We are renting an apartment in Madrid and Barcelona in April and want to know if there establishments that have already prepared main dishes, ( entree, potatoes, vegetables ) where all you have to do is reheat them in the oven or micro-wave. In Paris, these are called "Traiteur", and they had some marvelous dishes. Also, any take out Chinese type restaurants? We love to relax with a bottle of wine, prepare a salad, and eat at home if possible, but don't want to really cook on vacation !! Gracias.

As far as I know, all Chinese restaurants prepare food to take away, especially in Madrid, Barcelona, and large cities.

About your other question, yes, they exist but there are not so many as New York City Delis, for instance. Look for establishments with "Platos preparados" signs. All El Corte Ingles stores have a prepared dishes section in their supermarkets.

Apart of these, in Barcelona (and in Madrid, too, but they are more scarce), you will find establishments whose main activity is roasting chickens and selling them. They usually prepare some side dishes too, as roasted potatoes or roasted peppers. Look for either "Pollo al ast" or "Pollo asado"(in Spanish), or "Pollastre al ast" (in Catalan) signs.

Torrales: Thank you so much.

There's a place that does "platos preparados" on Cava Baja in Madrid. If you are going south on the street toward Plaza de Humilladero, it is on the right side, not far from the tapas bar Tempranillo. I believe they are closed on Mondays.

La Boqueria market in the centre of Las Ramblas is a good place to try traditional Barcelona food as many stalls in the middle of the market sell original dishes to take away.

Just a note about take out in Spain. We have spent several extended periods, i.e. months, in Spain and I share your desire to have peaceful meals in your apartment. But one thing to consider is that ¨la vida de la calle¨ or street life is an important part of Spanish culture and Spaniards seem very comfortable spending time outside the home in bars and restaurants. Very little of the socializing we have done with our Spanish friends has been in their homes.

That being said, I know you will enjoy wonderful take out in peace. It´s also a great time to splurge on a great bottle of wine that would be too expensive in restaurants. Just keep an open mind about eating out and do it often as a way to experience Spanish culture and feel more a part of the place. We absolutely love getting to know waiters and feeling like we are in one of our own neighborhood restaurants or bars. After a while I feel just as relaxed as I do at home. It is a far different feeling than I get when I feel like just another tourist.

Thanks All:

I agree that part of experiencing the culture is eating out and experiencing the smells etc. We will definitely do both. I appreciate all the reponses.