Madrid tapas bars-plaza mayor

ok amigos -i have been to the plaza mayor (Madrid) many times but now i have to be the experienced one for my relatives who i convinced to go along with me-my question -are the best tapas bars inside the plaza itself or on the neighboring streets-also if i am driving on calle mayor and the plaza is on my right , where can i access the underground parking that i am told exists under the plaza mayor -muchas gracias, chuck

OK, first the easy part: The access to the underground parking is just along the Calle Mayor about halfway past where the Plaza starts if you are driving up the Calle Mayor. Just look for the big blue sign with a large P.

And you have opened a heated subject about the "best tapas". Who can say what or where the best tapas are? I avoid those places IN the Plaza Mayor like the plague because of the abusive prices and their total dedication to the predication of tourists. Remember that tapas are just Spanish cuisine served up in small portions so what you have to look for are places that do just nice food. What happens to us "natives" is that we have a series of places that do one or two things especially well (in our opinion). I have number of places that I go to frequently with friends to have one thing or the other. And that is the real essence of the tapa-ing. It is to bar hop from one to the other in good company and just have something and glass of wine in each place. But beware: this turns into an expensive enterprise and should not be thought of a cheap way to eat!!!

Just to clear things up, I am not saying not to go into the Plaza Mayor but my policy on that one is to just have something to drink if I want to sit there and then just grin and bear it when the bill comes. But it is a great place to hang out and look at people.

I couldn't agree more with Richard, if fact that's exactly what I was going to write. Go have a drink there if you must, and enjoy the people, the sun, the architecture, etc.... at the terrazas of the Plaza (I personally would have some Spanish drink like; 'granizado de limón', 'mosto', 'horchata', 'tinto de verano', 'clara', etc....to make the experience more authentic), but for tasty tapas, I'd definetely head somewere else.

I too agree with richardmadrid and pim. To have tapas in the Plaza Mayor Madrid you're paying and should expect to pay for the quality of location and view than for the quality of tapas. Really, to me, the tapas in the Plaza Mayor are average in quality so for me, "average" is just fine if the setting is special. I honestly don't mind paying 3-4 Euros for a coffee with milk or the same for a pincho of tortilla de patatas if I can sit at a table IN the Plaza Mayor or in an old bar/restaurant in the gallery of same.

Between Plaza Mayor and Puerta del Sol there are MANY tapas places. While not "pretty" or "historic-looking" at all, I like the "LAS BRAVAS" chain of tapas places. These places are POPULAR more with the local madrileños - they're cheaper (the place, not the madrileños), they're busier, and to me they're better. Oh, they're usually HOTTER too. You'll find several threads about tapas as well as a nice, LONG thread in this forum about the "LAS BRAVAS" chain entitled " Patatas Bravas in Madrid by using the SEARCH link above/right on all pages.

But really, for me, I love to finish an evening with a coffee Madrid's Plaza Mayor under the stars.

Have a great time in Spain! Saludos, MadridMan

MM,
I could not have said it better!

Chuck, now that we have suggested looking around I have to recommend Cerveceria Cervantes if you want a great variety of tapas. This bar is on the corner of Calle Jesus and Calle de Cervantes - in fact you can look east from the bar and see la Fuente Neptuno. See my pics for a look at some of the great tapas.

The way I see it, from the Plaza Mayor/Sol area you can easily walk to either La Latina (with eateries like El Viajero or El Almendro, etc....), or Huertas neighborhood (with places such as my beloved Maceira, Terra Mundi, La Dolores,....)

MM, stars in the Plaza Mayor?
In fact, there is a great discussion about the lighting in Madrid, as it is almost impossible to see any star in a normal night.
Anyway, we can still see the moon.

Miguelito, I wrote: I said UNDER the stars, not looking AT the stars. I can remember seeing LOTS of stars when walking through the Plaza Mayor at 3 or 4 in the morning after they turn off most of the plaza lights.

I agree with all the prior posts - a drink or cafe con leche in Plaza Mayor is great - but don't eat there. Best way to discover great tapa places and/or full meals - besides doing the suggested search - is to eat where the residents eat - not where the tourists eat.

A number of board members who live in Madrid (luchy guys!) have posted favorite restaurants along with the specialities offered and why they like them -

Have a great time - and happy 'tapaing'

If you want a professional start go to Casa Antonio in Latoneros st
and ask for a pitcher of Sangría (9 euros), you will have them with
a cat´s grin within ten minutes.

