ekscrunchy

I may have to spend an overnight near the airport on a Saturday night in March (there are no quicker connections from Jerez to Miami).

Flight arrives in the afternoon and I'm not sure it isi worth the time to taxi into the city for one brief layover.

Tops on my list would be a very good dinner, so I am also looking for recommendations for a restaurant either in Barajas town, or within a taxi ride.
Ideally there are one or two good restaurants in Barajas itself, so preferred hotel location would be within the town. If a very good place to eat is elsewhere (I remember seeing one or two asadores along the highway from Pedraza to the airport, but much closer to the airport than to Pedraza!)

Please give me some ideas for both hotel and food! Hotel shuttle is not so important as I think taxi is about 6 eruros or so into the town.

annhig

My last arrival in Madrid was about 8pm, and I foolishly decided to rely on the airport hotel shuttle which took about an hour to arrive so was absolutely useless. However the hotel was fine when I got there, and very convenient for getting back to the airport in the morning. This was the one I chose: no idea what restaurants around about are like though. Clement Barajas, Avenida General, 43, Madrid.

cdnyul

Axor or Feria Barajas.
We didn't use the shuttle.
Had dinner at one of those hotels, they are next to each other, share the parking.

Gardyloo

We also stayed at the Clement Barajas and found it quite comfortable. The hotel bar/cafe was also fine.

Maribel

Hi eks,
Just sent you an email about that last night, recommending the 4-star Superior ABBA on Avenida de América (a 15-minute or less taxi ride from T4), because.....

it's in the upscale northeastern Salamanca district with plenty of life, bars, shops, plus two great restaurants within a 10-12 minute walk--CAÑADÍO, which we love, on Conde de Peñalver 86 and its newest sibling LA MARUCA at López de Hoyos 42.
Both serve upscale comfort food at its finest, from Cantabria in. an inviting setting.

The last time we stayed at a Barajas area hotel, we just longed to be in the city for a great, memorable last dinner (our dinner at the Hilton Barajas was a total wash) and a far less sterile environment around us.
Admittedly I'm not a fan of airport area hotels if I have the time to enjoy a last night in the city.

I'm staying at the ABBA on my last night in March, arriving in the afternoon from Jerez and leaving the next morning for a 10:45 am flight. I'd rather get up a little earlier and grab a taxi for the 10-15 minute ride than sit in the evening in a somewhat soulless airport area hotel, but that's just me. Been there, done that, and I vowed not to repeat it if possible.

Rate at the ABBA on my date in mid- March for a standard room (with coffee tray, complimentary water and welcome "mojito"): €104.5
Closest metro: Cartagena, across the street

https://www.abbahoteles.com/en/desti...tel/hotel.html
https://www.restaurantecanadio.com
https://restaurantelamaruca.com

But official taxi fare from the ABBA to T4 will be a flat rate of 30. To me, it's worth it. to spend my last afternoon and evening in the city itself. But Uber will be less.

However, the bus 200 will take one from all terminals of the airport to the ABBA with the stop at the Avenida de América, which is walkable for those who want to save those euros. Bus runs every 10-20 minutes.
https://www.aeropuertomadrid-barajas...port-bybus.htm

Maribel

Cañadío Madrid sports one Repsol sun.
La Maruca is a Bib Gourmand in the Michelin guide.

ekscrunchy

Maribel so many thanks! I was just offered a flight plan that lets me get back to Miami on the same day, but the connection is only about 70 minutes and I think I will be very anxious. That seems short for MAD, right??

So I think I will overnight in Madrid, as you suggested. I appreciate very much the restaurant ideas. But I have long had MANDUCA DE AZAGRA on my list....do you still recommend that restaurant?? Is there any reason not to dine there for my last night in spain, besides being a longer taxi ride from the ABBA?? Or maybe stay in a different hotel, closer than the restaurant..ideally within walking distance (???)

Maribel

Ekscrunchy,
That 70 minute connection at Barajas is very, very tight!
We had a 2 hour connection this summer and almost missed our flight. The line at the immigration hall spilled out the door! Many flights arrived at around the same time but with only 4 booths out of the 16 open for non EU passport holders. It took us 40 minutes to clear immigration, then after transferring via the underground rail from T4S to T4 we found another long line to enter the T4 boarding gates area. As you know, Terminal 4 is enormous. We did manage to catch our Madrid-Palma flight, but it was boarding when we arrived at the gate but then delayed for 45 min. waiting for other passengers to arrive.

