the best restaurant in Madrid

i just recently went on my first trip ever to Spain with a group, coordinated by a teacher. i stayed in the puerta del sol area of madrid and visited the plaza mayor almost every night. i found the best restaurant/bar in the entire city, i swear. it is called El Cuchi and if you go there you should order strawberry daquiries and nachos. they rock. if you enter the plaza mayor where the statue in the center is facing you, then go to the back-left and down the stairs and you will see a sign that says "El Cuchi....Hemingway never ate here" the waiters are really nice and cute and it is cheap and great food. if you go there tell me about it!
cd

El Cuchi is great for students, and/but that isn't a real SPANISH experience. I'd head out to a regular tapas bar instead. There used to be a restaurant on one corner of the Plaza Mayor, the one that leads, um, right? if you are staring at the arco de cuchilleros exit, that was like a family bar. No terrace, but fantastic tapas (boquerones fritos) and a great clarete house wine. Damned if I can remember the name, but you saw mostly espanyoles in there. That's the key. Yet if I were 16 in Madrid, I might want to be in El Cuchi with fun waiters, eating nachos too!

Strawberry daquiries and nachos in Madrid? How UN-Spanish!! Hahahaa... Still, I'm sure this would rock if *I* were 16inMadrid too!! Where else can a student (from the US???) go to get buzzed by cheap booze and food?

I always wondered what that place was called. I always remember the awning/sign that says "Hemingway Never Ate Here", but could never remember the name! El Cuchi. I'll have to check that touristy place out.

If you want touristy places near/in the Plaza Mayor, how 'bout the little place on the north inside face of the Plaza called Bar Andalus: El Tore de Oro. It's not at all big and is narrow, but is STUFFED FULLL of bullfight memorobilia including BULL HEADS hanging from the wall. I think I counted 5 bull heads as well as a glass-encased "traje de luces" (suit of lights - the uniform of bullfighters). I had a beer here on two seperate occasions and they gave free tapas each time (paella on a Thursday and maybe olives on the other visit). While touristy, it was full of businessmen AS WELL as a couple who were taking LOTS of photos (like me. hehhee).

Rgf, I think you may be talking about "Las Cuevas de Luis Candelas in the southwestern corner/stairs of the Plaza Mayor at El Arco de Cuchilleros. It's partially UNDER the plaza itself. We had one fantastic dinner her on my last night in 1998. It was incredible! The 10 of us sat at a big table in our own little brick-domed dining room with an ancient mural of Madrid in the 1600s (?) behind our table. I had the cochinillo (roasted suckling pig) and after eating I was given a tour of the kitchen where they showed me how they roasted the piglets in the brick-lined domed ornos (ovens). We finished off the night with a big, fat cigar at the table along with a brandy. They gave us all recuerdos (souvenirs) of a small ceramic urn/pitcher with the cursive writing of the name of the place. We all forgot ours at the table upon leaving. How stupid.

I would say Las Cuevas de Luis Candelas would have to get my vote for finest restaurant only because I haven't tried many outside of the house. This is one of the things I hope to do in October, to try many restaurants in Madrid like the famed Hemingway restaurant El Botín and a few others.

I look forward to hearing other suggestions.

Saludos, MadridMan

hey now guys....although El Cuchi may be "un-spanish", when you are 16 and broke (and yes I am from the US)in spain its a pretty good restaurant =) and talk about un-spanish..i had a spanish exchange student this summer and all she would eat was peanut butter and pizza. she wouldn't even eat her spanish food (like paella) at her house while i was in Spain with her. does anyone know how to flip a spanish omelette and keep it in one piece? my mom and i end up cutting it into sections and flipping each one separately. still tastes the same though =)
cd

Oh! Me! Me! I do!! My Spanish ladyfriend always calls on ME to "flip her omellettes". hehehe.. SERIOUSLY! But then, she makes them in the first place and my only role is to cover the pan with a plate, flip it, and put it back in the pan for further cooking. The end result is ALWAYS delicious!!

OK, 16inMadrid - here's how to keep your tortilla in one piece!!

