Mad About Madrid

New Year's Eve in Madrid

I have been asked this question so many times now, that I thought I would display the answer on the site. I would also welcome suggestions by other people on the subject, which is:

What can I do and where can I go on New Year's Eve in Madrid?

This is what I normally end up doing if I find myself in Madrid with my wife, her family and our friends.

Many places in Madrid have private parties on that night - especially the nightclubs. Tickets are not that bad - around 40-60 Euros. However, I have only once been to one of these places and I would personally recommend that you do the following: Have a late dinner in a nice restaurant, preferably near the centre of the city as you don't want to be catching the Metro (I do believe it closes for an hour or two). Try and finish around 11.15  - 11.30. Head as near to the Puerta del Sol as you can. Make sure you buy yourselves a bottle of Cava (Spanish champagne) - I would personally ask the waiter in the previous restaurant to keep it chilled for you. You also need to buy twelve grapes and make sure that you eat them on the stroke of each chime at 12 midnight.

I would then head over to Plaza Santa Ana where you will find plenty of nightlife - and in the nearby streets such as calle Huertas. Try the Moderna, Cerveceria Alemana and Naturbier. You may want to explore the bars around c/ Principe, such as Viva Madrid.  Don't be alarmed if the bars are closed - this does happen as it gives waiters and bar staff the chance to celebrate with their families. They will open at least by 1 am!

And finally, try and have a cup of chocolate in Cafeteria San Gines - preferably around 6 or 7 in the morning.

These are just some quick thoughts and I would welcome suggestions from other people on where to go in Madrid on New Year's Eve. Simply add a comment below.

Angelika Cinema Lounge Madrid

There's a bar/cafe down on Madrid's Cava Baja that I have walked past on a number of occasions - never actually going into it, until now. I wasn't quite sure what to make of it - a video selection as you walked in, high stools around a bar, a smart Apple monitor also behind the bar and plasma TV screens showing popular films (last week they were showing Volver).

Well, last week I went out for a few drinks with my wife, her brother-in-law and his wife and we ventured in. Angelika Cinema Lounge is very different to your typical Spanish bar - firstly, there is a no-smoking policy (don't get me started on the ridiculous no-smoking policies in Madrid!), secondly, you can hire a DVD from their superb selection of films and thirdly, the bar staff at Angelika are acting professionals, who you can ask film advice of.

Though we went in there late I can still remember that they were playing the Bill Murray film Lost in Translation! Films are projected on plasma screens around the bar and, from what I can gather, they all use the original soundtrack (no dubbing). Angelika offers a wide range of drinks and food - coffees, teas, spirits and some great pastries. As it was so late I had a gin and tonic, which from my perspective (at around 2 a.m.!) seemed to be very carefully prepared - gin poured over ice and the juice of a freshly squeezed lemon - delicious!

It also offers a free wi-fi zone and I can't think of more pleasant surroundings to do some work, or even to surf. On different days they offer screenings, short films and cinema debates.

Location

Click Map to view location on Google.

Address: Cava Baja 24, 28005 Madrid, Spain

Telephone: 913 645 531
Web Address: http://www.angelika.es/

Ten Places I Would Never Eat or Drink in Madrid

I was walking around Madrid the to other day when I started thinking about some of the places that tourists go which add little, or no, value to the Madrid experience.They are often franchises, plastic in aspect and with no character. I explored this a little further with Vicen, my brother-in-law, and here is our Top 10 Places where you shouldn´t go in Madrid.:

1. MC Donald´s - OK, so you eat this crap outside Spain. Why not start eating properly in Spain?
2. Burger King - Nothing more to add.
3. Kentucky Fried Chicken - Why on earth would you want to do it? Go look for some alitas or Pollo Asdao or Pollo al Ajillo. Much better and tastier!
4. Starbucks - Usually double (at least!) the cost of a local coffee. A pointless experience but for some reason Americans, and Brits, they feel a need to go here. Go to the bar next door and get a taste of Spain.
5. Pans and Co - I just don´t get this place when you can go to ANY bar and order a bocadillo.
6. Cañas y Tapas - You will find these god-awful places all over Madrid. Go to the bar next door, please.
7. VIPS - Another pointless place to go have food. I cannot understand why Spaniards, and some foreigners, go to these places for their lunch or dinner. Find a place that does Menú del Día nearby and get much better value for money.
8. Café y Té is according to their website: "la consagración del concepto coffee-shop en España" (Trans: the consecration of the coffee shop concept in Spain). Bollocks! It´s another bloody franchise you shouldn´t bother going to.
9. Dunkin Doughnuts - You come to Spain and end up eating this! Just go to one of the many pastry shops and bars and eat their great food.
10. Subway - bascially, expensive bocadillos sold in plastic shops!

