"Early" Dining in Madrid
May 22nd, 2011, 04:58 PM
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"Early" Dining in Madrid
Yes, I know that traditional dinner hours in Madrid and much of Spain are late, i.e. 10 p.m. or later. However, I dislike dining very late in the evening. Can Fodorites help me with recommendations for dining options in Madrid in the 8-8:30 p.m. range (or earlier, but I am not hoping for the impossible.) We will stay in central Madrid. and cabs or the metro/bus are possible.
May 22nd, 2011, 05:36 PM
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If you're willing to eat your main meal at lunch you can just have tapas for dinner - and the tapas bars open much earlier. Also, if you ask your hotel there are a number of restaurants that open about 9 pm - often for tourists.
May 22nd, 2011, 06:36 PM
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Besides, tapas, you can have what I call a Continental Diner. As you are walking around Madrid you can pick up cheese, meat, olives, beread, chocolate, etc, collect it in a backback and eat in back in the room. Pack a fork, knife, and corkscrew in the bags you check in.
A well-known department store, El Cortes Ingles, has both restaurants and a superamrket. I think there are three in Madrid.
Also in the tourist areas look for restaurants that are open at various hours. I do not have specific addresses but there should be something open at the Plaza Mayor, Plaza Santa Ana, or Puerto del Sol.
A well-known department store, El Cortes Ingles, has both restaurants and a superamrket. I think there are three in Madrid.
Also in the tourist areas look for restaurants that are open at various hours. I do not have specific addresses but there should be something open at the Plaza Mayor, Plaza Santa Ana, or Puerto del Sol.
May 22nd, 2011, 07:12 PM
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There are a few, a handful, of restaurants in Madrid that offer early dining, but really, you're traveling to a country to experience the culture, which includes such things as dining (lunch and dinner). Maribel's Dining Guide to Madrid lists a number of such restaurants that offer early dining, but overall, it's not the most pleasant experience. One should learn to adapt if one wants to travel and experience the local culture.
May 22nd, 2011, 08:52 PM
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To all--
Thank you for the suggestions. Yes, I know Maribel's guide, which is very useful. I was just casting the net wider.
Part of the issue is that I am traveling with the DBH (Dear Beloved Husband) who is checking with the company's office in this part of the world. He needs to be up relatively early for meetings, etc. Neither of us sleep well on what we consider dinner portions (no, we are not heavy eaters, but this is usually the main meal of the day.)
Our usual default in southern Europe is to eat the larger meal at mid-day and smaller dinner in the evening, but we still prefer not to have to wait until 10 p.m. if he needs to be at a meeting at 8-8:30 a.m. We want to be sleeping at 10-11 p.m., old poops that we are.
A typical strategy when we arrive from an overnight flight is to have something of a brunch in late moring, and then the tail-end of lunch (arrive 3:30 - 4-ish) before crashing the first night.
We can manage with tapas, but sometimes one wants real dinner.
Yes, I understand about adapting to experience the culture, but we don;t go to the clubs that only open at 2 a.m. in Argentina, either. There is a comfort factor....
Thank you for the suggestions. Yes, I know Maribel's guide, which is very useful. I was just casting the net wider.
Part of the issue is that I am traveling with the DBH (Dear Beloved Husband) who is checking with the company's office in this part of the world. He needs to be up relatively early for meetings, etc. Neither of us sleep well on what we consider dinner portions (no, we are not heavy eaters, but this is usually the main meal of the day.)
Our usual default in southern Europe is to eat the larger meal at mid-day and smaller dinner in the evening, but we still prefer not to have to wait until 10 p.m. if he needs to be at a meeting at 8-8:30 a.m. We want to be sleeping at 10-11 p.m., old poops that we are.
A typical strategy when we arrive from an overnight flight is to have something of a brunch in late moring, and then the tail-end of lunch (arrive 3:30 - 4-ish) before crashing the first night.
We can manage with tapas, but sometimes one wants real dinner.
Yes, I understand about adapting to experience the culture, but we don;t go to the clubs that only open at 2 a.m. in Argentina, either. There is a comfort factor....
May 22nd, 2011, 10:57 PM
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You can have raciones (portions) at many nice places at much earlier hours, at least from about 7pm. Raciones would be something in between tapas and a normal dinner plate. You would probably be more than satisfied with shearing two-three raciones.
Check out Taberna Tirso de Molina in Plaza Tirso de Molina or close by Taberna de Antonio Sanchez. Both would be typical Madrid places although also popular with tourists. Five-ten minutes walking from both Plaza Santa Ana and Plaza Mayor. People stop by for a coffee, a drink and a bite or sit down for some more serious eating. Open all day.
Taberna Tirso de Molina (with a nice terrace): http://www.notesfrommadrid.com/2007/...a-relax-rasto/
Photos: http://11870.com/pro/taberna-tirso-molina
Taberna Antonio Sanchez, had excellent raciones and some hearty house red in the bar area here a year ago: http://travel.nytimes.com/travel/gui...nt-detail.html
Photos: http://11870.com/pro/taberna-antonio-sanchez/media
Or perhaps try Casa Granada, on the 6th floor of an apartment building. Great terrace, also open all day and also just off Tirso de Molina. http://www.tripfilms.com/Travel_Vide...ada-Video.html
Check out Taberna Tirso de Molina in Plaza Tirso de Molina or close by Taberna de Antonio Sanchez. Both would be typical Madrid places although also popular with tourists. Five-ten minutes walking from both Plaza Santa Ana and Plaza Mayor. People stop by for a coffee, a drink and a bite or sit down for some more serious eating. Open all day.