Right after you pour the egg-onion-potato mixture into the pan, over high heat, MIX the stuff with a spatula, pulling up what's on the bottom - cooking fast - and flipping over what's on top, and needs cooking. When about one third of it looks cooked (happens fast), lower the heat way down, cover the pan, wait a few minutes, and try flipping it. Because it won't be so runny in the middle any more, it should all stay together. Works for me every time!

Your exchange student ate peanut butter? I'm shocked!! You can only find it in health food stores in Spain! Most Spaniards won't touch it!

Here's a funny story. I was once in a small pueblo's health food store to buy oatmeal for my father-in-law, since he has poor digestion and I thought he might like some with milk. Anyway...After I paid for the oatmeal, I asked the lady if she by any chance had "crema de cacahuete" (peanut butter - literally cream of peanuts). She gave me a look of pure disgust, and said (in Spanish), "We don't sell creams here!" in a nasty voice. I thought her reaction was a bit extreme, but I smiled politely, said good-bye, and went my way. It wasn't until I was halfway down the street when I realized that she thought peanut butter was a skin cream!

hey everyone, well this is a little off topic but i just thought i would tell a funny little story i have. i had to fill out a biography to be matched with a spanish student on my trip this summer and i run cross country so i asked my spanish teacher how to say this and he told me to write "Me gusta cruz campo". little did i know that this was a beer in spain! so my spanish family was very worried and thought they were going to be hosting an alcoholic! but it was cleared up =) oh and one question, as a gift my spanish family gave me these plastic containers of chocolate stuff they put in sandwiches and i was wondering if you can buy it in the us. it is like thick chocolate icing sort of....nocilla or something. any ideas?
cd

Mmmmmmm! Nocilla! It's what kept this skinny kid alive when I was growing up. Being a fussy eater then, and still somewhat now, I ate only Nocilla sanwiches, pan, sin mantequilla, salads, and Tortillas de patata.
I grew to appreciate Spanish food later.
There were always Americans at Pryca looking for corn. The Spaniards would always seem pensive since they consider corn to be animal feed for the most part!
I am currently longing for Spanish potato chips! YUMMY

This thread is a hoot!! MM, no, it is not the Cuevas de Luis Candelas I am thinking of. I ate there once, and HATED the touristy atmosphere. Much too hokey for me. And claustrophobic. OK, this place would be on the east side of the plaza, then, I guess. Just a bar, with an entrance off the plaza and another one off the side street. An ice cream freezer by the door, simple tables up front, some tables in the back for regular meals... anyway. It was a good place for my family like 10 years ago when ALL my kid wanted was cola-jet and un vasito de heldao camy etc. Nocilla makes me laugh. And yes, you CAN get mantequilla de cacahuete (p.b.) in places like El Corte. The kid lived on that, too. But he does love tortilla de patata!! Diana gave the exact preferred method for the flip. You have to lift the sides of the tortilla slightly with the spatula so it is mostly cooked. You also need a plate that covers the pan about perfectly. I always do my flip over the sink just in case! mmmmm

Wait, MM, I am terrible with directions. If you are staring at the steps that lead down the Arco de Cuchilleros, the bar I am talking about is on your right, at one of the arches leading out of the plaza (E or W? no se). If I weren't lazy I'd go look at my map, but I won't remember the name of it. MM, you should try some of the Basque restaurants in Madrid, riquisimos. Check out the casa vasca, right next to the Spanish teatro on, what, Zorrilla? You can munch downstairs (great tapas, also some dishes that are good and cheap), or eat in the more formal restaurant on the second floor. It's great! If you have never eated at Eidelweiss (right near the casa vasca... on jovellanos?!?), it is an absolute essential Madrid experience. Go early, go hungry. The portions are huge. Same waiters today as from when I studied in Madrid in the 70s!!!


eaten, not eated. SOrry, working with LYNX!

[This message has been edited by rgf (edited 08-19-2000).]

Eidelweiss is still there? Ummm yummy! Been there, done that! Also we had a favorite Italian restaurant in the area of the blind school. I cannot think of the name, but it was full all the time!
Another favorite of mine was the Rib House out on the highway to the airport. We never went at the "American Hour" but the barbeque sauce was to die for!!!

