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Your Guide to Madrid During Egg Freezing

Madrid is the new Paris - in my opinion.


It has the beauty, architecture, fashion, cafés and energy of a major European capital, but it still feels approachable and easy to enjoy. If you’re traveling for egg freezing, Madrid offers plenty of ways to turn the experience into something that feels restorative, exciting and even fun.



Gyms and Fitness Studios

During ovarian stimulation, most fertility doctors recommend avoiding intense workouts, heavy lifting and high-impact exercise. These are great options for your partner—or for you before treatment and whenever your clinic approves exercise.


  1. Barry’s Madrid - The popular treadmill-and-strength workout has a studio on Calle Velázquez in Salamanca. It’s an intense workout, so save this one for outside the stimulation period.

  2. Revive Wellness Hub - A premium training and recovery concept with locations in Justicia and Salamanca. It offers functional training, strength, Sculpt and HYROX classes, along with recovery facilities. Its current introductory offer is €69 for three classes and one recovery pass.

    Both locations have a Gen.O by OSOM coffee bar. The Salamanca location was my favorite.

  3. David Lloyd Clubs - The closest Madrid equivalent to Equinox. David Lloyd operates four membership-based clubs in Madrid, with upscale gyms, pools, classes and spa facilities. The Serrano club is the most centrally located.

  4. Abada Club - A polished boutique club offering yoga, barre, cycling, boxing, bootcamp and gym access. It offers a one-session pass, so you don’t need to become a long-term member.


Always follow your clinic’s specific exercise guidance during stimulation and after retrieval.


Massage and Relaxation

If your clinic approves massage during treatment, Madrid has some incredible options:

  1. Halmma - If you do one wellness experience in Madrid, make it this one. Halmma specializes in immersive, multisensory massages and water rituals. Look for advance-booking offers a few weeks before your visit.

  2. Hammam Al Ándalus - An atmospheric Arab-bath experience near Plaza Mayor, with thermal pools, steam and optional massages.


If massage, heat or thermal baths aren’t recommended during your treatment, Madrid also has plenty of foot-massage spots that can provide a little relaxation without involving the abdomen.


Check with your clinic before booking deep-tissue massage, saunas, steam rooms, hot baths or temperature-based recovery treatments during stimulation or immediately after retrieval.


Where to Stay


Salamanca and Goya: My Top Pick

Salamanca is my favorite area to stay in Madrid. It’s elegant, polished and walkable, with beautiful architecture, upscale shops, cafés and restaurants. Goya is part of the broader Salamanca district and is another convenient option with a slightly more residential feel.


Recoletos and Justicia: Best for IVI Madrid Centro

Recoletos and Justicia offer an excellent combination of central convenience and sophisticated city life. IVI Madrid Centro is located at Calle Bárbara de Braganza, near Paseo de Recoletos, making this one of the most practical areas for clinic appointments. View the clinic location


Justicia also has excellent cafés, restaurants, boutiques and wellness studios nearby. Zuma is located just across Paseo de la Castellana in Salamanca, close to Plaza de Colón.


Centro: Best for Sightseeing

Centro puts you close to many of Madrid’s major attractions, shops and historic cafés. It’s extremely convenient, although some streets can feel crowded and noisy. Check reviews carefully and choose a quieter side street if rest is important.


Plaza Mayor: Best for a Short, Touristy Stay

Plaza Mayor is historic, atmospheric and close to many of Madrid’s most famous sights. I stayed here for one night and enjoyed the experience, but it can be very touristy. For a longer treatment stay, I would choose Salamanca, Recoletos or Justicia.


My personal pick would be Salamanca or Recoletos for the best combination of comfort, city life and convenience. If you’re attending IVI Madrid Centro, Recoletos or Justicia will minimize travel to appointments.


Cafés

  1. OSOM - A stylish Madrid specialty-coffee brand with several distinct locations. OSOM House in Chamberí is specifically designed as a café and workspace.

  2. Brunchit - A colorful brunch café with several Madrid locations and vegetarian and vegan options.

  3. Re Café - A plant-based specialty-coffee shop at Calle de Santa María 25, serving coffee, matcha, pastries and stuffed dates.

  4. Zacaffè - Zara’s specialty-coffee concept inside the Zara Man store at Calle Hermosilla 14 in Salamanca. The beautifully designed space is worth visiting for the novelty alone.

  5. Balbisiana Velázquez - A polished café and bakery at Calle Velázquez 55, where you can sit down for coffee, pastries, breakfast or brunch.