Taberna Tirso de Molina (with a nice terrace): http://www.notesfrommadrid.com/2007/...a-relax-rasto/
Photos: http://11870.com/pro/taberna-tirso-molina
Taberna Antonio Sanchez, had excellent raciones and some hearty house red in the bar area here a year ago: http://travel.nytimes.com/travel/gui...nt-detail.html
Photos: http://11870.com/pro/taberna-antonio-sanchez/media
Or perhaps try Casa Granada, on the 6th floor of an apartment building. Great terrace, also open all day and also just off Tirso de Molina. http://www.tripfilms.com/Travel_Vide...ada-Video.html
May 22nd, 2011, 11:46 PM
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... and here are the raciones "menus" in Tirso de Molina and Antonio Sánchez. Vegetables, fish, seafood, meat, casseroles and various house specialities (and of course delicious jamón and cheeses). And be aware, a ración can be quite big:
http://11870.com/pro/taberna-tirso-molina/menu/c315de7e
http://11870.com/pro/taberna-tirso-molina/menu/6aa32cf4
http://11870.com/pro/taberna-antonio...media/161820ab
(the 3€ cazuelitas (small casseroles) are great)
http://11870.com/pro/taberna-tirso-molina/menu/c315de7e
http://11870.com/pro/taberna-tirso-molina/menu/6aa32cf4
http://11870.com/pro/taberna-antonio...media/161820ab
(the 3€ cazuelitas (small casseroles) are great)
May 23rd, 2011, 03:26 AM
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madameX;
I can give ypu three restaurants near Plaza Mayor that welcome early diners. I happen to be one of them, having just returned from Madrid:
Restaurant Botin, famous for its suckling pig, its good notices by Hemingway and Graham Greene, and its certification as the world's oldest restaurant (founded in 1725), is also well-known for catering to 8pm diners (that's when it opens). It's just off Plaza Mayor at Cuchilleros 17. It's sometimes disparaged by those who wouldn't think of bucking the Spanish tradition of dining late (Maribel gives it a grudging okay), but the food is rock solid, and the veteran waiters know what they're doing.
Los Galayos, which is in the corner of one of the arcades in Plaza Mayor, is also quite good.
And you might try Posada de la Villa on Cava Baja, which is noted for its lamb dishes.
I've eaten at all three places and enjoyed my meals. All three have websites.
The relatively new Prado cafe´is a good place to lunch when you're in that magnificent space, and I had a very good lunch at the café at the Thyseen-Bornemisza. My grilled hake was excellent.
I can give ypu three restaurants near Plaza Mayor that welcome early diners. I happen to be one of them, having just returned from Madrid:
Restaurant Botin, famous for its suckling pig, its good notices by Hemingway and Graham Greene, and its certification as the world's oldest restaurant (founded in 1725), is also well-known for catering to 8pm diners (that's when it opens). It's just off Plaza Mayor at Cuchilleros 17. It's sometimes disparaged by those who wouldn't think of bucking the Spanish tradition of dining late (Maribel gives it a grudging okay), but the food is rock solid, and the veteran waiters know what they're doing.
Los Galayos, which is in the corner of one of the arcades in Plaza Mayor, is also quite good.
And you might try Posada de la Villa on Cava Baja, which is noted for its lamb dishes.
I've eaten at all three places and enjoyed my meals. All three have websites.
The relatively new Prado cafe´is a good place to lunch when you're in that magnificent space, and I had a very good lunch at the café at the Thyseen-Bornemisza. My grilled hake was excellent.
May 23rd, 2011, 04:19 AM
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We've been to Madrid several times and have never found difficulty in finding restaurants open in the earlier evenings. We tend to want to eat around 8pm and haven't struggled to find good restaurants.
May 23rd, 2011, 07:29 AM
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MadameX, I have a comprehensive list of early-opening Madrid restaurants that have favorable reviews.
It is a lot of information to post here. If you want me to send it to an email address let me know. This list was used by me and my family in 2009 - and no regrets.
It is a lot of information to post here. If you want me to send it to an email address let me know. This list was used by me and my family in 2009 - and no regrets.
May 24th, 2011, 03:57 AM
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Here's what Maribel has to say about Botin as of March of this year. The review registers a certain ambivalence but finally comes down finally in favor of the place:
1. Restaurante Sobrino de Botín
Located at Calle de Cuchilleros, 17, dating from 1725, Botín is considered the world's oldest restaurant, according to the Guinness Book of Records. A Hemingway favorite, where Jake Barnes dines with Brett in The Sun Also Rises. Is also featured in Michener's Iberia. Hemingway once called it "the world's greatest restaurant". Goya supposedly worked there as a dishwasher. It's packed with tourists all the time, as it's the one Madrid top dining spot everyone wants to visit either for the nostalgia or for the authentic, classic roasting tavern ambience. One of the few Madrid restaurants you’ll find open at 8:00 pm. It's best to reserve, because if you walk in at 8:00, you'll be seated in the less atmospheric front room.
Since there are five levels, ask for a table in the cozy, dimly lit caves, or on the prettily decorated and ceramic tiled third floor, where Madrileños business types entertain their foreign guests. But if you want to see any Spaniards, go after 10:30, preferably at 11:00, when strolling university student, or aging former students, troubadours ("tunas") come in to serenade.
