Mad About Madrid

Casa de Aragón Restaurant

As mentioned on a quite a few occasions on this site, it is well worth trying out Spain’s famous "menu del día". Whilst wandering around the Castellana last month, I took a shortcut to the area around Republica Argentina to try and locate a restaurant I went to in my ‘youth’! This part of Madrid is mainly residential, even though it is a stone’s throw from Nuevos Ministerios, and is very wealthy with quite a few embassies, consulates and private colleges located here. It is also one of the few areas in the city centre which has 2, 3 and 4-story houses/buildings.

It didn’t take much to find the restaurant - Casa de Aragón - as it is located on one of the corners of the Plaza de la República Argentina. It is a great place to have lunch (and no doubt dinner) and visitors can choose either the terrace or indoors. I opted for menú del día the popular lunchtime meal which includes bread and a drink (often a bottle of wine). The menu del día is a great Spanish invention and given its reasonable price, starting from around 6 Euros, means it is enjoyed by people from all walks of life - the day I went there were workmen in their blue overalls, businessmen in elegant suits, pensioners and young students.

When I went the starters on offer were lentils or Aragonese salad, followed by Spanish meatballs (with fries) or small red mullets; the dessert I selected was Galician Almond cake (Tarta de Santiago) though the selection went up to around 6 items. I had a beer but could have ordered a bottle of house red wine. The price for this ‘home-made’ meal was around 8-9 Euros, which is in most people's books is damn good value. Just on the other side of the Plaza you will find the excellent Arturo restaurant and on another corner the Atalaya restaurant - both offer good value menús del día.

My Madrid - Andrés Jarabo Perez

Andrés Jarabo was born in the nothern part of the Madrid province, wher he lived most of his life. At the age of 27 he started making car trips to the city center fascinated by a 'secret' neighborhood known as Hapsburg Madrid. Currently he struggles to combine his accountancy career with the social and gastronomic events he has been organizing for the past five years in Hapsburg Madrid - Andres is behind the popular Walks of Madrid wine and restaurant tours. Recently, and backed up by his family, he was made partner in an important Hapsburg restaurant - La Taperia de la Abuela - where we throws most of his events. Andrés is currently promoting his new Madrid Tapas Parade - an introduction to the finest Spanish tapas.
Favourite Bar/Café - La Taberna de Antonio Sanchez [ed: reputed to be the oldest bar in Madrid] on a hot summer´s night.
Favourite Dish - Paella negra con ali-oli
Favourite Tapas - Fried red hot spicy shrimps (gambas al ajillo) with a glass of frozen, crispy Brut Cava.
Favourite Restaurant - Aside from the obvious, Lucio.
Favourite Shop - Any video club, specially the ones with a 'Classics' section.
Best time of year in Madrid - Spring, Summer and Autumn
Favourite Barrio -  La Latina, safe from the noises, fumes and tensions of the world and at the same time happening and fulled of interesting people.
Favourite Building(s) - El Palacio del Cordón
My favourite day trip from Madrid is to ... Toledo, but if you like it don´t hesitate to stay the night. Toledo at night, specially during the warm months is one of the most mysterious and romantic places in the world.
A perfect 'night out' in Madrid would be... wherever in the city center as long as I am with my friends. Warm weather doesn´t hurt either.
My favourite walk - Summer time, Walkman on, walk and walk till I get lost in the city center and I find myself in streets I had never been to before.