I will in Madrid from May 10 to May 21.
Please let me know of any Irish Pubs with good food.
Thank you,
Jim from New York City

Yikes! Are you serious?! You live in New York City, are visiting Madrid, Spain, and are seeking an Irish Pub to eat?? Good God.

I avoid Irish Pubs like the black plague and have been inside only 2 since I started visiting Spain 13 years ago. They give me "the willies"! Blah! Make my skin crawl.

I know they're popular among Spaniards and other English people but they're so NON-Spanish! Why not just go to Ireland for vacation instead??

My English buddy tells me that Dubliners - one of the many Irish bars near Puerta del Sol - has a good English breakfast but I don't think these bars generally serve meals, just snack foods.

Stick to Spanish food. It'll improve your Spanish experience - and it's SO gooooood. :p :

Saludos, MadridMan

At the distinct risk of incurring MM's wrath :

James Joyce Pub , Calle Alcala 59 ( Metro - Banco de Espana ) .. Pub food and soccer and rugby games on big tv screens .

I totally agree with MM that the Spanish food is FAR better but I also have friends back in the UK and in Ireland who , just for a laugh , like to visit an Irish bar when they're in a different country . Similar to some of my American friends wanting to try out Starbucks in Madrid ( which I hate ! ) .

Steve.

must admit when we were near Puerto del Sol we went in two irish bars, they were dull and dark and in need of refurbishment,we didnt eat in there but the price of the ale was ridiculous and it was NOT very nice either,as they say when in Rome but in this case when in Spain, how often will you visit Spain? how often will you visit an Irish pub? (in any city in the world) anyway whatever your choice enjoy

I confess to being regularly found in Irish bars, mainly for the beer and football/rugby coverage. They are not the best place to eat in Madrid, although a lot of them do now offer lunchtime menus.

My favourite, for what it's worth, is the Irish Rover, Avenida Brasil 7, which is friendly and very good for live music in the evenings.

The James Joyce as Steve said, is worth a visit, as is O'Neils, whose address eludes me but is very near Plaza Santa Ana, I think on calle del principe.

Jim Costello, from NYC, writes: If you're looking for stuff like an Irish Breakfast or Carvery Lunch, I think you're out of luck. But you can get excellent potatoes (from Galicia) and Black Pudding (Morcilla Asturiana). There's a Celtic-Irish connection between NorthWest Spain and Ireland: a 3rd or 4th Century migration from the Iberian Peninsula.

Your viait to Madrid will be during San Isidro. Enjoy the fiesta! For breakfast you can have Churros con Chocolate and avoid a lot of the fatty foods the Irish eat (i.e., sausage, bacon, etc.).

Speaking as someone whose Spanish food bona fides are impeccable (references available upon request ) I occasionally have lunch with American expatriate friends at O'Neills on c/Principe, between Plaza Canalejas and Plaza Santa Ana.

You can get BLTs, burgers or Caesar Salads, sit at adult sized tables and chairs that are more than a foot apart and drink whiskey out of something other than a "tubo", with more than three ice cubes. It's dark and large and quiet and can be a nice break. The service can be slow, but it gives you a chance to relax.

Now, back to my glass of Chinchon Seco...

From Jim in New York City,

Thank you for the information on Irish Pubs/Restaurants in Madrid.

I visit Madrid several times a year to visit family. I like to go to Spanish restaurants.

The reason I asked about Irish Restaurants was that my parents were born in Ireland and immigrated to the US in 1927. I usually asked the staff in the restaurants what part of Ireland they are from. The Irish are friendly and we talk about Ireland.

The only Irish restaurant in Madrid that I go to is the James Joyce Irish Pub at Calle de Alcala 59. I love to eat the Menu of the day outside.
The food is good, the staff is friendly, and eating outside is terrific.

Please let me know some Spanish restaurants in the Gran Via area that have Menu of the Day that have outside eating areas.

Also looking for cafes for breakfast that prohibit smoking unless the have an outside area.

I will be visiting Madrid in May.
Thank you for your assistance.

Jim C in New York City.