The Queen took Nancy Reagan and Hillary Clinton to dine here, but Laura Bush was a taken by the wife of the Prime Minister to Casa Lucio. Specialties are roast-suckling pig and roast lamb cooked in centuries old wood-burning ovens fired by evergreen oak. The original stoves are still in use. Also serves a nice filet mignon with mushrooms (solomillo Botín) and very fresh fish as well. I like their merluza al horno an oven baked hake, and the almejas Botín, yummy clams served in clay cazuela. Very good gazpacho, and the house bottle of Valdepeñas is decent, while the Rioja is fine. Many order pitchers of sangría, but never the natives, since sangría is considered primarily a tourist drink. Folding menus in English that you can take as souvenirs (practically every Spanish teacher in the US who's been to Botín has one in his/her classroom). Skip the flan and have the Botín cake (Tarta de la casa) instead, or the fresh strawberries from Aranjuez topped with whipped cream or freshly squeezed orange juice.
The place is still family run with great patience, given the constant barrage of hungry tourists, and with great aplomb. The staff has been around forever, including the maitre d' who has manned the house for 30 years. The chef is a 40-year veteran. The same family runs the restaurant of the Hostal del Cardenal in Toledo, and there's a branch of Botín in Coral Gables, FL.
You can go in practically any mode of dress (not so at Casa Paco where shorts are a no- no). I've seen diners bring in their backpacks- no problem. And flash away with your cameras-the waiters will oblige and take your souvenir photo. Reserve unless you want to take your chances at 8:00 with a throng of very hungry visitors eager to dine early. I've never had a bad meal here, and I've taken many a guest to Botín, as most of my guests are eager to experience this historic place. It simply has a fine satisfaction rating among foreign guests, particularly Madrid first-timers. And because of its mention by Hemingway and Michener it has the most name recognition of the old time Madrid restaurants. Yes, there are many, many more impressive dining spots in the city. And I wouldn’t call it gourmet.
It has disappeared from the Gourmetour guide, while Gourmetour gives Julián de Tolosa a rating of 7,25. Casa Lucio a 6.75, Orixe a 6,50, all on the same street. But...since Botín represents a very good value, dishes up genuine, honest traditional Madrid cuisine with style and class, I enjoy Botín for what it is. Plus it offers oodles of Old Madrid atmosphere, and my guests leave happy, with their souvenir menu tucked away for their scrapbooks.
Tel: (+34) 913 664 217 (www.botin.es)
1. Restaurante Sobrino de Botín
Located at Calle de Cuchilleros, 17, dating from 1725, Botín is considered the world's oldest restaurant, according to the Guinness Book of Records. A Hemingway favorite, where Jake Barnes dines with Brett in The Sun Also Rises. Is also featured in Michener's Iberia. Hemingway once called it "the world's greatest restaurant". Goya supposedly worked there as a dishwasher. It's packed with tourists all the time, as it's the one Madrid top dining spot everyone wants to visit either for the nostalgia or for the authentic, classic roasting tavern ambience. One of the few Madrid restaurants you’ll find open at 8:00 pm. It's best to reserve, because if you walk in at 8:00, you'll be seated in the less atmospheric front room.
Since there are five levels, ask for a table in the cozy, dimly lit caves, or on the prettily decorated and ceramic tiled third floor, where Madrileños business types entertain their foreign guests. But if you want to see any Spaniards, go after 10:30, preferably at 11:00, when strolling university student, or aging former students, troubadours ("tunas") come in to serenade.
The Queen took Nancy Reagan and Hillary Clinton to dine here, but Laura Bush was a taken by the wife of the Prime Minister to Casa Lucio. Specialties are roast-suckling pig and roast lamb cooked in centuries old wood-burning ovens fired by evergreen oak. The original stoves are still in use. Also serves a nice filet mignon with mushrooms (solomillo Botín) and very fresh fish as well. I like their merluza al horno an oven baked hake, and the almejas Botín, yummy clams served in clay cazuela. Very good gazpacho, and the house bottle of Valdepeñas is decent, while the Rioja is fine. Many order pitchers of sangría, but never the natives, since sangría is considered primarily a tourist drink. Folding menus in English that you can take as souvenirs (practically every Spanish teacher in the US who's been to Botín has one in his/her classroom). Skip the flan and have the Botín cake (Tarta de la casa) instead, or the fresh strawberries from Aranjuez topped with whipped cream or freshly squeezed orange juice.
The place is still family run with great patience, given the constant barrage of hungry tourists, and with great aplomb. The staff has been around forever, including the maitre d' who has manned the house for 30 years. The chef is a 40-year veteran. The same family runs the restaurant of the Hostal del Cardenal in Toledo, and there's a branch of Botín in Coral Gables, FL.
You can go in practically any mode of dress (not so at Casa Paco where shorts are a no- no). I've seen diners bring in their backpacks- no problem. And flash away with your cameras-the waiters will oblige and take your souvenir photo. Reserve unless you want to take your chances at 8:00 with a throng of very hungry visitors eager to dine early. I've never had a bad meal here, and I've taken many a guest to Botín, as most of my guests are eager to experience this historic place. It simply has a fine satisfaction rating among foreign guests, particularly Madrid first-timers. And because of its mention by Hemingway and Michener it has the most name recognition of the old time Madrid restaurants. Yes, there are many, many more impressive dining spots in the city. And I wouldn’t call it gourmet.
It has disappeared from the Gourmetour guide, while Gourmetour gives Julián de Tolosa a rating of 7,25. Casa Lucio a 6.75, Orixe a 6,50, all on the same street. But...since Botín represents a very good value, dishes up genuine, honest traditional Madrid cuisine with style and class, I enjoy Botín for what it is. Plus it offers oodles of Old Madrid atmosphere, and my guests leave happy, with their souvenir menu tucked away for their scrapbooks.
Tel: (+34) 913 664 217 (www.botin.es)
May 26th, 2011, 12:01 AM
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I live in Madrid and have had lots of visitors from the States. They all end up getting into the late dinner time. But tapas for dinner is the way to go, and yes, you can start at 8 or so. Check out the Mercado de San Miguel which they just re-opened after refurbishing an old market. It's open all day, and has a food court feel to it, so you can get all kinds of snacks at any time.