We have a 1 hr. 25 min. connection coming up (unavoidable) for a flight MAD-EAS, and I'm quite nervous about this. But in Jan. Barajas shouldn't be the madhouse that it was last summer.

Yes, the MANDUCA DE AZAGRA is still great! And it's within easy walking distance of our new favorite boutique hotel, THE PAVILIONS, in the beautiful Almagro area (the "embassy district") of Chamberí, surrounded by gorgeous late 19th century architecture, very similar to the area you love in the Salamanca district.

We have an 8-day stay coming up here in an executive king room. The superior kings are larger, at 30 square meter. We stayed there last Christmas for 10 nights. The staff is lovely. It's a small boutique hotel, very quiet, just around the corner from Plaza Colón and the Ministerio del Interior (extremely safe street!), directly across the street from Saddle (former Jockey).

https://www.pavilionshotels.com/madrid/.

Another gorgeous hotel walkable (8 min.) to LA MANDUCA for a final, luxury splurge is the 5-star Relais & Chateaux HOTEL ORFILA, a little jewel box of a property. It's well beyond our price level, but we've been there for tea in the lovely garden. Wonderful service. For those with a very ample lodging budget (it may be available through Virtuoso). Similar is quality to the Rosewood Villamagna but much smaller and intimate. We have friends staying there in May.

Maribel

In case you decide to add a few days in Madrid or for another visit:
In this very pretty neighborhood, in addition to La Manduca de Azagra, featuring vegetables from their own garden in Navarra, you have

Gran Café Santander, another member of the Cañadío group at Plaza Santa Barbara
Coquetto Bar, by the Sandoval brothers of Coque
Casa Orellana on Calle Orellana for Andalusian inspired tapas/small plates
Cuenllas on Orellana for wines/charcuterie & cheese platters
Taberna Garelos on Blanca de Navarra for trad Galician fare
Voraz on Fernando el Santo for rice dishes
Bar Tomate on F el S for grabbing a bite, non-stop dining.

Plus you're just 3 blocks west of the Barrio de Salamanca and even walkable from our favorite Mercado de la Paz.

mdn

Hi ekscrunchy !
First, I was surprised to see you are flying to Miami and not Nay! We recently moved to Miami from NYC as well!

We’ve been to La MANDUCA a couple of times now and I believe you were the one who recommended it because your sister had loved it a few years ago! If you go, do not miss the roasted red bell peppers/“Cristal” peppers. We loved that side dish so much that we had it for dessert!! It’s a great restaurant, but the family did say they’d suffered during Covid and it was quiet when we visited last in 2021. any of their Navarra produce/veg dishes are great!

Celso y Manolo is another cute spot best known for its heirloom tomato dishes and so would be best in tomato season.

We stayed at Urso Hotel & Spa, which is a quick 4-5 minute walk from La MANDUCA de Azagra. Hope this helps.

Maribel

ekscrunchy,
There, another resounding rec of La Manduca.

I did forget about the 5-star Urso. It's a member of Pablo Carrington's Marugal hotel management group (as is Madrid's Tótem and Málaga's new Palacio Solecio). The Urso's restaurant just changed and is now called Casa Felisa. It's also a lovely hotel housed in a little palace in the trendy Salesas district. Not quite as convenient to the Salamanca neighborhood that I know you enjoy exploring, but handy (2 min. walk) to La Duquesita for some of Madrid's most beautiful pastry creations by Oriol Balaguer.
So another place to consider...

Here's Annie Bennet's Telegraph review of the Urso-
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/d...hotel-and-spa/

and her review of the Orfila-
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/d.../hotel-orfila/

ekscrunchy

Thanks so much to you both!!

I will check the links and return with thoughts/questions.

MDN: Yes, we go to south Florida every winter now. Unfortunately, NOT Miami!!! But I love to swim, and to take it easy!! Where are you located?

Happy holidays to you both!!