And, on that note, I´m off to have a bocadillo de lomo and a beer. All for around 3 Euros. Beat that Mc Donald´s!

Note: I have not included URL´s - if you want to find them, do it yourself!

Taberna Maceiras - a Galician Tavern!

I was just trawling my Madrid picture album (I must have taken hundreds of pictures over the past few years) when I came across a bar that I haven't blogged about. The Taberna Maceiras is located in Madrid's famous c/ de las Huertas, one of the city's most famous nightspots, and boasts some fine food. When Spain beat Argentina in a nail-biting semi final of the Basketball World Championship (they eventually won it), I was sitting in Maceiras having my lunch.

Like many Spanish bars and restaurants the decor of this place is very simple - the owners let the food do the talking for them. On a busy day you may be packed in close to the people on the next table but who cares!

Taberna Maceiras is a Galician Tavern and offers visitors a great selection of food and drink from this region - and boy is the food from Galicia great. Maceiras offers customers raciones - dishes of food which you can, and should, share amongst friends. On the menu (which you can click on right) you can select from a large selection of fish, shellfish and other dishes:

• calamari (calamares)
• clams (almejas),
• mejillones (mussels)
• steamed cockles (berberechos),
• navajas (razor clams),
• pulpo (octopus)
• pimientos de padrón (padrón green peppers)

and many other wonderful dishes.

I'm not a great dessert fan but some people have recommended Queso Arzúa – Ulloa D.O con membrillo (Arzúa cheese with quince). I would also recommend that you try the Vino Albariño. If I'm correct they were having a fiesta del pulpo around the same time (let me know if you can clarify this) and the place was absolutely packed out most lunchtimes.

Address
Huertas (Centro) 66, 28014 Madrid, Spain - +34 914 295 818

Click on Google Map for location

December Suggestions from Metrópoli

Metrópoli has a really good guide to what you can do in Madrid this December - it is in Spanish, though. They have come up with 150 suggestions for what you can do in the coming weeks - eat, drink, be merry and much more. Interestingly, they have broken them down into 15 categories - based on different types of personality. These range from the sportsman (woman), the art lover, the over 65's, under 18's, the shopaholics, singles, and a good few more. There are some really cool suggestions here - there is even a category for those who think they're cool!!

Christmas Programme for Madrid

If you'd like an "exhaustive" programme of activities on in Madrid this Christmas, download [pdf] the esMadrid magazine. Be aware this is quite a "beefy" 8MB pdf!!

9 Propuestas for Summer, 2006

   

Madrid's Popular Local Dishes, Recipes, Foods and Places to Eat

For those who don't yet know - and there may be some - Madrid is one fantastic, gastronomic experience. Putting aside the Italian, Mexican, Chinese and Thai restaurants that most major cities have, Madrid offers some of the very best "Spanish" restaurants that you will find in Spain.

The costas of Spain may well be renowned for frozen, packaged and processed food but in Madrid some of the only places that dish this sort of food up are the foreign, American burger and fast food joints. Interestingly, one of Spain's top chefs, Ferrán Adriá, opened a new fast food concept called "Fast Good" just over 2 years ago - the idea being to offer fresh, quality, fast food.

I don't have much experience of other capital cities but I do know that Madrid offers a very broad selection of regional food from around the country: from Basque and Galician to Valencian, Andalucian and Madrileño.

Here are some starting points for those who want to sample 'local' cuisine.

EsMadrid offers its guide to Madrileñan cooking, though admittedly it is all in Spanish. Here you can find some of the Madrid region's favourite dishes: Cocido Madrileño (stew), Callos a la Madrileña (sort of tripe with beans), Sopa de Ajo (garlic soup), Tortilla de Patata (no need to translate), Bacalao a la Madrileña (Salted Cod in a sauce) and Potaje de Garbanzos (chick pea stew). The guide even includes recipes and points you in the direction of some typical Madrileñan bars/restaurants, like Malacatín, La Bola, La Posada de la Villa, Don Cocido, Casa Carola and L a Taberna de Daniela.

This site also has some good suggestions about 'asadores' (grill houses) where you can eat the culinary delights of the Basque-Navarre and Castilian regions. Some of suggestions are plain mouth-watering: suckling pig, bream, Basque Hake, sardines and cod, with many of the suggested restaurants frequented by film, sporting and political celebrities.

