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."

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.

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.

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 ....