For a great pre-dinner tapa, and the best croquetas in Madrid by FAR, try a place called Casa Labra, it is near Metro Sol, on a small street, Calle Tetuan, right by the Corte Ingles Department store. Mostly locals there. Very informal, you go in to a small barroom open to the street and order the croquetas, however many you want. They are very rich so you really only need one each if you're eating more later. Then you stand outside or grab a high table, nothing fancy. Delicious, any croquetas you have after that will be a disappointment!
Have fun!
For a great pre-dinner tapa, and the best croquetas in Madrid by FAR, try a place called Casa Labra, it is near Metro Sol, on a small street, Calle Tetuan, right by the Corte Ingles Department store. Mostly locals there. Very informal, you go in to a small barroom open to the street and order the croquetas, however many you want. They are very rich so you really only need one each if you're eating more later. Then you stand outside or grab a high table, nothing fancy. Delicious, any croquetas you have after that will be a disappointment!
Have fun!
May 26th, 2011, 09:30 AM
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I was in Madrid once and like to eat around 8 pm. I would never want to eat dinner at 10 pm, that's way too late for me. I didn't have any trouble whatsoever finding restaurants to eat in at 8 pm, every one I tried was open then. I'm sure you couldn't eat at 6-7 pm in a lot of restaurants, but they all seemed opend at 8 to me (that I saw). I usually go around 8.
May 27th, 2011, 05:25 AM
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madameX, This list was compiled in early 2009, so take that into account. Also, this document was formated originally to be cut andlaminated on 5 x 8 index cards. Hope this is helpful to you and others.
Early-opening Madrid Restaurants
Sunday Dining: Very few top-rated restaurants will be open on Sunday. The question is: Are the restaurants listed considered top-rated? Best bet for Sun. dining is to make brunch your main meal & plan on tapas in the evening, remembering that tapas bars that do open on Sun. evening will not open until 8:00 p.m.
Madrileño: a style of tapas food that is cooked on a grill, served hot.
EIXAMPLE/LOS AUSTRIAS:
Chic Restaurant, Calle Campomanes, 5, serving pan-Iberian fusion food: A bring-you-to-your-knees chocolate almond flan. Also scrambled eggs w/wild mushrooms, served perfectly & a spring squash noodle dish. The first thing you'll notice at Chic is the restaurant's uniform pink, white & ray color scheme; stylish & comfortable. What will keep you there is the restaurant's excellent food—be it the 11,50 EUR prix fixe lunch menu or their dinner fare.The prix fixe includes a primo, a segundo, a postre (dessert) or a coffee and bread. Try the bean & shrimp potage (a creamy soup) & calamari in squid ink with rice, ensalada Mediterranea & the sauteed chicken breast w/grilled vegetables. Tasty and well-priced. It doesn't have high prices & isn't fancy.
Seems to be mostly a "couples" spot though (maybe because of the hip, minimalist decor, music, lighting, cushions) rather than a "family" place (not to say that families aren't welcome, though). It's also popular for cocktails. Recommended it as a "good value" place with a low cost Menú del Día, Mon.-Fri.the menu is posted in the window.
Nearby are small Greek and Chinese restaurants, a paella restaurant by the opera, a metro stop (2 minutes away—so convenient!)
Viuda Blanca Viuda Negra, C/ Campomanes, 6—may be below street level. Good place for a nightcap when staying at the Hotel Meninas.
PLAZA MAYOR AREA:
Sobrino de Botin, off (south) Plaza Mayor, C/Cuchilleros 17-19– Spanish food. Open daily 1:00 p.m. -4:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m. to midnight. The oldest restaurant in the world, established in 1725, & very popular w/tourists as it was the famous final scene in Ernest Hemingway’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel The Sun Also Rises. Their specialty is suckling pig: a young pig that has only fed on its mother’s milk. Reservations recommended. It is important to make reservations at least two weeks in advance. E-mail: [email protected] / web site: www.botin.es.
El Vergel, Paseo de la Florida, 53 – near Principe Pio Metro & Plaza de España (Plaza Mayor). Vegetarian.
Store Hours: 10 a.m.—12 midnight & Food Hours: 1:30 p.m. —12 midnight.
La Taberna de Antonio Sanchez, C/Mesón de Paredes, 13, (south) of Plaza Mayor. A charming, old-fashioned
tavern. Serving tapas. Open daily 1:00 p.m. —4:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m. — midnight.
Emma Y Julia Restaurante, C/Cava Baja, 19, (south) of Plaza Mayor. Italian food. Hours 2:00p.m. —4:00
& 8:00 p.m. —midnight. Simple, unpretentious pizzeria in the heart of town since 1980: pizza, pasta, salads.
Excellent range of Italian & Spanish wines. Interior is like a rustic 19th Century tavern w/tables covered with
red-checked tablecloths. Highly recommended.
Burger King and McDonalds are near, Plaza de Espana (Plaza Mayor) at C/Princesa 3, & 61. McDonalds is
also at C/Gran Via, 52, Burger King C/Gran Via, 40. Both food chains are all over the city.
