There’s nothing like meeting new people in a big city, with a huge range of leisure and entertainment. You have a whole city at your feet and if, in addition, that city is Madrid, things look even better.
We all know that Madrid is a plural and cosmopolitan city, full of people who come here to study, look for work or try to make a name for themselves in some professional sector. There are many people, many nationalities and a great desire to get to know and explore the city.
And you can make all the excuses you want, but language cannot be one of them. No. Not at all. Forget about it. In a city with so much to offer, you can’t miss the option of learning the language you want, surrounded by people with the same interests as you and with a crazy desire to have a good time. Want to know more?
Best places for language exchange in Madrid
These are the places where you can learn a language and help others to learn it. The money invested is usually the cost of a coffee or a beer, depending on the time of day and your desire to learn.
Lola09
Calle de San Mateo, 28
Come to learn languages and stay for the great atmosphere and good vibes at Lola09. Cocktails, a beautiful décor that makes you feel like you’ve been there before and very educational Wednesdays.
The excuse is perfect: to learn or teach a language. Because language exchange is practised here to the letter, we will become both students and teachers. Every Wednesday at 20:00 the talks begin, and although they officially end at 23:00, they always extend beyond that or give rise to more plans.
And that’s the best thing of all, not only learning but also meeting people with the same desire to go out and open your mind as you. Besides, learning has a prize; 2 drinks for 6€, either wine, beer or soft drink. Do you need more incentives?
La Fontana de Oro
Calle Victoria, 1
La Fontana de Oro is a place you have to go to, no matter what, because it is as emblematic as the Oso y el Madroño or the Puerta de Alcalá. Firstly because of its location, very close to Puerta del Sol.
The second reason for you to stop by is its incredible history. This was the location of the old café that Benito Pérez Galdós wrote about in his novel called, can you guess? “La Fontana de Oro” (The Golden Fountain). And he didn’t write because someone told him stories about the place, but because he was a regular customer.
Nowadays, literary and artists’ meetings have given way to screens with sports, and a very particular decoration with bottles of all origins on the walls, as well as old books, statues and even a trip back in time to the Middle Ages if you go downstairs.
In addition to concerts of different musical genres, sports and DJ sessions, there are also language exchange meetings that always lead to the start of a great night out. They take place every Thursday from 20:00 to 22:30h.
Beer Station
Cuesta de Sto. Domingo, 22
You don’t need to have been to a language exchange meeting beforehand to understand the name of the place and imagine what the atmosphere is like and what its star product is.
Exactly, with a station and industrial-style décor, here you will be in one of the great temples of beer in the whole city of Madrid. The range of beers on offer is extraordinary, both for their quality and for the varied origins of many of them.
Thursdays from 22:00h and Sundays from 19:30h you have a new plan in the capital to learn, teach and get to know. Once you connect with the people who come to this bar, you’ll connect with both the customers and the atmosphere, so you’ll want even more, which is why they have concerts and monologues, both in English and Spanish, throughout the week. Keep an eye on their social media to keep up to date with their many events.
The Irish Rover
Av. de Brasil, 7
Irish pub with fantastic decor, great atmosphere, great choice of burgers and snacks, an incredible range of beers, with Guinness at the centre of it all, live music and, on top of all this, learning a language.
You’re going to feel right at home when on the last Tuesday of every month you drop by this venue, just a stone’s throw from the Santiago Bernabéu, from 19:30 onwards to order a beer and chat with new people. These meetings were created with the intention of learning, teaching and taking your mind off your day-to-day life, exams, work and problems. Come, meet new people and have a great time.
Discoteca Calle 365 Callejón Secreto
Calle Echegaray 18
Let’s finish our list with a super venue. And you’ll know it’s going to be a nightclub as soon as we tell you that it’s a nightclub. It has a fantastic Latin atmosphere, with lots of quality music, cocktails, drinks and spectacular decoration and colour.
But let’s focus on the fact that the excuse to come here is the language, what happens after that is up to you. The meetings are every Wednesday from 21:00h and usually end around 3:00h dancing and with a full pronunciation and cultural knowledge of the language you have come to learn. An absolute spectacle of place and atmosphere.