NOTE: Some of EsMadrid's pages don't work too well in Firefox (like the one above) and you will have to use Internet Explorer to view them!!!

Spain.info is the Spanish Tourist Board website, and a very good one it is, too. The site offers its guide to both food products and dishes from the Madrid region, including:

Olives from Campo Real
Chinchón White Garlic
Anis from Chinchón
Beef from the Guadarrama Mountains
Asparagus from Aranjuez
Madrid virgin olive oil

and some popular dishes from the region:

Garlic soup
Madrid 'cocido' (meat, potato and chickpea stew)
Madrid 'Torrijas'  (bread pudding)
Madrid tripe
Madrid-style baked red bream
Potato omelette

It also has some suggestion, taken from the Campsa Guide of places where you can eat.

By the way if you'd like to try out some of the recipes of Spain's most famous 'TV' chef, Karlos Arguiñano, I would suggest you visit his website: La cocina de Karlos Arguiñano, where you will find at least a few hundred Spanish recipes - be aware it is all in Spanish!

Madrid Challenge
Try not to eat or drink in any of the international chains: Mc Donald's, Starbucks, Burger King, Pizza Hut, etc. The food will be much better and at least you will be immersing yourself in the local culture and food.

Related Articles
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Madrid's Nightime Terrazas

Terrazas in Madrid are one of the great summer experiences of the city. A terraza, in English, is a street (or open air) café which often open to the wee, small hours of the morning. Traditionally, the popular terrazas hve been found on the Castellana or the Paseo de Pintor Rosales but El Mundo has some alternative places where you can enjoy an evening tipple. They include Real Madrid's ground, a terrace outside Torre Picasso (one of Spain's tallest buildings), the Circulo de Bellas Artes and Madrid's Hippodrome, Madrid's horse track with 7 bars, 15 shops and ice cream parlour and 2 restaurants.

One tip: Madrid's nightlife goes on to around 4-5 in the morning, so don't go out too early - a 10 or 11 p.m. start is early enough!

Link
Madrid Terrrazas

Watching the World Cup in Madrid

It goes without saying that you will probably have little problem finding a bar to watch the World Cup over the coming weeks! For many Brits and Americans, the first port of call will probably be the Irish bars, but how about watching the games in a cinema?

The company Cinesa will be 'televising' the Spanish games, along with other important games (such as the final) on their High Definition, Giant Cinema Screens with Digital 5.1 sound at Multicines Proyecciones on c/Fuencarral 136. All games are free but there is obviously a ceiling on the amount of people who can watch the game.

Open Air Terraces in Madrid

If you've been to Madrid or lived there, you will know that  eating out in the summer is one of the great  Madrid treats. You will find bars and restaurants across the city from where you can sit out and watch the world going by. Generally speaking, the Madrid terrazas open their doors in June and extend through the hot summer months to September. El Mundo's Metropoli magazine has a neat supplement which idetifies the best places to eat out 'in the shade' over the coming months. They offer their 'ten novelty' places to eat for 2006, the 50 best places (by barrio) and 15 places to eat on the outskirts of Madrid.

If you're just looking for some terraza to have a beer or cool drink, try out the bars on the Castellana or on the Paseo del Pintor Rosales.

View the Madrid Restaurants section of this site.

Bullfight-Related Bars and Restaurants in Madrid

Here's an article - Dos orejas, rabo... y una de callos - that I first came across about a year ago in Metropoli. Given that then, like now, it was around the time of the San Isidro Festival, they thought that they would write an article on the best taurine-related (bullfight) bars and restaurants in Madrid. On this list you will find two of Madrid's oldest eating (and drinking!) establishments - Casa Alberto and La Taberna de Antonion Sánchez - dating from 1827 and 1830, respectively.

There is also one fantastic place - El Rincón de Jerez - which offers good Andalucian food and where, every night at 11 pm., they dim the lights and sing to the Virgin Maria. One place called, New Street (Spanish in all but name!), even serves up the a dish of bull's tail from one of the bulls which fought the day before.

Translation Tool
Use the Google Translation Tool for a rough translation.

Tapas Tours of Madrid

A while back Ryan Opaz wrote an article on this site introducing tapas tours of Madrid. Well, since that time this has developed into a business, called Sabores Tours, with which I will be collaborating with closely over the coming months. Another member of the team at Sabores Tours is Janelle who has been living in Madrid since 2000 and has extensive knowledge of the culture, history and food of the city. Together they offer clients tours of some of their favourite secret' Madrid bars, where their small groups can indulge in Spanish food and good wine. Here's what you can expect from one of Janelle and Ryan's tours:

Spend an evening with a small group strolling along the historic streets of Madrid with a knowledgeable guide while tasting Spanish wines and Spain's culinary treasures. Visiting a city is more enjoyable and relaxing when you have a friend to show you around. That was the motivation behind creating SaboresTours, to offer travelers the opportunity to go where the locals go, eat what they eat and to have fun while learning something in the process. "Sabores" means flavor, taste. That is what we want you to experience on our tours. The flavors of the wine, the cuisine and the cultures present in Spain.

