Posted by: La Sorpresa
MADRID: La Barraca Restaurant - 06/16/05 09:43 AM
Hi all,
I just saw a show on the Travel Channel called Passport to Europe with Samantha Brown. She was in Madrid and had lunch at a restaurant called La Barracca (Chueca area I think).
They claim the best Paella in Madrid.
Anyone been there? Opinions? Reviews? Worth seeking out in October when I am there next? Better ideas?
PS - I am starving right now. A little food talk would help a lot!
Spark
Posted by: GoMadrid
Re: MADRID: La Barraca Restaurant - 06/16/05 01:17 PM
I have eaten at La Barraca three times, although it has been a few years.
I thought it was great.
They have an inexpensive white wine there, Mantel Blanco. It was quite good.
A buen provecho.
Posted by: Bev
Re: MADRID: La Barraca Restaurant - 06/22/05 12:45 AM
Ate at La Barraca last month. Someone had recommended it to us. We had a hard time finding it but the paella was really enjoyable. However, it didn't compare to the paella in Barcelona in El Rey de las Gambas in Barceloneta.
Posted by: Cornelio
Re: MADRID: La Barraca Restaurant - 06/23/05 12:59 PM
My own personal favorite in terms of paella is also in the Barceloneta area of Barcelona and the name of the restaurant is SET PORTES.
Posted by: Bill from NYC
Re: MADRID: La Barraca Restaurant - 06/23/05 03:06 PM
The Travel Channel? I do not know if this is the same Travel Channel given by Time Warner in New York City. But Travel Channel on Timer Waner is mostly full of Poker game programs.
Hopefully the Food Channel will do a few shows about the food from Spain.
Bill
Posted by: maestroyaron
Re: MADRID: La Barraca Restaurant - 06/24/05 04:31 PM
Speaking of Paella, can somebody tell me how seemingly every business serving Paella in Madrid and elsewhere has the same "OK Paella" and "Casa de Paella" signs? Do these businesses make their own or do they buy it pre-made from a vendor?
Posted by: albert
Re: MADRID: La Barraca Restaurant - 06/27/05 08:00 AM
guys, if you want to have good paella, you have to go to Valencia!!!
Besides the fact that you need good quality ingredients, It's all about the water, in madrid the water is too soft, so it takes less time to cook and therefore not leaving enough time for the rice to steam nice and slow, to make sure it soaks up all of the ingredients flavors.
In valencia and the coastal regions, the water is much harder, helping to cook the rice better.
As for the question Maestroyaon makes, it all depends. If you don't see a publicity sign that says "yes we serve paella" with a nice pic of a paella dish, then most likely they make their own paella.
The bars with the publicity sign are usually frozen dishes where you just add water and boil it for 20 mins. So, if you want homemade paella, try to avoid those places.
I agree in that La Barraca, has lost a lot of quality. They have really focused their business toward tourist and from what I know, people from Madrid, don't usually go there.
Let it be also said, that if you don't know how a real paella should be like, but you love to eat rice, then the price-quality ratio is really good.
Posted by: La Sorpresa
Re: MADRID: La Barraca Restaurant - 06/27/05 08:55 AM
I have seen people eating the "OK Paella" and it looks just like it does on the sign - plastic!
Albert, I will not be able to go to Valencia on this trip, so do you have a better recomendation for Madrid? I am open to suggestions! I just had never heard of this restaurant and wanted some reviews.
Posted by: JoseR
Re: MADRID: La Barraca Restaurant - 06/27/05 12:13 PM
Sparkalina, We just returned from Spain and it was recommended by the hotel Villa Real. We had late lunch and we really enjoyed ourselves. They even have a web site
www.interocio.es/labarraca/ which I found after we returned.
Jose
Posted by: msk
Re: MADRID: La Barraca Restaurant - 07/25/05 03:10 PM
We just returned from the Villa Real and they sent us there too. You are about the 4th other person I've heard that went to La Barraca via this hotel. Yes, the food was good but I am a bit suspicious that they get the old "concierge kickback."
Posted by: Puna
Re: MADRID: La Barraca Restaurant - 07/25/05 03:35 PM
rsk,
La Barraca has been around for years and years - and, as MM and a few others mentioned, used to serve about the best paella in Madrid. The concierge who directed you might get the occassional tapas and glass of vino but I doubt if he/she receives a cash kickback.
Also, because it has been around for years, when a visitor asks for the best place to get paella in Madrid it would be a safe recommendation.
Head for Valencia on your next trip - you will taste the diffeence! And
never ever order a dish that is on displayed via a plastic picture.
Posted by: lakey
Re: MADRID: La Barraca Restaurant - 07/25/05 10:40 PM
Spent 7 wks in Valencia many yrs ago and lived with a family. Our landlady taught us well. She was, as all Valencians are, quite fussy about the supreme local dish. Now, what I came to enjoy had: very fresh local seafood (no, not chicken, sausage etc) including cigalas (crawdads) and mussels.Also a vegetable known as judias verdes (kind of large flat string beans things) tomats, saffron.When I once asked her about chicken,pork,etc she quietly paused, and informed me that maybe some Barcelonans or Madrileños might do such things. (But not in her household).There was definitely a local pride issue here. I did not argue. And I had the seafood paellas offered in many different places around Valencia.
Later I read about paellas as originating as outdoor food sizzling over available tree branches and whatever was readily available near the rice fields. The outdoor paellas might have (in other times) included such handy ingredients as rabbit or snails.
So to this day I wonder if anything with chicken isn't just good ol' arroz con pollo (chicken & rice). See if you can get the seafood version. It is transcendant. No comparison.Divine.
Posted by: Puna
Re: MADRID: La Barraca Restaurant - 07/26/05 10:39 AM
I'm with you and that landlady, lakey - for me, a true paella is with seafood - no chicken, no rabbit, absolutely no sausage .... just as many types of fresh seafood as can be found!
Now I;m hungry ....