ClementineLdn

I'm a lone 31-year-old female traveller and will have 1.5 days in Madrid on my way to South America. I'm staying in the Salamanca district and was wondering if anyone had any personal recommendations of places to eat or have a glass of wine in the evening where I'd feel welcome as a solo traveller. I'd love to try some tapas or something but I know from previous experience that it's considered strange to eat alone in most bars/restaurants and I don't really want to be gawked at. I have a late flight the next day and was planning to spend most of the day in the Prado, but any recommendations for a nice breakfast place in the Salamanca area would be very gratefully received!

kimhe

Many places that specialize in Basque style pintxos in the upscale and elegant Salamanca district, this might give you some ideas, especially if you read Spanish: http://www.teveoenmadrid.com/2014/02...-de-salamanca/

kanadajin

A nice place for breakfast would be the pasteleria Mallorca located on calle Velazquez at the corner of Don Ramon de la Cruz. Very nice ambiance and great food !!! I have been there several times. It is a pastry shop, but at this location they do have a very nice sit down area with taller stools and tables towards the back.

Bedar

A good place for lunch or dinner is Alfredo's Barbacoa. There are two in Salamanca:- one at La Gasca, 5, and the other at Conde de Aranda, 4. Al has the usual American stuff - hamburgers, steaks, chops, ribs, corn on the cob, etc. It can get very crowded so best to call for a reservation or you can just wing it. The food was wonderful (and very reasonable). No wonder Spaniards flock there !

danon

Salamanca is good size area....
My favorite part of Madrid .., leafy streets, elegant stores, numerous restaurants.
They are three location where you can find Mallorca ...find one close to you

Calle Jorge Juan and nearby streets ...many reastaurants and cafes.
I often travel alone to Madrid ..very relaxed place...no worries about eating alone

joannyc

I am all so a female solo traveler. I have been to Madrid twice.

Here are some restaurants that I enjoyed in the Salamanca district:

Pelotari (very good steak, sit in the front room as the back room has a huge TV on the wall)
Calle Recoletos 3

La Kitchen (very good duck confit and drunken carrot cake)
Calle Prim 15

Lateral (good lunch place for tapas, nice outdoor seating).
Velazquez 57 in Plaza Santa Ana (not Salamanca area)

There's also a seafood restaurant on Calle Recoletos that was good. Can't remember the name. Close to Pelotari on the same side of the street.

Loacker

I liked Lateral as well. Great service in a casual and chic surrounding. Very popular with the locals.

danon

There is Lateral in Salamanca

Platea is a place to sample many tapas

Loacker

Salamanca is gorgeous. Make sure to check out the nearby Retiro Park.

ClementineLdn

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone! They all sound great. I will report back! Unfortunately I have so little time I'll only be able to check out a couple of places, but it sounds like I made the right choice regarding which area of Madrid to stay in.

Revulgo

Mamá Framboise at Platea Madrid
http://plateamadrid.com/en/que-hay/mama-framboise/

Cañadio at Calle Conde de Pañalver 86. Tapas, snacks and restaurant.
http://restaurantecanadio.com/conceptos/

kimhe

joannyc,

Thanks for the tip about Pelotari (pelota-player in Basque). I'll definitely check it out next time in Madrid. Any good Basque place is excellent, as the Basque country is the culinary heartland of Spain and all of Europe. 2,2 million people in the Basque country and 39 Michelin star restaurants, four of them are ranked among the 20 best in the world (twice as many as US, UK and France). But the best thing about the Basque food culture is what you get at any place you happen to walk into. And Pelotari sounds like a genuinely Basque asador: https://www.viamichelin.com/web/Rest...ri-67572-41102
http://pelotari-asador.com/

A little about the Basque food culture: http://www.euskoguide.com/food-drink...r-restaurants/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/de...y-for-foodies/