Brummell recommends: Ocean Drive Madrid

One of the newest and coolest additions to Madrid's hotel scene combines leading design with a world-beating restaurant and unrivalled position at the heart of one of the world's most exciting cities

Travel and Wellbeing 10 Jun 2022

A terrace at Ocean Drive Madrid
Mar Mía, the restaurant at Ocean Drive Madrid
A room at Ocean Drive Madrid with a view over Teatro Real

The background

Ocean Drive Madrid is the latest outpost from the ever-trendy OD Hotels group. Having established a name hosting the chic party crowds in Ibiza, OD has since opened hotels in Mallorca and Barcelona, and plans to open on the Côte d’Azur soon. All OD Hotels are design-led and boutiquey, offering comfortable and cool accommodation in unbeatable locations.

Ocean Drive Madrid could not be in a better position to explore the Spanish capital. Located in Plaza de Isabel II, the hotel faces the magnificent Teatro Real and is minutes away from the Palacio Real de Madrid, Saint Michael Market, Plaza Mayor and Catedral de la Almudena. OD Hotels are known for their rooftop bars and Ocean Drive Madrid continues this great tradition with the gorgeous OD Sky Bar overlooking the Teatro Real and Plaza de Isabel II, complete with pool, sumptuous loungers for sunbathing and plenty of space for sipping a sundowner looking over the hustle and bustle of the square below. 

The garden terrace at Ocean Drive Madrid
The garden terrace at Ocean Drive Madrid

The rooms

Ocean Drive Madrid has 72 beautifully designed and spacious rooms, including a selection of suites and deluxe rooms that come with generously proportioned terraces. A selection of rooms also come with their own beer tap, printer for printing your photos of Madrid, electric scooters and vinyl record players – they are made for lounging and soaking in the joy of being in one of the world’s coolest cities. All rooms are exquisitely well thought out, with natural wood, design-led furniture and fittings, luxurious beds, Nespresso machines, opulent bathrooms with powerful showers and deluxe products, and elevated artworks. 

The hotel is ideally proportioned – larger than a boutique but small enough to feel intimate and personable, thanks especially to its friendly and helpful staff. In fact, the team are a big part of why Ocean Drive is such a good base from which to explore the Spanish capital – they know Madrid well, love the city and want to show it off to hotel guests. 

The striking bar at Ocean Drive Madrid
The striking bar at Ocean Drive Madrid

Dining

Mar Mía, the restaurant at Ocean Drive Madrid, is a chic space of natural wood, soft golden lighting and marine green tiles. Set next to the hotel’s gorgeous garden terrace, the dining room is flooded with natural light during the day and feels cosy and glamorous at night. Mar Mía is a collaboration between a collection of great gastronomic minds: Marc Rahola Matutes (of OD Hotels), Carlos Bosch (of Grupo Gastro Portal, which owns the beloved Bar Manero in Madrid), Rafa Zafra (of the lauded Estimar in Madrid and Barcelona, and ex El Bulli) and Luis Rodríguez (of Casa Elias, in Xinorlet, Alicante, which is often cited as the best arrocería in Spain). The result is a restaurant of remarkable character and elegance, serving a selection of Mediterranean cuisine with a fish and seafood focus. 

Try a selection of dishes from the raw bar, including the irresistible red prawns carpaccio (a tribute to El Bulli), followed perhaps by king crab boiled in sea water from the Cala Montjoi nature reserve near Girona. Fried marinated monkfish tails or anchovies with lemon are other stand-out options from the list of delicious starters. To follow, select one of the arroz dishes – the version with rabbit and snails is a classic of Casa Elias and Alicante, and comes cooked thin – just one grain of rice deep! – on a huge circular pan. The rice, incidentally, is a moreish combination of succulent, crispy and rich. To follow, Mar Mía serves a selection of expertly grilled fish and meat including juicy carril clams, scorpion fish and sea bass, or rich rabbit cutlets (another fine tribute to Casa Elias), beef tenderloin or ribeye, and an indulgent marinated poussin. If you have room for dessert, the apple tart and torrija are exquisitely sweet and mouth-wateringly good. 

The view over Teatro Real from OD Sky Bar
The view over Teatro Real from OD Sky Bar

Cocktails are beautifully balanced and mixed, and there’s also an excellent wine list, which the enthusiastic staff will happily and deftly match to your menu. After dinner you can choose to relax in the sumptuous and airy reception bar with a digestif, glass of sherry or cocktail – or instead, head back up to the OD Sky Bar to watch the sparkling lights of Madrid. 

The verdict

A perfectly positioned, extremely comfortable and supremely cool place to stay in one of Europe’s most exciting cities: Ocean Drive Madrid has it all, plus a world-beating restaurant from some of Spain’s finest restaurateurs. The hotel also offers excellent value for money and is an institution very much in tune with its surroundings – in short, a wonderful addition to the Spanish capital’s hotel scene. 

Rooms at Ocean Drive Madrid from €180 to €650 per night, depending on room type and season, including taxes and breakfast; oceandrivemadrid.com