Do you flip tortillas de patatas? I never fliped them. My mother showed me the easiest way to turn the tortilla. Once that the botton is cooked you put a big plate on top of the pan, put your hand on the plate and then turn the pan so the pan would be on the top and the plate on the botton. Then you just put the tortilla back to the pan (does this make any sense? I don't know if I am explaining myself in the correct way )

Ohhhh...Nocilla. Unfortunately, I've never seen Nocilla anywhere in the US. But I'll tell you what I did once. I was sitting at home, and all of a sudden, suddenly, I had a craving for Nocilla and this idea popped into my head. Substitute chocolate Betty Crocker Frosting for Nocilla. So Off I went to the store, I bought some Nocilla a la americana(chocolate frosting he he), came home and made a couple of sandwiches. I'll tell you what, that was the first and last time I ever used that crazy idea! What I thought might be a good idea turned out to be downright Nasty. I think The Nocilla company would have been insulted.

Nuria, your description to flip (flip = "to turn over" en inglés) a tortilla is, of course, perfect! And as rgf says, I too always do this OVER THE SINK just in case.

And rgf, yes, I know exactly the place you mean now. Imagine you're in the Plaza Mayor and walking towards the stairs of el Arco de Cuchilleros. BEFORE walking down the steps, the place you describe is on the right. I know it, but have never been inside. Always wondered though. And you're right, Las Cuevas de Luis Candelas is a bit touristy, but when I was there in 1998 it was almost 100% Spaniards eating there...maybe taking their foreign visitors there?? heheehe... But still, I loved the small dining rooms and brick-domed ceilings.

And Rubia66, while you can't get those yummy Spanish potato chips in the USA (I doubt!), you can find potato chips fried in olive oil at the gourmet food stores or even maybe at the regular stores, but they're expensive! My Spanish ladyfriend and I tried them once and she said they were just like in Spain. They are SO tasty, it's true.

Me gusta Cruz Campo tambien, pero prefiero Mahou , MadridMan
(Cruz Campo is made in Andalucia and not so readily found in central/norther Spain while Mahou and San Miguel is made in Madrid)

Check out that San Miguel interactive/animated/cartoon website. It's very cute! Just put your pointer left or right to make the fat man walk left/right/to the next screen...etcetera.

Good, MM, glad you can picture this place on the Plaza Mayor. My marido says it has some geographic name, and the vino de la casa was a valdepenas clarete. So I'm imagining it is called los llanos or los condes or some such thing!! As for the tortilla flip, claro que hace falta un plato! A GREAT Spanish beer that I've seen in the US is La Estrella de Galicia. Cruz campo is almost as good, though. San Miguel used to be good 50 years ago but not now... Mahou of course is great! Man, am i missing Espanya today. Think I'll make some sangria to make myself feel better! PS, now USAir and Iberia are offering really low r.t fares to Spain all fall. Too bad I have to teach!

For those of you, Nocilla lovers, check out its official site at http://www.nocilla.com.

In the UK they sell something similar called "Nutella". I wonder if you have it in the US.

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As for beer lovers, Cruzcampo has its own chain of cervecerías. They are called "Gambrinus". There is one at Plaza del Carmen and another one at Fuencarral (just beside the Municipal museum).

Regards,

Antonio

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The best tips from your favourite hostal in Madrid.
Hostal Chelo at http://www.chelo.com

I saw the very NUTELLA today in my humble supermarket! Looked as asqueroso as it does to me in Spain. But give me some REAL chocolate caliente anytime!

This thread is making me hungry.

RE: Flipping tortillas. If the plate method is causing problems, next time you're in Spain buy a two-sided tortilla pan (I never saw them outside Spain). The lid is the same as the base. When one side is done you just close the lid and turn the whole thing over.
!Chachi!

Yes, you can buy Nutella in the US (look for it by the peanut butter).I get it all the time for my kids. They love making "bollicaos" with it (hot dog buns filled with Nutella).
Another thing I do with Nutella is use it as frosting for my yellow cake; my kids like it so much, they don't want me to use regular frosting anymore (and my frosting is home made, not that nasty stuff in tubs).

Another way to flip a tortilla, for anybody with problems sliding it back into the pan (my husband).
Once the bottom is cooked, slide the tortilla into a plate (cooked part on the bottom). Cover with the pan,hold both together with both hands and flip(make sure to use oven mits or pot holders).