If you'd like more informaton on these Tapas Tours, please send me an email.

A Tale of Two Coffees

I've just been watching a programme on BBC 4 about Bob Dylan - Bob Dylan: No Direction Home Parts 1 & 2 - and on a number of occasions they started discussing his protest songs. Well, this is my own little protest - if you come to Madrid, buy local not global. Don't buy from burgers, coffee, chicken wings, and other such products from multinational companies. Simply buy from local businesses and take a break from what you may buy back home. You'll be better off for it!

Let me give you an example. In the photo above you will see Starbucks (map) on the left and a local Spanish bar -Taberna los 4 Robles - on the right. Out of curiosity I popped into Starbucks to find out the price of their coffee - it was 2.30 Euros for their smallest coffee. On the other hand the price for a cafe con leche in the bar next door was 1.10 Euros. The latter place had a wonderful marble counter, beautiful tiling, great design  - and even the coffee is good! To me there is no contest.

So, when in Madrid, go Madrileño - you'll enjoy the experience far more. End of protest.

Happy San Patricio Day!

If you're in Madrid today and looking for somewhere to enjoy St Patrick's Day, take a look at El Mundo's 'special' on places to enjoy your Guinness. Irlandeses por un día tells you which places to go for food and good music.  Use the Google Translation tool to get a 'rough' translation into your language. For a complete list of Irish pubs, have a look at the Irish Bars in Madrid on this site.

Top Places to eat Madrid's Top Dishes

The culture guide of online Spanish newspaper El Mundo often reviews the best places in Madrid to eat certain dishes. Metrópoli, as the guide is called, doesn't just let you know about places to eat the more offerings but also where you can find more creative examples of these dishes. Here are a selection of some of my favourites (in Spanish):

Cochinillo - Baby Suckling Pig - a perfect main course in Madrid (though even better in Segovia!)
Bocadillos - Baguettes - these are wonderful for lunch and are always freshly prepared at the premises.
Tabla de Quesos - Cheese Tray
Solomillo ibérico - Iberian Sirloin Steak - don't forget that well done in Spain equates to medium or just eat it as it should be eaten!
Alcachofas Fritas - Fried Artichokes
Boquerones en vinagre - Anchovies marinated in vinegar- Simply wonderful!
Espárragos creativos - Creative Asparagus - a great starter
Pimientos de Padrón - Padrón Peppers - the Spanish will always tell you that some are hot and others not. Delicious!
Platos con espinacas - Spinach dishes - one of my favourites is potaje de espinacas con garbanzos (a dish of spinach and chick peas).
Pescados a la sal - Fish cooked in a layer of salt
Tartas de queso - Cheesecakes

To translate any of these pages into English use the Google, simply add the web address (URL) into this Google Translation page.

No Smoking Bars in Madrid

From this year a new Anti-Tobacco Law has come into force in Spain. This law prohibits smoking in work places and requires that bars and restaurants of a certain size decide whether they want to be smoking or non-smoking establishments. However, Spain being Spain, it will probably take about 2-3 years before EVERYONE takes any notice of the law!- they prohibited smoking on the Metro some years ago but you could still see people smoking years after. If it is really important to you, you may want to check out this directory of bars and restaurants where smoking is not allowed. Simply select the 'province' of Spain that you want details on, and hit "Buscar".

Check out our Madrid Restaurants section for a selection of good quality restarants.

Bomec - a Tea Salon in Madrid

Coffee is definitely the preferred hot beverage in Madrid (well, throughout Spain) but if you would just prefer a cup of decent tea, you should head over to Bomec - a tea shop which is tucked away just behind the Metro in the Tribunal area. Bomec has on offer over 160 varieties of tea, all neatly displayed in metal tins behind the counter, and which come from China, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Africa and India.

The shop is unlike other shops in the city centre - it is quite dark inside and seems to be inspired by the Orient. Bomec's tea shop, which also sells all manner of tea accessories, is open during the morning and afternoon, whilst the wonderful little tea salon is open just in the afternoons. If you live in Spain, you can also have tea delivered to your door by Bomec. Also on the same side of the street you will find a traditional book binders - you can actually see them at work from the front window! Nearby, in c/ Fuencarral you wil find Corripio, a great place to stop for a glass of cider.
 
