Spain and the breakfast thing
Oct 18th, 2007, 06:38 PM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 2,767
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Spain and the breakfast thing
Hey, after reading parrotthead's lament of not finding meals at accustomed hours I had a little quiver of concern. I do like a little roll or pastry in the morning with my coffee. That's part of the routine when in Europe, right? Drink an espresso, eat a croissant and watch the people on their way to work?
Oct 18th, 2007, 06:48 PM
#2
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 3,160
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Yes. The Spanish breakfast is generally coffee and a toast or some rolls. Later in the morning approx 10:30-11 am it is not unusual to have a small snack.
But several of the hotels we stayed in offered more elabotate breakfasts from about 7:30 am to 10:am :tortilla (egg & potato omelette) pastries, cereals, yoghurt, juices, eggs, bacon. etc.
Where are you going?
But several of the hotels we stayed in offered more elabotate breakfasts from about 7:30 am to 10:am :tortilla (egg & potato omelette) pastries, cereals, yoghurt, juices, eggs, bacon. etc.
Where are you going?
Oct 18th, 2007, 07:45 PM
#4
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 49,560
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The typical Spanish breakfast is coffee or hot chocolate and churros. Blech. The coffee's ok, but the hot chocolate is thick and sugary and so carb-laden I can't handle it. Same with the churros, which are often greasy and have a really overfried taste that interferes with what is supposed to be a kind of sweet donut flavor. I hated breakfasts in Spain.
Oct 18th, 2007, 08:11 PM
#5
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 26,710
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Some hotels offer cereal, toast and coffee which we skip whenever we find a place that makes fresh churros.
Beleive me, you will not starve in Spain. There will be cafes but breakfasts are rush affairs for the Spanish. They linger over lunch and dinner, and rush through tapas. But you can eat at your own pace.
Beleive me, you will not starve in Spain. There will be cafes but breakfasts are rush affairs for the Spanish. They linger over lunch and dinner, and rush through tapas. But you can eat at your own pace.
Oct 18th, 2007, 09:24 PM
#6
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 1,401
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Mmmmm. I LOVE churros and Spanish hot chocolate!
I have great memories of staying up all night, dancing in a club in MADRID. Then around 5 or 6 am, going next door for hot chocolate & churros. Delish! The churros place was open 24 hours.
Anyone happen to know the name of the Madrid churros place located next to a well-known discotheque??
I like the Spanish hot chocolate much better than the American-style "cocoa", which is overloaded with sugar and not thick and rich.
Good stuff!
I have great memories of staying up all night, dancing in a club in MADRID. Then around 5 or 6 am, going next door for hot chocolate & churros. Delish! The churros place was open 24 hours.
Anyone happen to know the name of the Madrid churros place located next to a well-known discotheque??
I like the Spanish hot chocolate much better than the American-style "cocoa", which is overloaded with sugar and not thick and rich.
Good stuff!
Oct 18th, 2007, 10:08 PM
#7
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,719
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hello,
I think it's pretty easy to avoid having churros for breakfast, in my experience anyway! I never ate churros for breakfast when I lived there, and I don't remember my Spanish friends eating them on a regular basis (except maybe on Sundays). The times I did have churros was in the late afternoon, for "la merienda" (a bit like tea-time in the UK).
When staying at Spanish friends' houses we'd have coffee with hot milk and some kind of sweet pastry or cake (rosquillos, tortas de aceita, madalenas) or toast. At hotels I've stayed at there has always been a buffet breakfast with different breads, pastries, eggs, sausages, ham, etc. If you don't want to have breakfast at your hotel, many bars will serve coffee, freshly squeezed orange juice, and toast, which you can have with butter and jam or with tomato and olive oil (my favourite!!).
I think it's pretty easy to avoid having churros for breakfast, in my experience anyway! I never ate churros for breakfast when I lived there, and I don't remember my Spanish friends eating them on a regular basis (except maybe on Sundays). The times I did have churros was in the late afternoon, for "la merienda" (a bit like tea-time in the UK).