  6. Dosis Café - A specialty-coffee shop in Chamberí that also serves breakfast, pastries and brunch-style food.

  7. Brach Madrid - A design-led hotel on Gran Vía with a ground-floor restaurant, bar and French pâtisserie. It’s a beautiful place to stop for coffee and a pastry while shopping.


Laptop policies can vary by café and time of day, so ask before settling in for a long work session.


Historic Cafés and Bakeries

Madrid’s historic cafés and bakeries deserve their own category:


  1. Lhardy - One of Madrid’s most iconic institutions, founded in 1839. The ground-floor shop is ideal for a quick visit, while the formal restaurant is upstairs.

  2. Pastelerías Mallorca  - A Madrid institution founded in 1931. The Linzer-style cookies are excellent, and its cafés also serve pastries, sandwiches and prepared food.

  3. Viena Capellanes - A historic Madrid bakery whose origins date to 1873. It now has multiple locations serving bread, pastries, chocolates and light meals.

  4. Confitería Rialto - A small confectionery shop at Calle Núñez de Balboa 86 in Salamanca, best known for its delicate Moscovitas biscuits. This is primarily a take-away stop rather than a sit-down café.


Vegetarian-Friendly Restaurants

Madrid was incredibly easy for us as vegetarians.


  1. BumpGreen - A health-focused, plant-forward restaurant with plenty of vegetarian choices.

  2. Bel Mondo - A fun, maximalist Italian restaurant in Salamanca with clearly marked vegetarian and vegan dishes.

  3. El Invernadero - Rodrigo de la Calle’s Michelin-starred restaurant, with tasting menus centered around vegetables. This is the special-occasion option.

  4. PABÚ - A Michelin-starred restaurant focused on micro-seasonal ingredients. It is not a vegetarian restaurant, so contact the restaurant before booking to confirm whether it can accommodate a vegetarian menu. This was on my list, but I didn’t make it there.

  5. Honest Greens - Our Madrid staple -we went constantly. Think customizable bowls, fresh vegetables, grains and plant-based proteins. It’s what Sweetgreen wishes it could be.

  6. Thunder Vegan - Excellent 100% plant-based fast food with creative burgers, dirty fries, sides and desserts.

  7. Brunch & Cake — A beautifully designed brunch restaurant with vegetarian options. It’s also incredibly popular in Dubai.


Fun Experiences

  1. Sunday at Plaza Mayor - Every Sunday morning, Plaza Mayor hosts its traditional stamp and coin collectors’ market. You’ll find coins, stamps, pins, postcards and other collectibles beneath the arcades.

  2. HOFF Salamanca - Visit the HOFF flagship store on Calle Velázquez. It has a sneaker-customization area where you may be able to personalize shoes with charms, laces and other details. Check availability before visiting.

  3. Calero Encuadernación Artesanal - A historic bookbinding and restoration workshop at Calle Bárbara de Braganza 11—next door to IVI Madrid Centro. It’s worth visiting for beautiful handmade paper goods and traditional craftsmanship.

  4. Try Madrid’s Greek frozen yogurt - Greek frozen yogurt has a chokehold on Gen Z in New York, complete with enormous lines. In Madrid, you can often walk straight in.

    • KALA - Greek frozen yogurt with customizable toppings.

    • MYKA - Artisanal Greek frozen yogurt made with Greek yogurt and goat’s-milk kefir.



Spanish Brands to Explore

  1. eseOese — A Barcelona-born fashion brand known for relaxed clothing, knitwear and accessories. It has several Madrid locations, including Goya.

  2. Árbol — An independent fashion and accessories boutique at Calle del Barquillo 7 in Justicia, with distinctive clothing and pieces from emerging designers.

  3. LAAGAM — A Barcelona-based contemporary brand offering colorful, statement-making clothing at relatively accessible prices. Its Madrid store is also on Calle del Barquillo.

  4. MALABABA — Beautiful handbags, shoes and jewelry handcrafted in Spain. It has stores on Calle Serrano and Calle Santa Teresa.

  5. mint&rose — A Spanish brand specializing in leather shoes, bags and accessories made using traditional production techniques.

  6. PDPAOLA — A Barcelona-born jewelry brand known for modern, wearable pieces. It has Madrid stores on Calle Claudio Coello and Calle Fuencarral.

  7. BIMBA Y LOLA — A playful Spanish fashion brand known for colorful bags, jewelry, prints and statement accessories.



 
 
 

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