Location
Address: C/ San Joaquín, 8 - Madrid (corner of Fuencarral nº 73 )
Metro: Tribunal

Blogs and Beers December Meet Up

I know it's short notice but if anyone is interested in blogs, there is a meet-up tonight of Blogs and Beers Madrid, where people meet up and .. you guessed it! In future, it may be worth bookmarking their page and checking periodically - don't expect events like this to be posted in advance (from experience things don't seem to happen like that in Spain). You may want to take a look at some photos from a Blogs and Beers Madrid event on Flickr.

Time/Date: 8 p.m |December 21st, 2005
Place: El Brasileirinho
Location: Plaza de Cristino Martos, 2 (map)

Thanks to Fernando (of abladías)for letting me know.

Madrid Wine Initiative

Until the 30th October, 2005 the Regulatory Council (of wine) of Madrid will launch an initiative in 15 "taverns" across the city. Called "Conoce tus vinos, los de Madrid" (Know your wines, the Madrid ones") the initiative is designed to coinicide with the 15th anniversary of the council. Each of the participating taverns will offer customers a free glass of wine - a tempranillo from the Arganda region of Madrid - with the idea being that customers get a better appreciation of the local wines.

The participating establishments are:
Corazón Loco (Almendro, 22) Metro: La Latina
Cuenllas (Ferraz, 5) Metro: Ventura Rodríguez
El Alambique (Fucar, 7) Metro: Antón Martín
El Quinto Vino (Hernani, 48) Metro: Nuevos Ministerios
Estay (Hermosilla, 46) Metro: Velázquez
La Mayor (Mayor, 77) Metro: Ópera
La Pinta y la Viña (Infanta Mercedes, 61) Metro: Tetuán
Los Asturianos (Vallehermoso, 94) Metro: Canal
Los Madriles (José Abascal, 26) Metro: Alonso Cano
Vinoteca Maestro Villa (Cava San Miguel, 8) Metro: Puerta del Sol
Taberna de Antonio Sánchez (Mesón de Paredes, 13)Metro: Tirso de Molina
Taberna de Cien Vinos (Nuncio, 17) Metro: La Latina
Taberna de Madrid (San Simón, 3) Metro: Antón Martín
Taberna del Sumiller (Victor de la Serna, 37) Metro: Colombia
Taberna Miranda (Pza. Conde de Miranda, 4) Metro: Puerta del Sol

New Reina Sofía Extension Opens

Last week the Queen of Spain, Doña Sofía, opened the new extensions of the Museo Reina Sofía. The project, which was designed by architect Jean Nouvel cost 90 million Euros and has added an extra 55% to the size of the museum. The Museo Reina Sofía forms part of Madrid's Golden Triangle (the others being the Museo Thysssen and the Prado) and houses some of the most important modernist art in the world - Picasso's famous painting "Guernica" is permanently exhibited here.

The Reina Sofía Museum now features two buildings: the old Sabatini building and the new Nouvel extension - making it one of the largest modern art museums in the world. Jean Nouvel has created 3 buildings - a temporary exhibition hall, a library, an auditorium and a restaurant - which are all contained under one huge canopy. The library currently has 100,000 books and can house up to 200,000, whilst the auditorium can seat up to 450 people.

The restaurant, called Arola, comes under the direction of Michelin 2-star chef Sergi Arola. Arola, who spent some 6 years at Ferrán Adrià's restaurant El Bulli (recently nominated #2 restaurant in the world), has split the eating area into 3 sections: a bar, café and restaurant; he would like to make sure that Arola is cheap and chic!

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El Madroño - Tapas Near the Plaza Mayor

Just off the Plaza Mayor, in the Plaza de la Puerta Cerrada, 7, you will find El Madroño a great little bar which serves fantastic tapas. The entrance to the bar is has tiles on the wall which depicts Velázquez’s painting Los Borrachos (the drunkards) - inside the bar you will find many such tiled paintings; one of the most interesting shows how the Madrid coat of arms has changed over the centuries and is located directly behind the bar. Drinks come with generous portions of tapas - I was offered a olives and patatas bravas (roasted potatoes with a chilli sauce) - and are served by friendly staff. The bar also offers vermouth on tap and has a good selection of wines. You may also want to try the local licor de madroño.