Andrés

OK, you guys. This has turned into a really nice thread so I am going to share one of my secret places with you all .. much against my better judgement. Not that I don't think you all don't deserve it but I hate to think of the place filling up any more than it does already!!

In the Calle de la Bola, there is a little (and I mean little) place called El Mollette that has some of the best tapas I know of in Madrid. And a very nice wine list of open bottles. It fits about 20 people comfortably so be forewarned... There's nothing I can recommend especially but I have tried about everything and been pleased with it all. The tortilla is to "tirar cohetes".

Just as a small aside to MM's star gazing observations - when miche and I visited Madrid a couple of weeks ago, we spent a LOT of time whistfully gazing up at the stars - they were beautiful and very bright. Sigh. The moon was spectacular too. Sigh. The best we saw were at about midnight in Plaza de Oriente, right miche? The view was helped along with a picnic on the grass and the strains of outdoor music in the distance . . . I want to be there again.

Oh, and the tapas we had whilst in Madrid was way cool too.

Jo

Nice follow-up, Jo-Anne. But COULD YOU see stars at night from the INSIDE of Plaza Mayor???

Erm, sorry MM, we were so busy looking at all the new MM stars we were meeting in the Plaza Mayor, we never actually looked up to the sky (sorry!).

The lights were bright in Plaza de Oriente (very bright indeed), but didn't stop us from seeing the stars, so wonder why it should be different in Plaza Mayor? Other than in Plaza Mayor, you can only look straight up, and in Oriente, you can look way into the distance?

Hmmm, sorry about that, not much help am I?

Jo

Referring to an earlier post of mine, I must report with a heavy heart that my beloved Cerveceria Cervantes is currently closed. In fact it has been completely gutted. I just returned from a very brief visit to Madrid and I will soon post the sad evidence. The previous pics are at: See Tapas Here

I'm not too sure how the tapas are, but the atmosphere is great. When I lived in Spain we always went to a group of bars beside Plaza Mayor. We called them "The Caves", because of the interiors. The serve some great Sangria.

Just down the street is a reataurant that was featured on The Learning Channel. It is either the oldest restaurant in the world or it has been in business the longest. I don't remember which. It's pretty expensive, but we talked to one of the waiters and he let us walk around and look at everyhting including the kitchen. It's a very interesting place.

My favorite place to go for tapas is a place called "El Faro" on Calle Abrantes (Metro stop Abrantes). It's far from the tourist area, but worth the trip.

I agree, Cervantes is(was) a big, big tapas bar. Their mushroom canape was superb. They are close now but it seems to me they are going to renovate the whole place, probably make it bigger what is great since it was always too packed.

Regards,
Andrés

The restaurant you alluded to that was on the Learning Channel must be BOTIN,or SORBRINO de BOTIN, off Plaza Mayor.

According to the Guinness Book of Records, this is the oldest restaurant in the world, dating from 1725.

This restaurant has been mentioned in several Hemingway novels. Specifically in "Death in the Afternoon", the Old Lady that is conversing with the narrator states "I would rather dine on suckling pig at Botin's than sit and think of casualties my friends have suffered."

Thanks for the clarification, Cornelio. But I wonder how are their tapas? I'd have to bet that they're overpriced and just average. Anyone else try tapas at Botín?

Our Antonio took me to a great (and cheap) little place outside the south side of Plaza Mayor in October 2000. He bought me/us bocadillos de calamares. Mmmm... I don't recall the name though or even if it still exists.

Richard wrote:

"In the Calle de la Bola, there is a little (and I mean little) place called El Mollette that has some of the best tapas I know of in Madrid. And a very nice wine list of open bottles. It fits about 20 people comfortably so be forewarned... There's nothing I can recommend especially but I have tried about everything and been pleased with it all. The tortilla is to "tirar cohetes"

Ok Richard,I must say Anne and myself paid yesterday a visit to El Mollete. Please, tortilla de patata lovers you must read this: EL MOLLETE´S TORTILLA DE PATATA CON CALLOS is the best ever. Forget about "Las Bravas", forget about Antonio Sanchez, this is it.

Andrés

Thanks Richard and Andres for the tip - I went there too and had the Tortilla de patata con callos - mas bueno!