PLAZA MAYOR (CONT)
Casa Paco, Plaza Puerta Cerrada 11& Huertas, (south) of Plaza Mayor . More expensive, but in our price range of €20—€30. Local cuisine, very popular w/locals. You'll find a wide selection of excellent tapas on offer, especially the Roquefort cheese & pork sausages. If you prefer a sit-down meal, head upstairs where you'll find traditional fare on the menu w/outstanding red meats in particular. Open since 1933, it specializes in serving the best wines available from the Valdepeñas region. The bar is downstairs, the restaurant upstairs, and both are decorated with photos of famous matadors. It seems to be a “must” for celebrities visiting Madrid as there are lots of photos of famous people on the wall. Opens at 8:30 p.m. —midnight, & serves a good-quality steak, Recommended by Maribel & Fred Christman. Metro: Plaza del Sol, Opera, or La Latina. Bus: 3, 21, or 65. Here you can get the thickest, juiciest, tastiest steaks in Spain, priced according to weight. Señor Paco sears his steaks in boiling oil before serving them on plates so hot that the almost-raw meat continues to cook, preserving the natural juices. Located in the Old Town, this two-story restaurant has three dining rooms, but reservations are imperative. If you face a long wait, sample the tapas at the bar in front. Around the walls are autographed photographs of notables.
Casa Paco isn't just a steakhouse; you can start with fish soup & proceed to grilled sole or baby lamb, or try Casa Paco cocido, the house version of Madrid's famous chickpea & pork soup. As tempting as the fresh shellfish looks, it is sold "at market rates," which change from day-to-day. The bill for your appetizers might equal the national budget for Nepal. You might top it off with one of the luscious desserts, but Paco no longer serves coffee. It made customers linger, keeping tables occupied while potential patrons had to be turned away.
PLAZA MAYOR (CONT)
Las Cuevas de Luis Candelas (The Caves of Luis Candelas), C/Cuchilleros, 1 (next to Plaza Mayor). Metro station is Sol. In our price range of €20—€30. Open every day. Spanish (Castillian) cuisine. Credit cards accepted. Opens at 7:30 p.m. to midnight. Legend has it that this Spanish version of Robin Hood stored his treasures in these cellars under the walls of the southwest corner of Plaza Mayor called Cuchilleros. www.lascuevasdeluiscandelas.com
The tavern is under one of the archway entrances to Plaza Mayor. As you walk down the steps from Plaza Mayor, on the left you can enter the restaurant proper & sample the traditional cuisine based around roasts, cooked in a wood-fired oven. The food is top quality, no "modern cuisine" or foam-infused nonsense; just traditional excellent Spanish food. Charming atmosphere. Open lunch or dinner (lunch may be eaten outside in the plaza, but inside is much nicer).
At the bottom of the steps and just round the corner is where a doorman keeps guard. Here you can stop off at the bar for a quick glass of sangría, beer or wine before passing through an archway to an area of low wooden benches and tables.
You can order a variety of raciones (individual plates of cured ham or cheese, grilled garlic shrimps, etc.) and tapas here, or keep going further into the caves if you prefer to dine in the 'normal' way, specialities again being the variety of roasts.
his is a “cave club” that in the 1800s was the hideout of Luis Candelas, a notorious outlaw, smuggler, womanizer and all around rogue. Great cave atmosphere. Live troubadours will serenade you. Waiters are dressed in period attire from the 1800s.
PARQUE DEL RETIRO AREA:
Alkalde, located on C/Jorge Juan, 10 just north of Parque del Retiro. Basque food. Frommer's Review: For decades Alkalde has been known for serving top-quality Spanish food in an old tavern setting, & it continues to do so exceedingly well. Decorated like a Basque inn, it has beamed ceilings with hams hanging from the rafters. Upstairs is a large típico tavern; downstairs is a maze of stone-sided cellars that are pleasantly cool in summer (although the whole place is air-conditioned). Fixed price menu from €37…a little pricey.
Basque cookery is the best in Spain, and Alkalde honors that noble tradition. Begin with the cream of crabmeat soup, followed by gambas a la plancha (grilled shrimp) or cigalas (crayfish). Other recommended dishes include mero salsa verde (brill/trout or grouper in parsley & garlic sauce). Stuffed peppers, & chicken steak. The dessert specialty is copa Cardinal (ice cream topped with fruit). Open daily 12:30 p.m. – midnight. www.alkaderesturante.com
La Trainera, Calle Lagasca, 60, north of Parque del Retiro. Seafood. Appearances can be deceiving. This is one
of Madrid’s best seafood restaurants, Open Mon.—Sat. 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m. — midnight.
www.latrainera.es
Restaurante Al Natural, C/Zorilla, 11, near Plaza de la Cibeles (Parque del Retiro & Paseo del Prado area).
Vegetarian. Open daily 1:00 p.m. —4:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m. —midnight
El Qui, C/Buena Vista, 18 - near Museo Sofia/Atocha. Vegetarian, self-service. Open Tues –Thurs. & Sun.
1:45 p.m. —4:00 p.m. Fri. & Sat. 1:45 p.m. —4 p.m. —11:30 p.m.
El Economico Soidemersol, C/Argumosa 9. Spanish food. Open daily 1:00 p.m. —5:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m.
—midnight. Serves gazpacho, lentils, tortilla -- cheap.
Automático, C/Argumosa, 17. Tapas. Tues. —Sun. 7:00 a.m. —12:30 p.m., Fri. & Sat. 12:30 p.m. —12:30 a.m.
PARQUE DEL RETIRO AREA: (CONT)
Foster’s Hollywood, Ronda Valencia, 7 west of Parque del Retiro near Teatro Real. A short walk (south)
from Hotel Meninas. Plaza de Isabel is close. Sun. —Thurs. 1:00 p.m. – midnight, Fri. & Sat. 1:00 p.m. —3:00 p.m.
