Sunday
First things first: I need a SIM. A lot of shops are closed on Sundays, but there’s an Orange kiosk in the El Corte Ingles department store near Goya station, about 20 minutes on foot. A bit of a walk will help me stay awake after the overnight flight from NYC without any sleep.
Turns out the kiosk is closed for 2 hours, so I hunt for some food to kill time and end up at Museo del Jamon, a popular and inexpensive chain restaurant. I order a ham and cheese croissant, a small beer and a red wine. I’m curious about the delicias de bacalao and ask the couple next to me what I should expect. The explanation made me think of fish sticks, but it turned out more like the Brazilian/Portuguese bolinhos de bacalhau. Finished with sangria, a quick and dirty version made from red wine, orange slices, some sort of liqueur, and topped off with soft drink.
After a 2 hour nap, I try Puerta Grande for a nightcap, drawn by the crowd watching a football game. There are no prices on the tapas menu, but I order drinks and a few small plates anyway. When I get the bill for €4.50, I realize that the tapas are free with each drink. Didn’t know that was how things work here. Now I’m on board.
Monday
Still recovering from jet lag and a day without sleep, I wake up late and don’t venture out for food until around 6pm. I choose nearby Donde Leo based on the positive reviews. The wine is accompanied by a tapa of cheese, chorizo, and tortilla española, a popular omelette dish. I think it was also here that I first tasted the olives. There are very few foods that I genuinely dislike, and I find olives so off-putting that I never even bothered to try them on my previous trips to Barcelona. I was shocked by how much I enjoy the arbequina variety – all the nice fruitiness of olive oil without any of the weird olive flavor, and a satisfying, firm texture.
For the main course, oxtail (€18), and the wine is so good I have another. The owner asks me if I’m Brazilian and I get a chuckle out of it. My portunhol Spanish is terrible, but I’ll still take it as a compliment.
Tuesday:
Off to Plaza Mayor for some sightseeing. My first stop for food is Casa Toni, apparently known for their orejas de cerdo. I order half portions of everything and they’re sizable – pig ears, sweetbreads, blood sausage and patatas bravioli (bravas and aioli sauce mixed), with a side of vermouth. Some of the ears were undercooked and I feel like the sweetbreads would’ve been better fried in breading. They gave me a shot of desert wine with the check. Not bad, but with all the choices nearby, I’m not in a hurry to go back. €17.20 and I left stuffed.
On the way home, I stop at the Mercado de San Miguel. I have a “dry” vermouth on tap, which wasn’t dry at all, and a Palo Cortado sherry – something I had never heard of. As a fan of Oloroso, it was a very pleasant discovery.
Late in the evening, I’m keen for a drink and a snack, and the shops here stop selling alcohol after 10PM, so I visit La Tienta, a slightly more upscale taberna. The bocadillo de calamares is tasty, and they serve some lovely terreznos, the Spanish version of pork cracklings, along with some bread and different spreads. Two beers, a sherry, all the bites and a nice atmosphere for €13.50.
Wednesday
Staying in the Goya area today because my phone service has died and I need to visit the Orange shop. They can’t help me; apparently there are issues on the carrier side and all I can do is wait.
Defeated, I look around for a snack and happen across Los Terreznos. With last night’s terreznos in mind, I order them here. They’re meaty and delicious, good enough for a second serving. There’s a big pile of pickled eggplants next to me, and I try one out of curiosity. The serving of morcilla was tiny. €16.70 for the food and some drinks. I feel like good terreznos could be found in the area for a better price.
On the way home, I stop for a quick beer, served with a smile at Cervecería Re-Ba, and back in the Ventas neighborhood, I try Waniku, a no-frills tapas bar that’s open late. I order chupitos – deep-fried baby squid – and some drinks, which come with ample amounts of tortilla. €11.50 and I’m pleased with the service and the food.
Thursday
Today I make a point to check out the tapas offerings in the La Latina area. First up: Lamiak, a Basque establishment with a good reputation. I order the brandada de bacalao, La Salve beer from Bilbao, and Altzueta cider for €6.70. The dog at the bar is too cute. Everything on the menu looks amazing. Top marks.
While waiting for my next destination to open, I pop into Lá Cabra en El Tejado for a small €1 Super Bock and toast topped with morcilla and green apple. Creative, but I would’ve preferred more morcilla and less apple. Lots of vegetarian and vegan options on the menu. The waitress wasn’t that friendly.
My taste for novelty then brings me to the aptly named Los Caracoles. Two glasses of vermouth and a half portion of snails sets me back €10.30. They were salty and much softer than I’m used to, but not bad overall. Don’t let the gross factor put you off – snails are cousins to shellfish, and the taste is comparable. I’ll try them somewhere else next time.
Time for something hearty: the zapatilla at Melo’s. This place is only open after 8pm and they’re known for churning out huge ham and cheese sandwiches. Maybe it’s exactly what you need when you’re drunk and hungry at midnight, but it was pretty tasteless and the cheese wasn’t hot enough. I say skip the sandwich and get the croquettes. €9.60 for “half” a sandwich, a croquette and a glass of wine.