Address: Plaza de Puerta Cerrada, 7 (Map)
Metro: La Latina or Tirso de Molina

Café Madrid - Madrid's Tower of Babel

A couple of weeks ago I met up with Francisco Rodriguez Veiga (Fran) and Susana Bourne, who both run the International Evenings in Café Madrid, near Madrid's Opera Metro station to discuss its success. It all started 5 years ago when Fran, who can speak 6 languages, came up with the idea of bringing people from different countries, languages and cultures together for one evening a week. Language exchanges or 'intercambios' are very popular in Madrid and offer people the chance to practice their language skills with 'native' speakers. Café Madrid, which is a pleasant, open bar in a great location - near Puerta del Sol and Plaza Mayor - and serves an assortment of beers and wines and straightforward bar food is the ideal location for it.

The friendly atmosphere at Café Madrid's International Evenings has made it a very popular venue on Wednesdays and Fran says that quite often over 100 people have turned up. Fran acts as the host for the evening and helps with introductions. And contrary to what many people think, Spanish and English are not the only language exchanges on offer - German, French, Italian, and many other languages can be heard on a Wednesday night. So whether you live in Madrid or are just passing through, why not spend a couple of hours at Café Madrid?

Venue: Café Madrid
Location: (c/ Mesón de Paños, 6 - Metro: Opera)
Time: 9.30 p.m. till late

Madrid's Top Summer Terrazas

One of the highlights of summer is eating or drinking in one of the city’s many terrazas. Terrazas (street café’s) are extremely popular in Madrid and are a wonderful way of spending an evening in the city. They are open through summer until September and cater for all tastes and budgets, though in places like Retiro Park they are open all year round. Some of the best places to enjoy terrazas are the Paseo de la Castellana and the Paseo de Rosales. El Mundo newspaper has an exhaustive list of the summer’s top terrazas on their website which, though written in Spanish, categorises them into barrios, displays their food specialities and gives the price range.   

Surviving Madrid in the Summer

I got an email yesterday from someone visiting this site (Martin Christensen) asking me for some tips on how to survive the hot weather in Madrid. Madrid in summer can be quite taxing, though if you start living like the Spanish it can be much more bearable. Here are some thoughts on how you can get the most out of Madrid in the summer.

Site seeing
I would probably make sure that you try and get around the city in the early hours of the morning  probably up until 12pm or 1pm. Always make sure that you walk on the side of the street that is in the shade. If you're looking to walk around the city later, I would try and make sure you do it from around 6.30 p.m onwards. Don't forget that the shops close around 8 p.m.

Museums
Personally, I would try and get around the museums during the hottest times of day - 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. All of them will be air-conditioned and far more pleasant than walking around the city.

Eating Out
To be perfectly honest I would far prefer to eat indoors in this weather than sit out in the very hot daytime temperatures. Though, if that is what you're looking for, you may want to try out eateries along the Paseo de Pintor Rosales - more expensive but next to Madrid's huge park, the Casa de Campo.

Madrid's Terrazas
Madrid's outdoor terrace bars are really a must during the summer months and a wonderful way to spend the warm summer evenings. You may even see some of Madrid's beautiful people - the Beckham's, possibly? The most popular ones tend to run down the city's Paseo de Castellana and Pintor Rosales. For the former, I would look to walk from Plaza de Cibeles up towards Plaza de Colón; the latter is one of the coolest places in the city (as mentioned above) and has loads of themed 'terrazas'.

Most people tend to drink cubatas long glasses of rum, vodka, whiskey with coke or lemonade, as they are cheaper option to bottles of beer. Don't forget that terrazas really kick in after 10.30 p.m. Another great place to enjoy a drink in the evening is Plaza Santa Ana - and probably cheaper. The Retiro Park can be a lovely place early in the evening and I would recommend that you try 'horchata' - a tiger nut/almond drink that is popular there.

There is also a very nice terraza on the Puente de Segovia bridge, which looks out towards the Almudena Cathedral and Royal Palace.

Casa de Campo - One of the coolest (temperature!) places to go is the Casa de Campo - the huge park on the east-side  west side of the city. Located around the lago (lake) you will find a number of terrace bars. Metro: Lago

Excursions
A large number of Madrileños head out of the city at weekends to their family homes in the country. Places like Segovia, Avila and El Escorial do tend to be cooler in summer but don't forget you are in central Spain and it will still be hot. If you plan properly, there are a number of fiestas and summer fairs that go on outside the capital over these months.

