my friend and i were wondering what is the average cost of food in madrid when on a budget. Where are the best places to eat that are affordable? it can't be a mc donald's type of place. we are looking for spanish food at good prices... let us know...

we will be staying on gran via... hope this helps.
-roses

I would recommend tapas at bars, unless you have huge appetites. I was often full after a caña and a bocadillo or a ración of some other yummy Spanish treat. If you take that route, you can eat for $5-10 a person (or even less in some places), easily (unless you're big drinkers). I always stock up on fruit at grocery stores, and try to snack on that...it's also a big cost saver. And buy your own bottled water at grocery stores (El Corte Ingles on Preciados will be near you). Don't order water at restaurants...drink some of your own before or after (I never had the nerve to bring out my own water at a restaurant!). Order a vino or a beer, which will almost always be cheaper than water.

And if you're tempted by the platos combinados or platos del día (there are always signs outside restaurants advertising these), be sure you have a good Spanish dictionary so that you know what you are getting. I've had both good and bad fixed-price platos/menús. They can be pretty inexpensive ways to fill up, but the ones in tourist spots are often not very good (and may be more expensive than ordering something you really like a la carte). Prices for those platos seemed to range (in March of this year) from 800-1500 ptas., depending on the town (I hope I am remembering that correctly--does that sound right to you folks?).

wow! this is why i love this site. you guys are great. thank you so much!!!

I wouldn't recommend tapas because, unless you eat very little, you'll end up paying more than if you were having a menú del día in a restaurant.

The price for such a menu is around 1000 pesetas and includes two courses, dessert, bread and a drink. Note that you can't choose among all the things. Only from those on the menú del día.

As for the water, if you order tap water they don't charge you anything. But taravb is right, drinks (and also desserts) are quite expensive at restaurants.

I agree, Antonio, that the menú can be a great way to go, as long as you're comfortable with a narrower range of options. I think tapas work so well for me because I don't have a very big appetite (and beer fills me up!!). Often the menú seemed like a lot of not very interesting or appetizing food. I also found that the choices tended to be heavier, fried, etc....though most tapas aren't likely to make your cardiologist happy either!

Bring along your Spanish dictionary wherever you go, because it's good to be able to know what your choices are!

And I have tried ordering tap water once or twice, and got strange looks from the waiters! Maybe I said it wrong....

Buen provecho!

Roses,

There are additional options available. You don't have to eat all your meals out. Buying the makings for sandwiches, etc., isn't a bad option between big meals. Especially if what you choose isn't in large quantities, and won't spoil in a short period of time.

If I recall correctly, a loaf of good pan only ran about $1, and you can add everything you want to that, from the finest marmelades to prepared meats.

But be careful! If you intend to continue skating, you might get hooked on the good foods, and put on enough weight you'll have to have double runners on each skate so you don't get bogged down out there on the ice

Please excuse any spelling errors in this one. I'm about ready to head to bed, and have had my "night cap."

Wolf

I vote for finding the menú del día at a non-touristy place. Then, like taravb said, check out what exactly the choices are before you sit down, since there are usually only about 2 to pick from. Tap water is "agua del grifo." In a restaurant in Barcelona once, I ordered it and the waiter told me I had to have bottled water b/c the tap water wasn't any good. But since I had been drinking tap water all over the country, I found it hard to believe it would be bad in one of the biggest cities. So I guess that was a ploy to make us pay for bottled water.

The waiter was right. Tap water in Barcelona tastes horrible (I lived there for about 10 years). Most people don't even drink tap water at home and they buy big bottles in the supermarket.

I don't know exactly the reason but, although tap water is drinkable everywhere in Spain, in some cities it tastes very bad (specially at some coastal places).

However, in Madrid we are very lucky and we have wonderful water.

[ 04-13-2001: Message edited by: Antonio ]

I forgot to mention my favorite (and a very cheap) snack food...Nocilla chocolate-hazelnut spread on Maria cookies. The cookies come in long tubes and are very plain hard cookies. The Nocilla is like Nutella, if you are familiar with that. Those two things and a juice box (most juices come in boxes in Spain, both little ones like kids use here and also larger, liter-sized ones) of peach juice...mmm!!

And in summer, especially, fruits in Spain are AMAZING. I had the best peaches ever there 10 years ago, and still think about them! Just remember that in most grocery and fruit stores, you shouldn't handle the fruit (sometimes they put out little gloves or napkins for you to use when you pick things up, even). If there is a person there, staffing the fruit stand, point or ask for what you want. They will get it for you. You can't feel everything like here in the US, but don't let that stop you!

Bottled water in Spain seemed less expensive than in the States... Except at the Palace which was a complete ripoff... I think I only paid .50-1.00 everywhere else.