At this point I’m stuffed, but I feel like I can handle a bit of seafood, so I stop into Bar El Boqueron before throwing in the towel. Like most places that are popular, it’s packed and I struggle to find standing room at the bar. I throw back a plate of their namesake boquerones in vinegar and a glass of manzanilla sherry for €4.70 before waddling back to the train station.
Friday
I’m always compelled to try as much local cuisine as possible, and the cocido madrileño, a hearty stew of meat, vegetables, and chickpeas, might be the dish most closely associated with Madrid. At Nuevo Horno de Santa Teresa, open only for lunch, they serve nothing but cocido. Despite being booked out for days, I managed to squeeze into an early slot.
The meal itself was about what I expected: simple and hearty without a lot of seasoning. Not very exciting, but satisfying if that’s what you’re after. I was still full from the previous day and couldn’t even finish half the plate. €24.50 with a small beer, and the leftovers were enough to feed me for the rest of the day. If I try this dish again, I’ll look for an embellished preparation with more character.
After my meal, I make my way to La Venencia, a quaint, old-fashioned bar serving sherry from the barrel at €2.20 a glass. They don’t allow photos, so you’ll have to check it out for yourself. Definitely a must for anyone who appreciates sherry.
At this point, I’ve really rediscovered my love for dry sherries, and I’m keen to get a bottle for the road. La Venencia will happily sell you a bottle from the tap, but there are better options, as I would later find out.
I contemplated paying the €5 to visit the bar at the top of the Círculo de Bellas Artes for a panorama of the city, but there was a sign warning of obscured views due to construction. Maybe next time.
Saturday
It’s my last day in Madrid and that means I’m going hard. A lot of the eateries close around 4 and reopen around 7 or 8, so I head to those places first.
I love bacalao, and at Casa Revuelta, fried cod fritters are the star. €4.30 in cash and I scarf it down with a cold caña before heading to El Ñeru for a taste of Asturias. The fabada bean stew seems to be a safe bet, and I enjoy it with two ciders, one sweet and one dry, for €13.10. They offer a choice of chorizo or cheese spread for tapas. A fine choice for lunch.
I’m on a mission, so I hit up La Campana. You can find bocadillos de calamares all over the place, but this place does them right. I don’t want to fill up on bread, so I just get a plate of fried calamari and a glass of wine. Righteous.
Later in the afternoon, I’m back at Mesón del Champiñon, which was way too crowded when I dropped by earlier. Now, with plenty of space at the bar, I order a sherry and a plate of their signature mushrooms. They’re tasty, though €6.20 seems a bit steep for ten button mushrooms and a little sausage. I love mushrooms, so I can’t really complain.
I’m pretty full and I need to digest a bit before the dinner spots open up, so I make my way to Angelita, a classy bar with an extensive wine menu. I go with a rich, well-aged Oloroso, served with a single pecan and some very strong cheese. Moving on, I switch things up and order a Grenache. It’s intensely sweet and fruity and I savor it slowly.
Meanwhile, I overhear the patron beside me talking to the bar staff. I ask him about the cocktail bar downstairs and we get to talking. Turns out he’s an Australian restauranteur and sommelier, and he wasn’t exaggerating when he said he moved to Spain for sherry. He offers me several suggestions for bottles to buy, and because his go-to shop in the area is closed, he gives me an unexpected option: The supermarket at the El Corte Ingles department store.
After some deliberation, I finally relent and visit the cocktail bar downstairs. Guests at the bar are treated to cinema-style bags of popcorn. There’s a creative menu with a flavor matrix for each drink, and the barman prepares everything with finesse. I go with the Terra y Mar, made with mezcal, nori, pear, carrot, and radish. It’s weird, just the way I like it. All the cocktails are around €10. Another gold star on my list, and I’m off to the supermarket to pick up a bottle of Palo Cortado from Sánchez Romate. It does not disappoint.
It’s about time for dinner and I’m determined to try Madrid-style callos, a hearty tripe stew that seems appropriate for the time of year. I start toward the restaurant and make a detour to El Tigre for a glass of cider. €2.50 for a small glass of cider and an unexpectedly large plate of tapas. I don’t really want it, but never one to waste food, I eat as much as I can without completely spoiling my appetite. It turns out there’s another El Tigre selling cider right across the street, and I can’t help but wonder if the other one is better.
Finally, I make it to Casa Alberto, which reopens at 8. Unsurprisingly, it’s packed to the gills and I have to squeeze my way onto the end of the bar. I immediately order a red wine and the callos. They don’t offer a half serving and I wasn’t that hungry, but I finished it like a champ. €14 for a bowl of forgettable tripe stew. The torreznos were no good.
Until next time
Despite ending on a less than stellar note, I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Madrid. While Barcelona might be more interesting, Madrid has world-class food culture with thousands of restaurants to choose from. My AirBnB host was a delight, and her dog loved me.
I’m sure I’ll be back someday, hopefully as a short stopover on my way to other regions to explore more of Spain’s culinary landscape.