When staying at Spanish friends' houses we'd have coffee with hot milk and some kind of sweet pastry or cake (rosquillos, tortas de aceita, madalenas) or toast. At hotels I've stayed at there has always been a buffet breakfast with different breads, pastries, eggs, sausages, ham, etc. If you don't want to have breakfast at your hotel, many bars will serve coffee, freshly squeezed orange juice, and toast, which you can have with butter and jam or with tomato and olive oil (my favourite!!).
Oct 18th, 2007, 11:37 PM
#8
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 636
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
bettyo70,
I believe the name of the place you mentioned is "San Gines".
It is not the best quality but a good way to end a crazy night.
Breakfast in Spain is not considered an important meal so coffee and a toast with olive oil will be a common breakfast. Churros or Porras or tijeros as they also call them are common in Madrid and some southern cities, in the rest of the country it is not easy to find them.
It is also true that churros are becoming more and more popular but in order to be good , they have to be fried in new oil, and good quality one , in many places they do use the same oil several times which gives a overfried, greasy flavour and probably unhealthy.
In my opinion some of the best churros in Madrid are served in:
Hotel Wellington, The coffee shop.
Gregory, in calle Velazquez near Goya.
In a small coffee shop in calle Santa Engracia just passed Calle Caracas on the left side, which obviously I cannot remember the name. In this place they also do the chocolate in a big copper pott. I do not know if it is good or not because I cannot drink milk , but it certainly looks very good.
I believe the name of the place you mentioned is "San Gines".
It is not the best quality but a good way to end a crazy night.
Breakfast in Spain is not considered an important meal so coffee and a toast with olive oil will be a common breakfast. Churros or Porras or tijeros as they also call them are common in Madrid and some southern cities, in the rest of the country it is not easy to find them.
It is also true that churros are becoming more and more popular but in order to be good , they have to be fried in new oil, and good quality one , in many places they do use the same oil several times which gives a overfried, greasy flavour and probably unhealthy.
In my opinion some of the best churros in Madrid are served in:
Hotel Wellington, The coffee shop.
Gregory, in calle Velazquez near Goya.
In a small coffee shop in calle Santa Engracia just passed Calle Caracas on the left side, which obviously I cannot remember the name. In this place they also do the chocolate in a big copper pott. I do not know if it is good or not because I cannot drink milk , but it certainly looks very good.
Oct 19th, 2007, 12:12 AM
#9
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Last week I was in Barcelona, staying at Ally’s Guest House Barcelona Bed and Breakfast. Very cosy place and convenient also in terms of prices. And the breakfast there wasn't the usual poor nutritional breakfast I've heard about in Spain, it was a delicious one, including marmalades, homemade cakes, fruit, cereal and yoghurt. So, at least, I didn't starv to death. Checking the prices for breakfast aliments in http://www.nidolanguagetravel.com/de...barcelona.aspx I stated that a complete meal doesn't cost a fortune, si I guess this is their way of eating, more than being avaricious.
Oct 19th, 2007, 01:35 AM
#10
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 530
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
all the bar-cafés have croissants, magdalenas (cupcakes), crappy packaged donuts, but some really nice pastries to look out for are ensaimadas (spellcheck). i bit like a cinnamon whirl thing but a lot softer, no cinnamon just loads of icing sugar on top. very nice.
espresso is a cafe solo, macchiato is a cortado (but without the foam)
espresso is a cafe solo, macchiato is a cortado (but without the foam)
Oct 19th, 2007, 01:47 AM
#11
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 2,635
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
You should be able to find a Bakery (Pastelería) with a couple of tables inside or out front where you can get a coffee and Danish.
Personally, I love the Chocolate con Churros (not as big in Barcelona as in Andalucia). I always stop by a shop and buy a couple of cans of Hot Chocolate mix to bring back to the U.S. with me.
Personally, I love the Chocolate con Churros (not as big in Barcelona as in Andalucia). I always stop by a shop and buy a couple of cans of Hot Chocolate mix to bring back to the U.S. with me.
Oct 19th, 2007, 01:59 AM
#12
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 1,681
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Of course you can find that in Spain, without any problem. Any bar will offer you a great breakfast.