& 8:00 p.m. to midnight. Opened in 1971 & now with 14 restaurants in Madrid & some Florida locations. American
food. Very popular w/Americans serving ribs, steaks, sandwiches, burgers, salads. “Best onion rings in the world”
from the NY Times. A Frommers “best bet.” www.fostershollywood.es
Maybe we should consider Foster’s Hollywood on Sunday night. Not only is food we are accustomed to, but it is a short walk back to our hotel.
La Gamella, C/Valenzuela 7, on the western border of Parque del Retiro. Serves American food & is owned by an
Illinois-born man, Dick Stevens. Menu: American cheesecake, Caesar salads, hamburgers (very good). Another
Frommers best bet. OR Calle Alfonso XII, junto a la Puerta de Alcalá en frente del Retiro y a un paseo.
1:30 p.m. —4:00 & 9:00 p.m. —midnight. Reservations required. www.lagamella.com
Casa Lucio on C/Cava Baja, 35. Sun.-Fri. 1:00 p.m. —4:00 p.m. & 9:00 p.m. —midnight. Metro: La Latina. Set on a historic street whose edges once marked the perimeter of Old Madrid (west of Parque del Retiro), this is a venerable tasca with all the requisite antique accessories. Dozens of cured hams hang from hand-hewn beams above the well-oiled bar. Among the clientele is a stable of sometimes surprisingly well-known public figures—perhaps even the King of Spain. Here's where Laura Bush lunched with then-president Aznar's wife and Queen Sofía during a state visit to Spain by George W. Bush a couple of years back. www.casalucio.es
PARQUE DEL RETIRO AREA: (CONT)
The two dining rooms, each on a different floor, have whitewashed walls, tile floors & exposed brick. A well-trained staff offers classic Castilian food, which might include Jabugo ham w/broad (faba) beans, shrimp in garlic sauce, hake (Irish salt-water fish popular in Spain) w/green sauce, several types of roasted lamb, & a thick steak served sizzling hot on a heated platter, called churrasco de la casa. The gourmet showpiece, however, is a modest campo dish called huevos estrellados, literally "broken eggs" mixed with potatoes & here raised to a fine art. Their specialty is suckling pig: a young pig that has only fed on its mother's milk. Mixed reviews…they don’t pamper you. Reservations recommended.
Terra Mundi, C/de Lope de Vega, 32 (west of Parque del Retiro). Pass through the doors of this unpretentious restaurant with its pseudo-rustic, green-and-white decor, and you could be right in the heart of the Galician countryside (an autonomous community located in northwestern Spain). Make a beeline for the fish & seafood, but make sure you leave room for the regional dessert, filloas (fruit pancake) Main dishes are about €10—€12. “Menu del dia” (a 3-course lunch with a glass of house wine) costs €10. They also offer several 5-6 course evening meals in the €25—€35 range. Opens for dinner (la cena) at 8:30 p.m. Closed Mondays. www.casaalberto.es. Casa Alberto, C/de las Huertas, 18. Metro: Antón Martín. Open Tues-Sat 1-4 pm; Tues-Sun 8:30 p.m.—midnight. Evening meals in the €15—€25 range interesting place: it dates as a restaurant from the early 1800s, & was once briefly the home of Miguel de Cervantes (author or Don Quixote) in the early 1600s. The décor is wonderful w/old paintings, bullfighter memorabilia & old engravings. Great tapas! One of the oldest tascas in the neighborhood, Casa Alberto dates from 1827 & has thrived ever since. On the street level of a house where Miguel de Cervantes lived, it contains an appealing mixture of bullfighting memorabilia, engravings, & reproductions of Old Masters’ paintings. Many visitors opt only for the tapas, continually replenished from platters on the bar, but a sit-down dining area offers more substantial meals. Specialties include fried squid, shellfish in vinaigrette sauce, chorizo in cider sauce & several versions of baked or roasted lamb.
Early-opening Madrid Restaurants
Sunday Dining: Very few top-rated restaurants will be open on Sunday. The question is: Are the restaurants listed considered top-rated? Best bet for Sun. dining is to make brunch your main meal & plan on tapas in the evening, remembering that tapas bars that do open on Sun. evening will not open until 8:00 p.m.
Madrileño: a style of tapas food that is cooked on a grill, served hot.
EIXAMPLE/LOS AUSTRIAS:
Chic Restaurant, Calle Campomanes, 5, serving pan-Iberian fusion food: A bring-you-to-your-knees chocolate almond flan. Also scrambled eggs w/wild mushrooms, served perfectly & a spring squash noodle dish. The first thing you'll notice at Chic is the restaurant's uniform pink, white & ray color scheme; stylish & comfortable. What will keep you there is the restaurant's excellent food—be it the 11,50 EUR prix fixe lunch menu or their dinner fare.The prix fixe includes a primo, a segundo, a postre (dessert) or a coffee and bread. Try the bean & shrimp potage (a creamy soup) & calamari in squid ink with rice, ensalada Mediterranea & the sauteed chicken breast w/grilled vegetables. Tasty and well-priced. It doesn't have high prices & isn't fancy.
Seems to be mostly a "couples" spot though (maybe because of the hip, minimalist decor, music, lighting, cushions) rather than a "family" place (not to say that families aren't welcome, though). It's also popular for cocktails. Recommended it as a "good value" place with a low cost Menú del Día, Mon.-Fri.the menu is posted in the window.
Nearby are small Greek and Chinese restaurants, a paella restaurant by the opera, a metro stop (2 minutes away—so convenient!)
Viuda Blanca Viuda Negra, C/ Campomanes, 6—may be below street level. Good place for a nightcap when staying at the Hotel Meninas.
