty, take advantage of the quiet to let the bartenders guide you: everything is superb, from the time-honoured classics to house originals like the ‘Beso’ with passion fruit foam, created by my friend Sabina. There’s another with smoked mezcal/tequila and chipotle that is pure perfection…
Just across the street you’ll find Jota Batela, a wonderful and equally authentic Basque restaurant with a private dining room and a massive table downstairs. And on a nostalgic note, right next door to Jose, Ni-Hao recently closed due to skyrocketing rent; it was one of the most legendary Chinese spots for big group dinners, where we held countless chaotic birthday parties. They had our photos pinned up on the walls and the patience of saints.
📍Cocktail Bar (C/ Silva 22)
Mercado De Mostenses
Where you choose to spend your money in the centre of a city matters. In Madrid, there is no excuse to default to chains or fleeting fads when gems like this exist. Beyond the ground floor packed with fresh produce, the second floor is home to family-run restaurants serving daily set menus, along with South American bakeries and pastry shops—primarily Peruvian and Ecuadorian, alongside several fusion spots.
Down in the basement: a cobbler, a locksmith, a florist, and every useful trade under the sun. It’s a vibrant, buzzing hive; depending on the hour, it can be overflowing, but there is always a stool for you. Sneaking away from the studio for a morning tamal or eating lunch on my own here is one of my greatest pleasures. If you spot me in a hoodie and headphones tucking into a ceviche, leave me be—that’s exactly where I want to be.
📍Market Square (Pl. de los Mostenses, 1)
El Almacén De Discos
With evening hours (5–9 PM) on weekdays and extended hours on Saturdays (1–9 PM), El Almacén de Discos is a quiet beacon for fans of electronic music, reggae, and all kinds of rarities. You heard Raúl, aka Ripley B, this September at the Terra Moura festival playing a delightful morning trip-hop set, and I think that captures the vibe of the place perfectly. Non-intrusive, a wealth of knowledge, and fair prices.
📍Record Shop (C/ de las Minas, 13)
Bistró Barceló
I get so excited just talking about this place! The chef behind this hidden gem is Mónica, a fantastic friend who came to get tooth gems with me four years ago—hardworking and self-demanding like few others. Jesús, the founder, has an exquisite eye for French wines and complete faith in her…
Getting into the restaurant is an experience in itself: right at midday in Tribunal, just as the market stalls have pulled down their awnings, you step into Mercado Barceló as if it were reserved just for you. The tasting menu changes with the seasons, crafted from fresh produce sourced directly from neighbouring stalls, and the wine pairing (French, naturally) is a journey in its own right. With only five or six tables and a 30-guest limit, the service is an absolute delight.
📍Restaurant (Mercado municipal, C/ Barceló 6)
Vinos Valientes
On my birthday, October 16th, Mario Glossy and María Latina opened the new hotspot right in the heart of Barrio de las Letras, after years of recommendations where we were breaking the right crystal glasses in all the wrong places. Curious wines, delicate small plates, and exquisite music.
📍Wine Bar (C/ Huertas 52)
CORE
Just when we had lost all hope regarding what downtown Madrid’s clubs had to offer in terms of electronic music, CORE opened last fall, bringing a breath of fresh air for clubbers and DJs alike. Great sound, a fantastic staff, a melomaniac and up-to-date booker, affordable tickets, and, above all, good working conditions and guaranteed dates for young collectives and promoters like La Intuición or El Ático.
I lived in central Madrid for ten years (the absolute centre: Alonso Martínez, San Bernardo, Chueca, Plaza Santa Ana) and, like so many young people, gentrification and shifting life priorities pushed us towards Madrid Río and, in my case, Carabanchel. At Kilometre Zero—eternally dug up and under construction due to hand-picked public tenders and construction companies chummy with the PP—you can still find my tooth gem studio and little gems like the ones mentioned above… But let’s branch out a bit.