I personally enjoy a pintxo of spanish omelette (tortilla de patatas-nothing to do with Mexican tortillas) and a cup of café con leche (coffee with milk), reading the morning paper and watching people pass by.
I personally enjoy a pintxo of spanish omelette (tortilla de patatas-nothing to do with Mexican tortillas) and a cup of café con leche (coffee with milk), reading the morning paper and watching people pass by.
Oct 19th, 2007, 02:05 AM
#13
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 4,074
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi pdx this is a no issue. You will have no problem in eating what you wish for breakfast or otherwise.
In my experience during many trips to Spain in many different cities big and tiny we had NO problems of any kind. We had fun, great food anyy time of day..... bon voyage.
In my experience during many trips to Spain in many different cities big and tiny we had NO problems of any kind. We had fun, great food anyy time of day..... bon voyage.
Oct 19th, 2007, 07:05 AM
#14
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 1,401
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
CAR: Thank you. You are right... San Gines.
You wouldn't happen to remember the name of the disco next door to San Gines, would you?
I had a great time in Madrid. I remember stumbling upon a wonderful bakery with fresh pastries. (Sorry to all for not remembering the name or neighborhood I was in!)
I also enjoyed all the beautiful squares for relaxing and people-watching.
It's funny. Many people I met in the U.S. did not like Madrid, but it was a highlight of my trip to Spain. Go figure...
You wouldn't happen to remember the name of the disco next door to San Gines, would you?
I had a great time in Madrid. I remember stumbling upon a wonderful bakery with fresh pastries. (Sorry to all for not remembering the name or neighborhood I was in!)
I also enjoyed all the beautiful squares for relaxing and people-watching.
It's funny. Many people I met in the U.S. did not like Madrid, but it was a highlight of my trip to Spain. Go figure...
Oct 19th, 2007, 07:12 AM
#15
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,041
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
For breakfast in Barcelona I loved visiting the markets and sitting at one of the bars right in the market. The food was fresh, inexpensive and the market is unfolding before your eyes. One morning I had an incredible tortilla with spinch bocadilla-yum.
Oct 19th, 2007, 09:26 AM
#17
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 6,047
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
"That's part of the routine when in Europe, right? Drink an espresso, eat a croissant and watch the people on their way to work?"
That is not European custom, it is only Italian. Every European country has different breakfast routines, and in some countries they vary even from north to south.
That is not European custom, it is only Italian. Every European country has different breakfast routines, and in some countries they vary even from north to south.
Oct 19th, 2007, 09:46 AM
#18
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,229
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Everybody talks about breakfast in Andalucia. Yet, nobody mentions Manteca. There are variations of Manteca too. Sometimes it's riddish colour and sometimes yellow. Often it has varios types of meat in the Manteca. It's spread on your morning toast (bread roll with only one side toasted). Oh yeah, Manteca is lard.
http://www.fort-lukas.com/cafeteria.htm
This menu tells all of the sins for Spanish breakfast.
Of course you can have a tostada with pulp of tomato, olive oil, and a few slices of dried ham (Jamon).
I certainly could find a place for breakfast, if I leave my hotel.
Coffee: cafe con leche
Blackduff
http://www.fort-lukas.com/cafeteria.htm
This menu tells all of the sins for Spanish breakfast.
Of course you can have a tostada with pulp of tomato, olive oil, and a few slices of dried ham (Jamon).
I certainly could find a place for breakfast, if I leave my hotel.
Coffee: cafe con leche
Blackduff
Oct 19th, 2007, 01:19 PM
#19
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 3,227
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I only eat churros once or twice a year, do you think one can be in good shape eating such a thing everyday for breakfast ? LOL
Anyway, when they are too greasy..they are badly made. They are fried, but should't be greasy.
The costume here where I live, it's pretty similar to Italy (you know, mediterranean). So people for breakfast usually only has a coffee (with milk or without it) and a toast or a pastry (croissant, madalena (kind of muffin)..).
Anyway, when they are too greasy..they are badly made. They are fried, but should't be greasy.
The costume here where I live, it's pretty similar to Italy (you know, mediterranean). So people for breakfast usually only has a coffee (with milk or without it) and a toast or a pastry (croissant, madalena (kind of muffin)..).