PLAZA MAYOR AREA:
Sobrino de Botin, off (south) Plaza Mayor, C/Cuchilleros 17-19– Spanish food. Open daily 1:00 p.m. -4:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m. to midnight. The oldest restaurant in the world, established in 1725, & very popular w/tourists as it was the famous final scene in Ernest Hemingway’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel The Sun Also Rises. Their specialty is suckling pig: a young pig that has only fed on its mother’s milk. Reservations recommended. It is important to make reservations at least two weeks in advance. E-mail: [email protected] / web site: www.botin.es.
El Vergel, Paseo de la Florida, 53 – near Principe Pio Metro & Plaza de España (Plaza Mayor). Vegetarian.
Store Hours: 10 a.m.—12 midnight & Food Hours: 1:30 p.m. —12 midnight.
La Taberna de Antonio Sanchez, C/Mesón de Paredes, 13, (south) of Plaza Mayor. A charming, old-fashioned
tavern. Serving tapas. Open daily 1:00 p.m. —4:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m. — midnight.
Emma Y Julia Restaurante, C/Cava Baja, 19, (south) of Plaza Mayor. Italian food. Hours 2:00p.m. —4:00
& 8:00 p.m. —midnight. Simple, unpretentious pizzeria in the heart of town since 1980: pizza, pasta, salads.
Excellent range of Italian & Spanish wines. Interior is like a rustic 19th Century tavern w/tables covered with
red-checked tablecloths. Highly recommended.
Burger King and McDonalds are near, Plaza de Espana (Plaza Mayor) at C/Princesa 3, & 61. McDonalds is
also at C/Gran Via, 52, Burger King C/Gran Via, 40. Both food chains are all over the city.
PLAZA MAYOR (CONT)
Casa Paco, Plaza Puerta Cerrada 11& Huertas, (south) of Plaza Mayor . More expensive, but in our price range of €20—€30. Local cuisine, very popular w/locals. You'll find a wide selection of excellent tapas on offer, especially the Roquefort cheese & pork sausages. If you prefer a sit-down meal, head upstairs where you'll find traditional fare on the menu w/outstanding red meats in particular. Open since 1933, it specializes in serving the best wines available from the Valdepeñas region. The bar is downstairs, the restaurant upstairs, and both are decorated with photos of famous matadors. It seems to be a “must” for celebrities visiting Madrid as there are lots of photos of famous people on the wall. Opens at 8:30 p.m. —midnight, & serves a good-quality steak, Recommended by Maribel & Fred Christman. Metro: Plaza del Sol, Opera, or La Latina. Bus: 3, 21, or 65. Here you can get the thickest, juiciest, tastiest steaks in Spain, priced according to weight. Señor Paco sears his steaks in boiling oil before serving them on plates so hot that the almost-raw meat continues to cook, preserving the natural juices. Located in the Old Town, this two-story restaurant has three dining rooms, but reservations are imperative. If you face a long wait, sample the tapas at the bar in front. Around the walls are autographed photographs of notables.
Casa Paco isn't just a steakhouse; you can start with fish soup & proceed to grilled sole or baby lamb, or try Casa Paco cocido, the house version of Madrid's famous chickpea & pork soup. As tempting as the fresh shellfish looks, it is sold "at market rates," which change from day-to-day. The bill for your appetizers might equal the national budget for Nepal. You might top it off with one of the luscious desserts, but Paco no longer serves coffee. It made customers linger, keeping tables occupied while potential patrons had to be turned away.
PLAZA MAYOR (CONT)
Las Cuevas de Luis Candelas (The Caves of Luis Candelas), C/Cuchilleros, 1 (next to Plaza Mayor). Metro station is Sol. In our price range of €20—€30. Open every day. Spanish (Castillian) cuisine. Credit cards accepted. Opens at 7:30 p.m. to midnight. Legend has it that this Spanish version of Robin Hood stored his treasures in these cellars under the walls of the southwest corner of Plaza Mayor called Cuchilleros. www.lascuevasdeluiscandelas.com
The tavern is under one of the archway entrances to Plaza Mayor. As you walk down the steps from Plaza Mayor, on the left you can enter the restaurant proper & sample the traditional cuisine based around roasts, cooked in a wood-fired oven. The food is top quality, no "modern cuisine" or foam-infused nonsense; just traditional excellent Spanish food. Charming atmosphere. Open lunch or dinner (lunch may be eaten outside in the plaza, but inside is much nicer).
At the bottom of the steps and just round the corner is where a doorman keeps guard. Here you can stop off at the bar for a quick glass of sangría, beer or wine before passing through an archway to an area of low wooden benches and tables.
You can order a variety of raciones (individual plates of cured ham or cheese, grilled garlic shrimps, etc.) and tapas here, or keep going further into the caves if you prefer to dine in the 'normal' way, specialities again being the variety of roasts.
his is a “cave club” that in the 1800s was the hideout of Luis Candelas, a notorious outlaw, smuggler, womanizer and all around rogue. Great cave atmosphere. Live troubadours will serenade you. Waiters are dressed in period attire from the 1800s.
PARQUE DEL RETIRO AREA:
Alkalde, located on C/Jorge Juan, 10 just north of Parque del Retiro. Basque food. Frommer's Review: For decades Alkalde has been known for serving top-quality Spanish food in an old tavern setting, & it continues to do so exceedingly well. Decorated like a Basque inn, it has beamed ceilings with hams hanging from the rafters. Upstairs is a large típico tavern; downstairs is a maze of stone-sided cellars that are pleasantly cool in summer (although the whole place is air-conditioned). Fixed price menu from €37…a little pricey.
