Hey everyone.
So I got a bit ranty yesterday.
And I’m not sorry.
What happened? Well, I wrote an article about a few businesses in Madrid and Barcelona that we can support – today or soon – rather than just giving all our money to the same giant corporation.
There’s been a ton of bad news in the last few months.
The good news is that there are a lot of people from around the world who’ve started businesses in Madrid.
So here, in no particular order, are some small businesses that are open now – May 2020 – or will be opening soon.
Or, in some cases, doing their thing online from wherever they are to wherever you are.
If you have any recommendations, or if there’s anything I’ve missed, hit me up.
I’m here to help.
Restaurants open for delivery and takeout in Madrid
Keep in mind that the situation is changing day by day. But here are the recommendations I’ve gotten of restaurants that are “open” for delivery and takeout in Madrid…
A lot of people are recommending a place called Eat Me, for gourmet hamburgers. They do delivery with the various apps the kids are using these days. Check them out at on Facebook, or at eat-me.es
Mazál Bagels in Alonso Cano has also been recommended by many – they’re currently doing free delivery within the M-30 on orders over 18€. Check them out at MazalMadrid.com
Vegan donuts, anyone? Bite Me: Halo Artisans in Legazpi is very popular. Check out their Facebook page, or head off to bitememadrid.es for home donut delivery.
Lori says: My friend Fernando quit his day job to become a chef two years ago and has thrown his heart and soul into this restaurant. It’s called Pai Pai. It’s really incredible food. It’s not cheap but the quality is legit if you want a nicer dinner. Now available for pickup and delivery. Check them out at paipairestaurante.com
Feeling like fruit? Check out frudeli.es for the freshest fruits and vegetables (and also herbs and more) delivered straight from MercaMadrid to you. Free delivery on orders over 20€.
Or hey, if you’re like me, you probably just need a drink. Check out DeVino Tinto, who’ll deliver wine right to your door. Here’s their Facebook page.
Moving on, here are some people to take care o’ your hair…
Hairstylists in Madrid, open or opening soon
The pelus are among the first businesses to be allowed to open back up. Here are a few recommendations I’ve received.
Khephra says: I absolutely MUST give a shout out to the women at Peluquería Afro Maricruz. They’ve been my go-to stylists for 4 years, and always keep my afro tight and make my Soul Glo. They’re opening back up on May 26th, and I already have my appointment. Give them a shout: afromaricruz.com
There’s also Shimada Kemp, who’s been in Spain for quite a while and cuts the hair of about half of my friends. He’s opening up on May 12, according to his Facebook page. You can find all the contact details there, too.
Also opening May 12, check out My Muff Stuff Madrid, where US-trained aesthetician Katherine Casserly will wax your muff – or, presumably, anything else you want waxed. Get in touch, and get your muff in shape for spring!
And while I’d love to sit around and think about muff all day, I should also recommend these fine institutions of language learning…
English and Spanish Language Schools in Madrid
Araceli of Spaneasy has all her teachers giving online Spanish classes for now, and will re-open her school in Puerta del Sol when she can. I’ve written about them before, they’re great. Check their website: SpaneasyLearning.com
Servando says: We are a Spanish language school which opened just 2 months before the lockdown started. My best friend and I invested all our savings into the School. We offer Spanish courses for auxiliares twice a week in the evenings vivaspanishmadrid.com
And how could I forget IberEnglish, my old neighbors from when I lived in El Romántico Barrio de Tetuán? They have two locations in Tetuán, but for now are doing English classes by videoconference. Check them out at IberEnglish.com
And also, we’ve got…
Trainers, both “dog” and “personal”
Fiona says: Check out Artio Fitness – named after the Celtic goddess of transformation and abundance. I am a 1:1 personal trainer, a Yoga instructor and do some kick butt ballet fitness classes. I live stream Sunday to Thursday on my YouTube channel, where I also ask strangers to donate if they liked the class. I am doing virtual training right now and writing custom training plans.
Cat says: My boyfriend is a personal trainer – he’s been doing online training via Skype and Zoom with clients. Previously he was running bootcamps and football coaching in Retiro / Canal. Hopefully at some point he can safely return to doing so and he also trains people 1-2-1. His Instagram is @nico.s_fitness
Or if you’re four-legged and furry…
Louise says: I’m an English and Spanish speaking dog trainer! I’m doing online consultations and will be launching an online 6-week dog training course in the next couple of weeks! Check out DoctorLoulittle.com
Speaking of hairy things, here are two – and one of them is sweating like a pig. (I’ll let you decide which.)
Okay, you got me. Dogs don’t sweat. Anyway, that’s your humble author in Puerto de Santa Maria, a few years ago.
Other small businesses you can support today…
There are a lot of other businesses out there.
Want help with your CV? Your LinkedIn page? A university application? Website content? Daniel Catalan is your guy. Check his website for prices and more info: danielcatalan.com
Katie says: Shout out to Nest Boutique in Malsana, they sent photos and helped me choose a gift! They even hand delivered (with safety measures) to make sure it arrived in time. Lovely gifts and cards! Check out nest-boutique.com
Kimberly says: I’m the co-owner of Somos Coworkers, a coworking space my boyfriend and I opened last fall. It’s a beautiful space in the Ventas neighborhood. It’s pet-friendly, bilingual, and vegan-friendly. We receive a high number of travelers spending time in Madrid and take pride in being able to provide local information, recommendations, and translation services. We have an outdoor bonsai patio that’s perfect for social distancing. Check us out on Instagram at @somoscoworkers_ (that’s an undescore at the end) or at somoscoworkers.es
David says: We’ve got translation services at Translation-Traducción, a small company placed in Carabanchel, but working online. More on the Facebook page: Translation-Traducción. Also, we do sworn translations, or “traducción jurada” if you need one.
Looking for a chiropractor? Check out Ben at the health clinic Madrid Health, on Calle Jorge Juan near the Metro Goya. Info on the web: MadridHealth.com
Okay, full disclosure…
That was exhausting to compile.
Now let’s go out and spend some cash… locally!
As you may know, I’m in Barcelona these days.
But Madrid is still where I feel most at home. Every time I get out of Atocha station after a trip down there, I feel the joy.
So keep Madrid awesome for me. Please and thanks. I’ll be down to say “hey” soon.
Have a good one.
Yours,
Daniel (AKA Mr Chorizo)
P.S. At the beginning of this article I said that I wasn’t sorry for ranting in my previous post. But I am sorry to have written a whole article without a single joke about your mom. Anyway, I guess she won’t mind too much. I hear she’s busy mirando pa’ Cuenca. (BOOM! See what I did there?)
P.P.S. If you’re not familiar with the expression “mirando pa’ Cuenca” then guess what… I’ve got an article just for you. It’s my top 10 obscene Spanish expressions. Have fun!
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