Madrid Return Visit Recommendations

A museum we enjoyed was the Naval Museum a few blocks down from the Prado. It was free to enter, but a donation was suggested.

About 15 years ago, I did a self guided walking tour of modern or contemporary Madrid that I found in a Lonely Planet guidebook. I don't think current LP books tend to have walking tours (or much of anything I find useful) anymore. What I remember as interesting to me, and somewhat off the tourist path at the time, was first, looking at and learning about some of the modern architecture, and second, an area of independent fashion designer boutiques that were hot at the time. I'm not particularly into fashion but I felt I was getting a different perspective on Madrid as a cosmopolitan urban center quite different from the museums and historical sites that I had enjoyed and appreciated on previous days.

• Food tours: No clue, sorry.
• Walking tours: No clue, sorry.
• Historical museums: I really like the National Archeological Museum which features three floors, one dedicated to Spanish prehistory, one dedicated to Spanish antiquity and the medieval era, and one featuring Greek, Egyptian, and other miscellaneous periods of history. It's actually quite a good museum and not very crowded given the quality of the exhibitions. The Naval Museum is also a very nice spectacle, especially the model ships and the building itself. A bit off the beaten path there's the Museum of America which is exactly that and does cover a lot of the history of Spanish colonialism in the Americas with a focus on the art and material culture of the indigenous people of the Americas. It's not a huge museum but I really liked it, and it's close to the Faro de Moncloa which is a tower with a nice observation deck with views of Madrid. The National Museum of Anthropology near Atocha station is pretty small and pretty forgettable in my opinion but you can check if they have an temporary exhibitions of particular interest. And, as far as history goes, I think the Prado and Reina Sofia are great history museums in their own right, although it's through the medium of art.
• Neighborhood wandering: Chamberi itself is definitely a bit off the beaten tourist path. I recommend the Mercado de Vallehermoso with a bunch of great food vendors, and Mesón de las Delicias for amazing Venezuelan style Chinese food. Another standout area is the Ibiza neighborhood east of the Retiro park. It's known for great restaurants, bars and cafes. Getting outside the very central tourist zone is definitely the best move for the best restaurants in my view. Bardero and Baldoria are two restaurants I recommend to everyone visiting Madrid, Bardero with very innovative fusion cuisine and Baldoria being one of the best pizza restaurants in the world.

I second Jaime's recommendation for the Naval Museum. Don't think modern military, think Spanish Age of Exploration in the Middle Ages. I visited a number of years ago and was required to show my passport to gain entrance because of the museum's connection to the Navy.