Yes! I lived in Madrid for a year and a half; I loved it!
- My favorite restaurant is called Maceiras, which serves food from the Galician region of Spain. It's a casual place. Order quesos de galicia, chorizo, pimientos, calamares, patatas bravas, abondigas, carne richada, but especially the calamares. Order a bottle of white wine, and drink it out of ceramic cups, like they do in Galicia.
- Chocolatería San Gimes is the original churros and chocolate place. It's open daily from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. for a late night snack. The chocolate is super thick.
- Botin, next to the Plaza Mayor, is the oldest restaurant in Europe, so they say. Go there for suckling pig.
- For lunch, stop into the new-ish and fashionable Mercado de San Miguel.
- Make sure you go to Cava Bajas, a street made up entirely of tapas bars. Stop for tapas in a few different establishments. It's very popular; to avoid the crowds, try to be there by 8-8:30pm.
- Cien Monteditos and the Museo del Jamon are chains you see around Madrid. Go to Cien Monteditos for economical, tasty sandwiches, and mugs of beer or sangria. (I used to meet friends there once a week when I lived there; you can linger.) Museo del Jamon may look a bit touristy, but real (mostly older) Spanish people eat there. It's always worth a visit, even to just take a look around. Ham is no joke to the Spanish....
- Lastly, don't be fooled into buying bottled water. The tap water in Madrid is among the best in the world. Always as for "agua del grifo," which literally translates to "water from the tap."
I hope this is helpful! If you'd like more information, I'd be happy to send you a personal note.
Taberna deal Chato was my favorite tapas spot. Great food at a great price, and the staff - especially Ivan - were wonderful! It's near San Gines/ Plaza Major as well. I also went to Botin, the oldest restaurant in the world, for lunch. The suckling pig is amazing, as is the wood stove they roast them in. You must have a reservation, which you can do online. The dinner and flamenco show at Casa Patas was wonderful as well. Enjoy!
Forgot about the jamon! The cured Jamon Iberico is great, and the fresh cuts of Iberico will ruin all other pork for you - look for secreto Iberico or pluma, or abanico.
Paco Roncero's tapas bar, Estado Puro, across the wide paseo from the Prado, is a wonderful mix of everything from classic tortilla española and fried savory croquetas to totally cool and innovative inventions. In the NH Paseo de Prado Hotel, near Plaza Canovas de Castillo.
make sure to try the many seafoods that we do not have here in the U.S. Many fish and shellfish both-- langoustines, turbot, high quality tuna that is a luxury item, very $$$$ when canned (forget your prejudices about 'canned'; the expensive stuff is a whole different thing there. Galician Tuna Empanadas can be a memorable treat .Botarga is also a luxury (it can be found in U.S. high end restnts, but they can't afford to serve you more than a mote's worth.) Garlic sauteed Baby eels (teeny tiny) are a common bar snack. It is very common to order a few tapas at a bar and then repeat that at different spots.
Spanish desserts are usually pretty wonderful, and rich.
Travel w/ a Spanish food dictionary; you'll need it.
Do as much food googling as you can before going there.
Chocolate and churros are a must. I loved San Gines near Plaza Mayor, but you can do comparitive tastings. There are several well known cafes that serve this combination.
Several of Madrid's old markets have been restored and are good places for lunch or tapas. I especially liked Mercado San Miguel, also near Plaza Mayor. I had a fine time sampling sherry, ham and olives.
There is a very good churros café near Atocha called Chocolat (Calle de Santa Maria, 30) which I really enjoyed and is definitely not swamped by tourists.
Also - highly recommend Mercado San Antón, in Chueca, also lots of other really nice restaurants and cafés with great atmosphere in Chueca.
Good point on the tourists. Early in the day, i.e. before noon, is a good place to go to San Gines. Both times I went, I sat at tables with people from Madrid and had a great time talking with them.
16 Comments
- My favorite restaurant is called Maceiras, which serves food from the Galician region of Spain. It's a casual place. Order quesos de galicia, chorizo, pimientos, calamares, patatas bravas, abondigas, carne richada, but especially the calamares. Order a bottle of white wine, and drink it out of ceramic cups, like they do in Galicia.
- Chocolatería San Gimes is the original churros and chocolate place. It's open daily from 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. for a late night snack. The chocolate is super thick.
- Botin, next to the Plaza Mayor, is the oldest restaurant in Europe, so they say. Go there for suckling pig.
- For lunch, stop into the new-ish and fashionable Mercado de San Miguel.
- Make sure you go to Cava Bajas, a street made up entirely of tapas bars. Stop for tapas in a few different establishments. It's very popular; to avoid the crowds, try to be there by 8-8:30pm.
- Cien Monteditos and the Museo del Jamon are chains you see around Madrid. Go to Cien Monteditos for economical, tasty sandwiches, and mugs of beer or sangria. (I used to meet friends there once a week when I lived there; you can linger.) Museo del Jamon may look a bit touristy, but real (mostly older) Spanish people eat there. It's always worth a visit, even to just take a look around. Ham is no joke to the Spanish....
- Lastly, don't be fooled into buying bottled water. The tap water in Madrid is among the best in the world. Always as for "agua del grifo," which literally translates to "water from the tap."
I hope this is helpful! If you'd like more information, I'd be happy to send you a personal note.
Spanish desserts are usually pretty wonderful, and rich.
Travel w/ a Spanish food dictionary; you'll need it.
Do as much food googling as you can before going there.
Several of Madrid's old markets have been restored and are good places for lunch or tapas. I especially liked Mercado San Miguel, also near Plaza Mayor. I had a fine time sampling sherry, ham and olives.
Also - highly recommend Mercado San Antón, in Chueca, also lots of other really nice restaurants and cafés with great atmosphere in Chueca.