The spirit of the place: Dario Barrio

My brother, an architect, and my sister, an interior designer, helped me design Dassa Bassa, my restaurant whose soul resides in a tiny vaulted cellar. This chic yet relaxed place is very close to the Plaza de la Independencia and, in fact, many of my favourite addresses in Madrid are close to it, near the famous Calle Serrano in the Salamanca district. I love the Hotel Unico, for example, an establishment that really lives up to its name.

It's a former mansion set up like a private home, where every detail counts, in a style that blends contemporary art with poetic historical touches. His Ramon Freixa restaurant is one of my favourite places in Madrid. The menu is a blend of the traditional and the avant-garde. You can even sit outside, in a very pretty garden. Really very quiet, it's a perfect spot for business meals.

I also like to meet at the Hotel Palacio del Retiro, a refined, very elegant place. You can feel the weight of the past here, as well as at the Casino de Madrid, a private club founded at the turn of the 20th century. Close to the Puerta del Sol, it's a magical, confidential place, where people no longer play gambling, but where Madrid's high society still meets under colourful glass roofs, in sumptuous rooms and private salons overflowing with gilt. I go there above all for its La Terraza restaurant and the cuisine of Paco Roncero, who was awarded his second Michelin star in 2010. The top floor of the casino is also a great place to talk business. You can dine outside and admire the splendid view over the rooftops of the Gran Via district, or in the magnificent space redecorated in 2009 by the Spanish designer Jaime Hayón. I also recommend the El Chaflán restaurant, run by chef Juan Pablo Felipe, winner of the 'Best Chef of the Year' award in Spain.

Of course, a visit to Madrid, even on a business trip, must be accompanied by a visit to the golden triangle of museums. We'll go to the Prado to see the Velasquez and Goya works, but I have to say that I prefer the Reina Sofia museum, which was extended by Jean Nouvel in 2005. After all, that's where you can admire Guernica! You don't want to miss that! To be honest, I also love the Caixa Forum, an absolutely amazing building with a splendid green wall. A beautiful private museum. It really is. But you must also see the Thyssen-Bornemisza collection, which tells the whole story of European art, from the Middle Ages to the 20th century. An excellent place to take a break or even make a date. There is a small, bright restaurant in a garden filled with sculptures, just across from the Retiro Park, where you can enjoy a quiet coffee.

For shopping, the museum shop is quite nice. But I especially like the luxury of Calle Serrano. As I have a weakness for watches, I often pass by the window of Chocrón, a very beautiful shop where you can also find jewellery. My wife, on the other hand, would recommend fashion designer Maria Freyre's Now boutique, which is very close to the Hotel Unico. It's a brand new boutique, very designer and very feminine. So for clothes, but also for gifts that you won't find anywhere else..."

DARIO BARRIO'S GOOD ADDRESSES

• DASSA BASSAVillalar, 7 - Phone: +34 91 576 73 97 - E-mail: dassabassa@dassabassa.com - Internet: www.dassabassa.com
• HOTEL UNICO MADRID - RESTAURANT RAMON FREIXACalle Claudio Coello, 67 - Telephone: +34 91 781 01 73 - E-mail: info@unicohotelmadrid.com or info@ramonfreixamadrid.com - Internet: www.unicohotelmadrid.com or www.ramonfreixa.com
• AC PALACIO DEL RETIROAlfonso XII 14 - Tel: +34 91 523 74 60 - Internet: www.marriott.com RESTAURANT TERRAZA CASINO DE MADRID, Calle Alcalá, 15 - Tel: +34 91 532 12 75 - E-mail: rrpp.casino@nh-hotels.com or terraza.casino@nh-hotels.com - Internet: www.casinodemadrid.es
• EL CHÁFLANPRADO MUSEUM, Avenida Pío XII, 34 - Tel: +34 91 350 61 93 - E-mail: restaurante@ elchaflan.com - Internet: www.elchaflan.com PRADO MUSEUM, Calle Ruiz de Alarcón, 23 - Tel: +34 91 330 28 00 - E-mail: museo.nacional@museodelprado.es - Internet: www.museodelprado.es
• REINA SOFIA MUSEUMSanta Isabel, 52 - Phone: +34 91 774 10 00 - E-mail: info@museoreinasofia.es - Website: www.museoreinasofia.es CAIXA FORUM, Paseo del Prado, 36 - Phone: +34 91 330 73 00 - Website: obrasocial.lacaixa.es
• THYSSEN-BORNEMISZA MUSEUMPaseo del Prado, 8 - E-mail: mtb@museothyssen.org - Tel: +34 91 369 01 51 - Internet: www.museothyssen.org
• CHOCRÓNPríncipe de Vergara, 22 - Tel: +34 91 781 02 25 - E-mail: info@chocronjoyeros.com - Website: www.chocronjoyeros.com NOW BY MARIA FREYRE, Calle Claudio Coello, 46 - Website: www.nowbymariafreyre.com