Swimming Pools
There are quite a few public swimming pools around the capital - some of the details I included in an article last year - Open Air Swimming Pools in Madrid. You may also be interested in some of the Aqua Parks that are dotted around the centre:

Aquópolis San Fernando - open 12 pm-8 pm; Cost: 12.50-14 Euros (Adults), 9 Euros (Child)
Aquópolis Villanueva de la Cañada - open 12 pm-8 pm; Cost: 13-16.50 Euros (Adults), 9 Euros (Child)
Aquasur Aranjuez -  a 40-minute journey from Atocha train station to Aranjuez and a free bus ride from there to the water park. Cost: 5-15 Euros (Adults), 3-12 Euros (Child).

Veranos de la Villa - Every year the city council of Madrid puts on a huge number of events across the city, ranging from theatre and dance to classical music and puppetry for kids. Madrid's parks, squares and streets will be taken over as culture goes out on to the streets. For more information visit the Madrid City Council site.

Vinoteca Barbechera

So the other day it was sunny, and warm, and basically another perfect day to sit outside in the sun and do nothing at all, except drink wine that is! With plans to meet up with friends at a later time, my wife and I decided to head over to Plaza Santa Ana (map), for a glass of wine and a pincho or two. Located on the eastern end of the plaza sits Vinoteca Barbechera, a franchised bar that serves tapas, raciones, wine and much more. It is known as a wine bar first and foremost, I suggest you keep this in mind when you visit.

Wanting a quick snack, we ordered a couple glasses of white wine and a few tapas. Looking at the menu you are not left without plenty of choices, basically the same tapas you’d find at every other bar you might visit in Madrid. Yet what makes it worth going to, is the quality. Incredible! For those of you who like to go out and blow a 100 Euros on dinner and have small tastes presented in front of you of various delicacies, this is a great place for you. For an average of 3 euros each, you can taste your way through a plethora of small culinary treats.

Today we tried three treats:

Solomillo con Cebolla Caramelizado (Beef tenderloin with Caramelized Onions)

Crisp toast drizzled with good olive oil works to hold this concoction as you raise it to your lips. As you bite into it your mouth is rewarded with tender fillet, lightly seasoned and garnished with a candy-like caramelized onion. The best part of this dish is that any one part would be overwhelmingly rich by itself, but as a whole, they work together to balance each other out. As you finish you know you’ve just has a small bite of heaven. 

Trucha ahumada con Puré de tomate y tapenada (Smoked trout with puree of tomatoes and an olive tapenade)

Though not my favorite today, this dish will appeal to anyone out there who is a lover of smoked fish.

Food and Wine Tours of Madrid

Tour Update and Notice

As Alun has mentioned early in my introduction, we hope in the near future to offer guided tours of some of Madrid’s culinary treasures. Highlighting both well-known monuments to food and more importantly, those little known treasures - we hope to offer a unique perspective on the food scene in Madrid. To start with, we will be offering 2 formats for you to choose from based on your specific interests:

A Cook's Tour
For anyone who likes to buy treats to bring back home, or for those of you who might have a kitchen in the room you are staying in, this is the tour for you. We will take you to 4 different shops in Madrid, where you will have the chance to buy some of the finest food and wine Spain has to offer.

First, a wine shop where we will get a chance to taste some wine while learning a little about where it comes from and how it is made. Second, ever think that Manchego was all Spain had to offer as far as cheese? Well, we’ll prove that theory wrong as we walk up the street to a cathedral of all things cheese. Walls lined with every type of fermented milk you can imagine.  Following this, we will move on to a chocolate shop whose reliquary holds some of the finest chocolates available to mortals! To round it all off, how about a stop at a Market where you can have the chance to buy fresh ham, ripe vegetables, myriad fish, not to mention much more.  All in all, this 3 hour tour will show you some of the finer gourmet treats Madrid has to offer.
Cost: TBA

Tapas, Wine and Fun
Come stroll with us down Madrid’s streets stopping in at a select few bars to try a variety of the typical flavors of Spain. During each stop you will have a choice of wines all of which come accompanied by tapas.  During this time you will learn something of the history of tapas; have a chance to gather some recipes; and also learn something about the wine regions that abound in Spain.
Cost:TBA

While we are in the process of setting up the dates, times and prices for these tours weI want to make sure that no one is left out. If you are going to be in town in the next month or are already here send us a note! We’ll work something out and make sure that you don’t miss anything during your stay here in Madrid!

Please contact us at madridtours (at) gmail.com with any questions, or suggestions, that you might have.

