The curving east side of Plaza de Oriente is presided over by the grey bulk of the Teatro Real. Madrid’s opera house has had a checkered history, to say the least. The opera house became the hub of cultural and social life. It had a ballroom, now a restaurant, where people would dance after the performances.

During the Civil War, a gunpowder store exploded inside, producing extensive damage. The building reopened as a concert hall in the 1960s, closed again in 1988 when the Auditorio Nacional opened across town, and opened again after remodelling in 1997.

The building rises up nine storeys, with a further six storeys below ground. It has a spectacular interior. The stage covers an area of approximately 1,390 square m, and there is room for an audience of 1,740. Galleries around the second floor are decorated with paintings, tapestries, chandeliers, and mirrors. The restaurant, by Catalan designer Pascua Ortega, has a midnight blue ceiling studded with stars.