A colleague is traveling to Spain later this month and I've been thinking about recommendations for her. I visited the Madrid Recommendations posted on my site and realized that they are way out of date -- most of them were from when I was 23 and living in Madrid on a budget. (Sailaja, check out those recommendations :))
Pick up a Guia del Ocio at a newspaper stand. It's in Spanish but they have English section. It's a weekly guide on what is going on in Madrid. Also, there are a number of English papers that you can pick up in any one of the Irish pubs. The Broadsheet is one.
Here's the start of a revised list:
Restaurants:
For the best bocadillo de tortilla de patatas - go to Bar Sol y Mayor. From Sol, take the small street that is a diagonal up from the McDonalds to Plaza Mayor (I can't remember the name) there is a clothing store on one corner and bank machine on the other. This place as the best tortilla de patatas (I'm sad that I didn't get there on our last visit) and great fried calamari. It's pretty much standing room only but the bocadillo and a canya (a beer) is a great inexpensive lunch.)
Casa Botin - a haunt of Hemingway and great food despite being a tourist trap. near Plaza Mayor
Almendro 13 -- a great place for canyas in the afternoon in the neighorbood calls Austrias -- the old part of town. The place is on calle Almendro, no. 13.
Paseo de la Castellana -- a boulevard street near the neighborhood called Serrano. expensive cocktails in Spain but great for people watching. Never quite made it here...
La Trucha -- c/ Manual Fernandez y Gonzalez. again, a tourist trap, but good tapas and in a great neighborhood -- barrio Santa Ana
Restaurants in Chueca -- does anyone have any updated restaurants?
Cluny -- on Calle del Prado -- amazing food and a choice of ours for special occasions. Is this place still open?
La Zapateria -- tapas -- near Santa Ana on one of the side streets. There are 2 restaurants in the same neighborhood.
Restaurante Momo -- c/Augusto Figueroa in Chueca. Great set menus for lunch and dinner. fun atmosphere. a favorite of ours when on a budget.
La Luna Rossa -- calle Luna near Callao and calle/ Estrella off of calle San Bernardo. Great Italian food.
Bars:
Why Not? In Chueca -- Calle San Bartolome off of Gran Via. It's a little bar in the basement but has good music and a friendly crowd.
Cafe de Circulo de Bellas Artes -- c/Alcala Metro: banco de espana. It's a beautiful upscale bar in the Fine Arts Museum and when we were back in May they reopened the outdoor patio.
Kathmandu -- c/Senores de Luzon Metro: Sol -- walk down Calle Mayor toward the Palacio Real. This place wasn't open the last time we were in Madrid so it may have closed down but worth a visit.
Alhambra -- c/Victoria near Plaza Santa Ana - fun place to chill.
Star's Cafe -- c/Marques de Valdeiglesias -- No idea if this is still around but it has a good vibe in Chueca. and good bar-type food
Tons of places near the neighborhoods of Bilbao, Tribunal, and Alonzo Martinez.
Calle Hortaleza has a number of bars and restaurants.
Sites:
La Reina Sofia Museum
Prado
Parque Retiro
Barrio Salamanca/Goya
Palacion Real
Opera
Barrio Austrias
Plaza Mayor -- I don't recommend eating the Plaza but rather sitting down for a coffee or drink. The food is over-priced not good.
La Latina
Rastro on Sundays -- an outdoor flea market in La Latina. Make sure to carry euros in small bills and don't bring purses as there are may pick-pocketers
Museo de las Americas near Moncloa
posted by Melissa Dodd @ 11:40 PM
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