Mad About Madrid

Tapas in Madrid

Tapas are a great Spanish invention and now renowned all over the world. But probably no place has the variety of dishes which are available in Madrid (I expect comments on this!). My definition of a 'tapa' is a small plate of food which accompanies a drink, which seems to be much the same as the definition of the Real Academia Española de la Lengua. The website EsMadrid has a great guide to eating tapas in Madrid, which includes bars, restaurants and shops. Called Tapas en Madrid the Flash-enabled guide allows you to select establishments by district, with a critique and map accompanying each. The variety of tapas is exhaustive and covers everything from meats, poultry, fish, seafood and vegetarian dishes.

Tapas Tours
Take a look at the Cook's Tour and Tapas Tour we have on offer.

Related Article
My Madrid - Andrés Jarabo Perez

Reproductions of Medieval Art in Madrid

I just came across an interesting website for a medieval shop in Madrid. It appears that Arte Medieval creates authentic reproductions of medieval art using the same materials and techniques as employed by craftsmen of medieval times. - most products are done by hand and include  mural paintings, paintings done on stone, wood and stained glass.

Address
c/ Alcalá, 107 (View streetmap)
Metro: Retiro

Flights from Madrid with Spanair

I get quite a few emails from visitors to this site asking about travel wihtin Spain - the best, the quickest and the cheapest ways to get around. Most people think about using the bus or train but flight travel can also be cheap, too. A few days ago I was looking for flights to Tenerife from Madrid. Having loooked at Viajar.com and Iberia, I thought I'd check out Spanair and found that they offered the cheapest prices and best timetable. Though you wouldn't go to Tenerife by bus or train, you will find that Spanair offer some competitive prices within mainland Spain (and no, I'm not getting any Euros for plugging them!).

'Cider Bar' in Madrid

Madrid has quite a few places where you can enjoy good cider, usually from the Asturias region - Casa Mingo is one such place. I came across another earlier this month in c/Fuencarral 102 called Corripio. The place offers excellent cider and good 'snacks' to go with it. I ordered a glass of cider and empanada (a pastry of tuna in tomato sauce) for 1.55 Euros. The bar is only stand-up and has an old feel to it with large vats in the background. It is located between metros Bilbao and Tribunal, though nearer the former.

Flamenco-World.com opens its first shop

For over 8 years Flamenco-World.com has had a web presence and has grown into on of the major flamenco web sites in the world. Now, as a result of demand from its readers/customers, it has opened its first shop in Madrid. The shop is located in Madrid's well-known c/Huertas and has two rooms which display a variety of flamenco-related products, from CD's and DVD's to books, shoes, postcards, guitars, shawls, box drums and accessories. Their intention is the following:

“We want to cater to the demanding enthusiast, but also to the tourist and the curious seeking a place representative of that part of Spanish culture which is flamenco, presented enticingly and seriously, as heritage of the people and not just of sybarites”.

Walking along c/Huertas, which is one of the main centre's of Madrid's nightlife, a couple of weeks back I couldn't help but see the shop front in daytime with its deep red colours - this is quite strange as the bars & restaurants of this famous nightspot tend to be invisible in daytime!

Related Article
Flamenco-world.com inaugurates its first store

Address: c/Huertas, 62 (view map location)
Metro: Antón Martín

The Barber of Seville at the Teatro Real

Rossini's Opera, the Barber of Seville, opens today at Madrid's Teatro Real. Under the musical directorship of Gianluigi Gelmetti the opera will run until the 29th January and is being staged by the Teatro Real company in association with Teatro São Carlos from Lisbon.

There are 14 performances and 6 of these provide for reduced ticket prices (up to 50%)). Should you be unable to get a ticket, you can catch a live performance on TVE2, Spain's public television channel, which is showing a live performance on 25th January at 8 p.m. Tickets can be bought from the Teatro Real box office (Metro Ópera).

Selection of Articles Written on Mad About Madrid

The articels on the Mad About Madrid site number around 300. In order to give new visitors a feel for the types of article on this site, I have listed a selection of them below:

Classical Music, Zarzuela and Ballet in Madrid
History of Madrid
Casa Patas - Flamenco and food
Medina Mayrit Arabic Baths
Casa de la Moneda (Spanish Royal Mint)
Real Ermita de San Antonio de la Florida - a Goya Masterpiece
Booksellers - Spanish Bookshop
Casa Lucio - a restaurant fit for a king!
Cine Doré and Filmoteca - No Blockbuster films here!
Fundación Lázaro Galdiano
Casa Mingo
Walking tours around Madrid
Maps of Madrid
Learn Spanish in Madrid
Views of Madrid
Viva Madrid!
Edelweiss Restaurant
El rincon de Jeréz - Andalucian bar
Serrano - Shopping, embassies and architecture

FITUR Tourism Fair 2005

This month sees the arrival of FITUR, the International Tourism Fair, which is held in Madrid's Juan Carlos Exhibition Centre. The event takes place from the 26th to 30th January and is open to the general public on the 29th to the 30th January (10 a.m. to 8 p.m.). It offers a great opportunity to see regional and international tourism exhibitors and get involved in workshops and seminars. A number of sectors are covered and the exhibition has the following key sections: Fitur Activo, Fitur Know-How, Fitur Congresos and Fitur Residencial. Entry costs 7 Euros for the general public.

Book Hotels Near FITUR
Mad About Madrid HOtel Recommendations

Getting There
Metro: Line 8 Campo de Naciones
Buses: 112, 122 &  828