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| City Guide - Madrid - Food and Drink | ||
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Food and Drink Madrilenian gastronomy consists of cocido (chick pea, spicy chorizo sausage and vegetable stew), tripe, baked sea bream, cod sticks, garlic soup, torrijas (bread steeped in egg batter or wine, then fried), and bartolillos (fried pastries). Regional specialities, such as traditional Catalonian and Basque cuisine, fresh seafood from Galicia, paella from Levante and fish from Andalusia add to the rich mix. International cuisine is also popular, with fine Japanese and Indian restaurants in abundance. Restaurants range from outdoor terrazas and tapas bars (see the Nightlife section) to the refined ambience of the Ritz, but even in the smartest interiors, there is little ostentation and the enjoyment of good food and good company is the main priority. Breakfast consists of deep-fried churros or porros (doughnut-type pastries) served with hot chocolate in a café, or the best olive oil dribbled onto fresh bread and eaten with coffee at home. Lunch - eaten between 1330 and 1600 - is the day's main meal and many Madrileños still manage to nip home to enjoy it with their families. At restaurants, the menú del día (menu of the day) offers the best value, and often includes the house wine, sometimes mixed with casera or gaseosa lemonade. Quality wines come from the Rioja, Navarra and Ribera del Duero regions. Draught beer (de barril), bottled beers (botellines) and dry, cold sherry (jerez) are popular. Dinner is a lighter affair, often consisting of tapas, and served 2100-2300. Many restaurants are closed on Sunday evenings and may not open at all in August. Spanish law requires service charge to be included in the bill; tipping is at the customer's discretion, but 5-10% is acceptable. Restaurants Zalacaín, Calle de Alvarez de Baena 4 (tel: (91) 561 5935), is Madrid's prestigious three-Michelin-starred restaurant. Smart dress and prior booking are advised for those wishing to sample chef Benjamín Urdaín's fine Basque cooking. The five-course menu costs about Pta9000. The legendary Lhardy, 8 Carrera de San Jerónimo (tel: (91) 521 3385), famously brought French cuisine to Madrid in 1839. Belle Epoque decor provides the backdrop to French-Spanish flavours - cocido, game and callos (tripe) cost about Pta7000. Those counting their pesetas or just in a hurry should try the tapas - hot consommé on tap; cold, tangy gazpacho, and fresh pastries. The charming old Posado de la Vila, Calle Cava Baja 9 (tel: (91) 366 1860), follows the Madrid tradition of using huge beehive ovens for slow roasting. Specialities include roasted lamb and suckling pig and, for dessert, the delicious bartollilos pastries. A three-course meal will cost about Pta7000. More hearty fare is served at La Bola Taberna, Calle de la Bola 5 (tel: (91) 547 6930), where cocido madrileño is served at lunch in large earthenware pots, bursting with soup, meat and chickpeas. A three-course meal costs about Pta4000. Lovers of seafood should head for Cabo Mayor, Juan Ramón Jiménez 37 (tel: (91) 350 8776), where, in summer, evening meals (for about Pta7000 per person) are served outside. The recently opened Planet Hollywood (tel: (91) 360 1400), Galeria del Prado, Plaza des las Cortes 7, beneath the Palace Hotel, has joined the more established Hard Rock Café, Paseo de la Castellana 2 (tel: (91) 436 4340), in providing Madrid with trademark American restaurants. Planet Hollywood charges around Pta1800 for a main dish, and Hard Rock Café about Pta1300 for a classic hamburger. Reasonably priced Japanese cooking is served (for around Pta3700 per person) at Musashi, Calle Conchas 4 (tel: (91) 559 2939). A good budget choice is Casa Mingo, Paseo de la Florida 2 (tel: (91) 547 7918), where hungry students enjoy chorizo, roasted chicken and Cabrales cheese for about Pta4000 per person. Cafés The best cafés for daytime are located around Paseo de la Castellana, Paseo del Prado, Paseo de Recoletos and the terrazas lining Plaza Mayor with their bright parasols. Lounge with a newspaper, or rest from a sightseeing overdose in Café Gijón, 21 Paseo de Recoletos, where journalists, film-makers and bullfighters have converged since its opening in 1888. Alternatively, sun yourself over an iced drink on the lovely terraza of Café del Espejo in Paseo de la Castellana, or in the gardens at the Ritz. The lavishly decorated Café Viena, Calle Luisa Fernanda 23, serves great hot chocolate and cakes, but those craving tea and sandwiches should head for the 1930s Embassy, Paseo de la Castellana 12. Pay Pta100 for a peek at the frescoed ceilings of the Círculo de Bellas Artes in Calle Alcalá or enjoy original decor for free at the newly opened gay bar La Sastrería on the Calle Libertad. |
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