Basque cookery is the best in Spain, and Alkalde honors that noble tradition. Begin with the cream of crabmeat soup, followed by gambas a la plancha (grilled shrimp) or cigalas (crayfish). Other recommended dishes include mero salsa verde (brill/trout or grouper in parsley & garlic sauce). Stuffed peppers, & chicken steak. The dessert specialty is copa Cardinal (ice cream topped with fruit). Open daily 12:30 p.m. – midnight. www.alkaderesturante.com
La Trainera, Calle Lagasca, 60, north of Parque del Retiro. Seafood. Appearances can be deceiving. This is one
of Madrid’s best seafood restaurants, Open Mon.—Sat. 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m. — midnight.
www.latrainera.es
Restaurante Al Natural, C/Zorilla, 11, near Plaza de la Cibeles (Parque del Retiro & Paseo del Prado area).
Vegetarian. Open daily 1:00 p.m. —4:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m. —midnight
El Qui, C/Buena Vista, 18 - near Museo Sofia/Atocha. Vegetarian, self-service. Open Tues –Thurs. & Sun.
1:45 p.m. —4:00 p.m. Fri. & Sat. 1:45 p.m. —4 p.m. —11:30 p.m.
El Economico Soidemersol, C/Argumosa 9. Spanish food. Open daily 1:00 p.m. —5:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m.
—midnight. Serves gazpacho, lentils, tortilla -- cheap.
Automático, C/Argumosa, 17. Tapas. Tues. —Sun. 7:00 a.m. —12:30 p.m., Fri. & Sat. 12:30 p.m. —12:30 a.m.
PARQUE DEL RETIRO AREA: (CONT)
Foster’s Hollywood, Ronda Valencia, 7 west of Parque del Retiro near Teatro Real. A short walk (south)
from Hotel Meninas. Plaza de Isabel is close. Sun. —Thurs. 1:00 p.m. – midnight, Fri. & Sat. 1:00 p.m. —3:00 p.m.
& 8:00 p.m. to midnight. Opened in 1971 & now with 14 restaurants in Madrid & some Florida locations. American
food. Very popular w/Americans serving ribs, steaks, sandwiches, burgers, salads. “Best onion rings in the world”
from the NY Times. A Frommers “best bet.” www.fostershollywood.es
Maybe we should consider Foster’s Hollywood on Sunday night. Not only is food we are accustomed to, but it is a short walk back to our hotel.
La Gamella, C/Valenzuela 7, on the western border of Parque del Retiro. Serves American food & is owned by an
Illinois-born man, Dick Stevens. Menu: American cheesecake, Caesar salads, hamburgers (very good). Another
Frommers best bet. OR Calle Alfonso XII, junto a la Puerta de Alcalá en frente del Retiro y a un paseo.
1:30 p.m. —4:00 & 9:00 p.m. —midnight. Reservations required. www.lagamella.com
Casa Lucio on C/Cava Baja, 35. Sun.-Fri. 1:00 p.m. —4:00 p.m. & 9:00 p.m. —midnight. Metro: La Latina. Set on a historic street whose edges once marked the perimeter of Old Madrid (west of Parque del Retiro), this is a venerable tasca with all the requisite antique accessories. Dozens of cured hams hang from hand-hewn beams above the well-oiled bar. Among the clientele is a stable of sometimes surprisingly well-known public figures—perhaps even the King of Spain. Here's where Laura Bush lunched with then-president Aznar's wife and Queen Sofía during a state visit to Spain by George W. Bush a couple of years back. www.casalucio.es
PARQUE DEL RETIRO AREA: (CONT)
The two dining rooms, each on a different floor, have whitewashed walls, tile floors & exposed brick. A well-trained staff offers classic Castilian food, which might include Jabugo ham w/broad (faba) beans, shrimp in garlic sauce, hake (Irish salt-water fish popular in Spain) w/green sauce, several types of roasted lamb, & a thick steak served sizzling hot on a heated platter, called churrasco de la casa. The gourmet showpiece, however, is a modest campo dish called huevos estrellados, literally "broken eggs" mixed with potatoes & here raised to a fine art. Their specialty is suckling pig: a young pig that has only fed on its mother's milk. Mixed reviews…they don’t pamper you. Reservations recommended.
Terra Mundi, C/de Lope de Vega, 32 (west of Parque del Retiro). Pass through the doors of this unpretentious restaurant with its pseudo-rustic, green-and-white decor, and you could be right in the heart of the Galician countryside (an autonomous community located in northwestern Spain). Make a beeline for the fish & seafood, but make sure you leave room for the regional dessert, filloas (fruit pancake) Main dishes are about €10—€12. “Menu del dia” (a 3-course lunch with a glass of house wine) costs €10. They also offer several 5-6 course evening meals in the €25—€35 range. Opens for dinner (la cena) at 8:30 p.m. Closed Mondays. www.casaalberto.es. Casa Alberto, C/de las Huertas, 18. Metro: Antón Martín. Open Tues-Sat 1-4 pm; Tues-Sun 8:30 p.m.—midnight. Evening meals in the €15—€25 range interesting place: it dates as a restaurant from the early 1800s, & was once briefly the home of Miguel de Cervantes (author or Don Quixote) in the early 1600s. The décor is wonderful w/old paintings, bullfighter memorabilia & old engravings. Great tapas! One of the oldest tascas in the neighborhood, Casa Alberto dates from 1827 & has thrived ever since. On the street level of a house where Miguel de Cervantes lived, it contains an appealing mixture of bullfighting memorabilia, engravings, & reproductions of Old Masters’ paintings. Many visitors opt only for the tapas, continually replenished from platters on the bar, but a sit-down dining area offers more substantial meals. Specialties include fried squid, shellfish in vinaigrette sauce, chorizo in cider sauce & several versions of baked or roasted lamb.