📍Club (C/ Tetuán, 27)
Lamworld
For those of you who knew the Lam studio on Calle de Carretas, this is a radical shift. Nestled between Casa de Campo and Príncipe Pío lies the little bubble of San Pol de Mar (home to arguably the best grocery shops, markets, and, above all, neighbourhood community vibes?), and right along the riverbank sits the space featuring two main halls, private studios, and a photography area where we cook up Margarita Electrónica and Materia y Permanencia, alongside all of Lam’s furniture and design projects.
They have an incredible library dedicated to typography, music, and design history, as well as furniture and instrument prototypes. Reach out to them on Instagram or at hello@lamworld.es and, without overthinking it, stroll over there one afternoon.
📍Multidisciplinary Creative Studio (C/ de San Pol de Mar, 11)
Radio Relativa
There is so much to say about this nearly ten-year-old project. Beyond being the best online radio station—where, as it turns out, all our friends have or have had a residency (can u imagiNe..? we just kicked off our second season)—you can visit a wonderful space in Usera: a spacious warehouse with an isolated music booth and a coworking area, which is also home to Espacio Bruto, a large photo and production studio run by Valle.
If you live in Madrid, besides tuning into their daily programming, keep an eye out for the open-air events they fight so hard to put on, featuring concerts and live sets driven purely by love for the craft and Madrid’s tender, conscious music scene. I <3 U!!!
📍Radio + Photography Studio (C/ Monederos 12, Bajo 4)
CasaBanchel
In late September, we experienced a gorgeous Sunday sunset curated by Josephine Soundscapes (an essential gateway to all these plans—go blindly to whatever she shares!), Campos de Marte: raw sensitivity spanning the full spectrum of live music and visuals. Casabanchel is a warehouse just a five-minute walk from my house, whose programming ranges from Mark Fisher documentaries to deep listening sessions and performance art. I feel so lucky every time I get to attend any event there.
📍Artistic residency + Creative space (C/ Santiago Estévez, 26)
Alimentación Ming-zhu
The best projects are hard to describe. Imagine a group of magical people researching brilliant projects and connecting through boundless care and warmth. Imagine a house—two houses, gorgeous and hard to put into words—that serve as a home, an artist residency, and a gathering point.
Imagine kicking off your shoes, eating tamales, heading downstairs to the club (yes, the club), climbing up to the rooftop terrace, watching the stars from a couch, running into someone you hadn’t seen in 11 years??—yet you run into them right there and you know the timing is just perfect—sliding open the kitchen door to hear Las Lindas Pobres live, Marta Echaves presenting Químicas Piedades… Every time they open their doors to us, it’s a celebration.
Vallekas
None of this article would make sense if I didn’t speak honestly about the real spaces I’d use to showcase Madrid’s underground electronic scene. And those are the secret locations on the outskirts of Vallekas: industrial warehouses with an ecosystem of their own, where you can listen and dance attentively alongside the best local and international DJs for 8 or 15 hours straight. Clubs you only reveal to the right friends and to newcomers who are dying to discover the real scene. Pulling back the curtains of a black cube at the far end of a postmodern office building. Stepping into a former auto repair shop with sofas across two distinct floors.
These spaces put Madrid on the electronic map and sustain high-calibre musical experiences; yet, for years now (and with far greater intensity since 2024), they have been besieged by needless searches and police harassment at the doors, whether at midnight or 7 AM. I bring up the spaces, but that harassment directly impacts the clubbers, promoters, and artists who—even with no neighbours or residential areas for miles around—are subjected to raids, invasive questioning, and fines every single night we go out. The commitment to running non-profit ventures that offer transcendent music and genuine, safe spaces for the community continues to sharpen our ingenuity.
📍Neighbourhood (Vallecas, Madrid)
And That’s a Wrap on Madrid Hidden Gems
Hopefully this extensive homage to Spain’s most treasured city has inspired you to roam the streets with a different eye. We invite you to go and embrace Madrid’s quirks and dearest crannies the same way Valerie does, and whilst you’re at it, why not find your next party happening close by on XCEED?
All Day, All Night: London – Hidden Gems and Local Spots by Scarlett O’Malley
