Try to eat in Taberna de Conspiradores. Great place, great food. You'll get the value for your money.

You are close to perhaps the liveliest and best tapas bar area in all of Madrid, around Plaza Santa Ana and in and around Calle Cava Baja in the Latina area. http://www.gomadrid.com/sights/plaza-santa-ana.html

Informal and joyful eating chaos in a myriade of bars where there's nothing strange about being on your own. Here are some tips in this area from a local resident: http://tapastalk.wordpress.com/tapas-bars/

I never leave Madrid without having had the famous battered cod at Casa Revuelta, close to Plaza Mayor in Calle de Latoneros, 3. http://11870.com/pro/casa-revuelta

You should also visit the newly reopened San Miguel gourmet food market just off Plaza Mayor. Several excellent tapas bars inside where they serve anything including the freshest seafood, oysters, champagne etc.

... and on the 25th and 26th of May Belén López, one of the world's most promising female flamenco dancers, performs at Corral de la Morería just beside the Almudena Cathedral and the Royal Palace. The Ventorrillo restaurant just outside has got one of the nicest terraces in all of Madrid.

Corral de la Morería: http://www.corraldelamoreria.com/ingles/reservas.html

Ventorrillo: Great pollo al ajillo, some say the best in town. Map, video and some pictures: http://11870.com/pro/restaurante-ventorrillo

Hi all

thanks for the replies

It was much needed.

brgds

The restaurant in the Thyssen Art Museum does a very nice three course lunch - the last time we were there (in 2009) it cost €11. Highly recommended and a pleasant place to sit on your own or with company.

Then, suitably fortified, you can dine on tapas in the evening. The Santa Ana area is perfect for this - in a lot of places you can just stand at the bar, point at what you want, and enjoy people-watching.

I like this restaurant. It is not haute cuisine, but has a lot of recognizable and tasty dishes, salads and GREAT desserts ( try the mango tartine) They are open for almuerzo ( morning snack.. good pastries, pies and cakes) lunch , afternoon snack and dinner.

It is near Calle serrano and the American Embassy.

http://www.elseptimo.com/restaurante.php

Thanks again for the replies.

Would It be possible to get some recommendations for the area Teatro Real de Madrid?

This might sound as an odd quiestion but do the restaurant/ tapas bars in Madrid tend to frown upon non-Spanish speakers? I do not speak/ understand spanish and I'm concerned this might be an issue when dining (but I have looked on useful phrases)

brgds

no issue but don't expect a lot of english response. You can point and see what is on others' plates to help decide. May not be any menu in English many places.

There are a few cute places on the tiny side streets back in from that area. Casa Marta comes to mind for a menu of the day. Very small place that fills quickly. Or just go in a place that has a nice turnout at lunchtime.

http://gastronomyblog.com/2010/07/01/casa-marta-madrid/

There is a good 'menú del día' in Mareas Vivas, Calle de las Veneras 3, in between Opera and Santo Domingo.