Círculo de Bellas Artes — Attraction in Madrid

Wonderful panoramic views of Madrid...nice chill out music and not too expensive to gain entry. They have never asked me to remove a tripod when I am taking photographs either which is a bonus. One thing to note though if you are a photographer though is that if you like to take timelapse videos like myself they have in the last year or two retiled the floor area and have left them fitted together but not grouted. So when anybody passes by you your tripod wobbles all over the place. It's just something to note if that's what you are into. Otherwise a really cool place to relax, have a drink and enjoy the sunset and other views of Madrid. Highly recommended. Edit: Apparently after all these years their policy on tripods have changed. I was asked to stop using it even though it was quiet where I was attempting a time lapse video. I complied and then had an amicable discussion with a member of staff who said it had always been their policy and that it was not a new rule. I replied that I had been going there approximately fifteen years and never been asked to stop and she replied that obviously I hadn't been noticed. So there you go ......

Extremely disappointing experience – avoid at all costs

I visited the rooftop at Palacio de Cibeles (CentroCentro) in Madrid and it was one of the worst experiences I’ve had in the city. You pay €5.50 for entry, supposedly with a drink included, but what you really get is a 45-minute queue, complete overcrowding, and an atmosphere that feels more like a chaotic tourist trap than a relaxing rooftop bar.

I ended up leaving without my drink and without even enjoying the view. The place was so overcrowded it was impossible to move, let alone relax. To make things worse, the staff at the door were extremely unfriendly and unhelpful. No one offered any kind of apology, and there was absolutely zero customer service. It felt like they just wanted to push as many people through as possible without caring about the experience.

This venue gives Madrid a bad name. I would never go back and wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. Places like this shouldn’t even be open if they can’t manage crowds or offer basic...

Rooftop bar is a waste of time. €5.50pp to go up, but it’s so busy on a wkend, there’s no tables/seats available - which you need to have, to order a drink. After about 40mins scouring the area (not what you need when on holiday), finally got some discarded stools (no table) and another 10 mins later found a waiter. Ordered a round of Aperol Spritz but what they served was def not Aperol. It tasted rank/more like Campari or something. Told the waiter about it straightaway but he was not interested at all. Told us they didn’t have Aperol and not his problem. Really rude. Been quite a few times to the rooftop bar over the years but will not return. The views are good but please go somewhere else like the Rui hotel rooftop bar which is much better. This place is living off the reviews the exhibition centre gets. They need a better system in place for their drinks/tables as it’s just embarrassing loitering around scanning tables waiting for people to leave. A real shame it’s...