Till soon, Ryan Opaz

Tapas Review: Cien Vinos (100 Wines)

Taberna Cien Vinos
C/ Nuncio 17, Madrid
Metro: La Latina
Map

Tapas- What are they and how do you get them? A topic I hope to cover in depth in future articles for Mad about Madrid. For the most part, a tourist in Madrid is faced with a crap shoot as far as what tapas to expect when ordering a glass of wine. One bar may put down a plate of stale potato chips, while the place next door sets you up with a mini feast. How to know what is coming takes time and patience but we hope that with a little guidance from us it will become a bit easier. One thing is for sure, you can always order tapas, and if you know where to go, you can be treated to something exciting and new.

This brings me to Cien Vinos or, in English, 100 Wines. Located in the La Latina area of Madrid, where all the tapas fiends know to go, Cien Vinos is a small, cozy den of gastronomic decadence. It’s a bit hard to find; and if it were not for the bronze plaque outside the front door, you might mistake it for someone’s apartment building. This all changes as you step inside where you are greeted by warm lighting, literally hundreds of wines, and a friendly atmosphere. What makes this place so neat is the way they set up the menu and wine list. Two black boards list the food and wine available for the night. On average, they have 8 pinchos and 8 raciones to choose from. Pinchos being a small bite made for one person, while raciones tend to be a larger portion made to share with a group or as a meal for one. On the wine board on an average night you should run into about 7 reds, 2 whites, 1 sherry, 1 rose, 3 sweet (dessert wines), and one cava, all priced between 1.75-3 euros.

Feel free to choose a table or just stand at the bar and order. When it’s busy, the tables tend to be reserved for raciones only, but if you find a few tables still free you might be able to talk them into letting you ordering a few pinchos instead. I prefer getting several pinchos and splitting it with a friend, as it makes a fun way to explore all the various flavors they offer. 

Trocha Pub - "Place of the Caipirinha"

Twelve years ago, I had my first Caipirinha. I was hanging out with some friends at the beach in a small town on the coast of southern Brasil. It wasn't a great experience, I can tell you!

Today I sit at a bar in Madrid called Trocha Pub. A small cozy space with lots of pillows, bright colors and mellow jazz playing over the stereo. Taking a sip of the Caipirinha that sits in front of me now makes me glad that I was first introduced to them. You see, Trocha Pub makes itself known as the "Place of the Caipirinha" and for good reason. In the bar, they have two wooden presses to help make your drink. These handy wood presses crush the limes in the glass releasing the tart juices. By the way, if you do stop in here some night, know that you can order almost any mixed drink you want, but why bother?

These guys know what they are doing when it comes to caipirinhas and can make a drink that will help transport anyone to a far away place. Half limes and half lemons, a healthy dose of sugar, a generous topper of Cachaça (Brasilian rum distilled from sugar cane) and a sprinkling of crushed ice. Taking a sip your mouth encounters both sweet and sour mingled with an exotic breeze that makes you stop and think for a moment before you dive back in for another sip. Who can think of a better way to start off a night than with a Caipirinha!

As a contributor to this blog I hope to take you with me around Madrid and Spain as I try to taste a bit of the world while learning something along the way. Stayed tuned, more to come!

Till soon, Ryan

Casa Antonio - Old-Style Madrid Bar

No Hay Coca Cola,
Ni Refrescos
(Trans: We Don´t Sell Coke,
Or Soft Drinks)

This the sign that catches your eye behind the bar in Casa Antonio - I just love it  - if you want soft stuff, go somewhere else!

The Casa Antonio bar is located south of Madrid´s Plaza Mayor, and just off c/ Toledo, in c/Latoneros, 10. It is an old-style Madrid bar, with its own zinc sink (where wine and beer glasses are swilled out) and tiled walls and a history that goes back to the 1880´s. The bar has wooden benches around the walls which, on the day I was there, some of the locals had positioned in the open doors to watch the world go by, and a good selection of wines - around 20 reds, rosé's and whites - that you can purchase by the glass. You can also buy tapas at the bar, too - the ham croquets are very good as are the chicken wings and Cabrales cheese.

Great Value Madrid - Menú del Día (Menu of the day)

If you're want lunch in Madrid, then you should look out for the excellent value Menú del Día (or menu of the day). Most Spanish bars and restaurants offer the Menú del Día which includes a starter, main course and dessert (or coffee). All three courses offer a variety of plates and they also include a drink, be it a beer, coke or sometimes wine - I have been to many places where a whole bottle is offered! Prices are usually very cheap - between 7 and 15 Euros. You should look out for the 'A' signs (boards) which are displayed outside bars and restaurants for details of what's on offer. Even places like the Café de Oriente offer the Menú del Día for around 12 Euros - I love going to the Bar Alameda on C/ Recoletos where you can get a great meal for 7/8 Euros.

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.

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