First of all, I'VE LOST A LOT OF THE NOTES I MADE!!! so I can't remember the names of a lot of places I went, but here goes anyway.
Arrived in Madrid on Saturday afternoon and took the Aerocity Shuttle to Hostal Lopez. We were the only passengers so we went straight there (after we realized I had given the wrong address!!!).
Hostal Lopez was very basic but very clean, comfortable and warm. The family that run it are as warm and friendly as can be and the daughter speaks perfect English.
After chucking our bags in we headed straight to the nearest bar - we were very hungry! The first one we came to - El Diaria (I think?) - served tapas, so we ordered drinks and sat there salivating. My g/f and I both speak very little Spanish but, using our phrase book, tried to order some tapas, to be told, rather gruffly, that they weren't servng food (it was about 1615). A little disappointed at not getting any food and a little apprehensive due to the unfriendliness we carried on up the road and found another place that was still serving the Menu del Dia (I've forgotten the name). The staff here were very friendly and the food was excellent. I had a chick pea and chorizo stew for my first course which was delicious (and stews aren't normally my thing!) and Rachael had Paella, which she says is up with, if not THE, best she's ever had! For the second course I had "smoky pig" with boiled potatoes sprinkled with Paprika and Rachael had gilt head bream. Again, mine was very nice. The fish was OK but full of bones. In addition to this we got a litre of white wine. The total price???
£10!!!!. We couldn't believe it! This was the first of many times we would be amazed by the low cost of food!
Refreshed and relaxed (not to mention full!) we headed back to the hostal to get ready for our first night in Madrid.
We first headed for Plaza Mayor. It was very atmospheric - there was a big crowd of people watching a street entertainer. We decided to get a drink and some tapas in a bar a couple of doors away from the Museo del Jamon. This was our one and only "rip-off" experience. Two glasses of wine and a racione of prawns/shrimps in batter came to about £7 (if I remember rightly) and the prawns weren't very nice anyway.
From here we headed into the area around Sol and onto the Gran Via. We walked for what seemed like an age until we finally decided we were lost! Using the map in the Mini Rough Guide to Madrid we managed to find our way back to the Huertas area. Desperate to rest our aching limbs, and to warm our cold bodies, we debated for some time whether having come all the way to Madrid we should go into that great Spanish institution, Planet Hollywood! The promise of warmth, relaxation and refreshment won out and in we went (I'd never been in a Planet Hollywood before anyway so I could justify it to myself). Very friendly bar staff and surprisingly reasonable prices in here.
From Planet Hollywood we headed into Huertas and hit several of the little bars around there. One bar up a street off Calle las Huertas seemed to be doing a roaring trade so we ventured in and ordered a racione of chorizo - the food I had been most looking forward to. When it came it was in thin slices and full of fat and made my teeth feel like they were gonna fall out with each bite! The chorizo I had had before was in full sausage form (how do you know what you're going to get when you order chorizo?). Nevertheless, I ate it! It wasn't too bad.
From here we went to the bar underneath Hostal Lopez, had another drink and then went in and to bed. When we got into the room the noise from the bar seemed louder than it did when we were actually in there! Due to the magical mystery tour our aching bodies had had to endure earlier though we had no trouble sleeping.
On Sunday we rose at around 11am and headed up Calle Huertas in search of food and coffee. The intention was to head to the Sol area to find some Churros y Chocolat but we stopped in a little cafe on the corner of Calle Huertas and another street (can't remember the name, may have been Italian sounding?). In here we had the nicest cup of coffee EVER and a lovely croissant aswell. After this we decided the Churros could wait until the following day and headed to the Prado. Entry is free on a Sunday and although art isn't really our thing we really enjoyed it. Some of the stuff in there was really "accessible" even for phillistines like us! We especially liked all the biblical stuff.
From here we tried to dash down to the Reina Sofia gallery that also had free entry and was open til 2.30pm (the Prado shuts at 2pm on a Sunday). We were hungry again by now and totally by accident we stumbled across the famous El Brillante! In we went and we were first surprised by the fact that it had a modern fast food style look when we were expecting something more traditional. Anyway, we headed up to the top bar and ordered a beer and a glass of wine. With it we got our first free tapas, a mussel and an olive each which were delicious! We then moved across to the food bar on the other side and ordered Patatas Bravas which were served with the most delicious crusty bread.
From El Brillante we headed across to Atocha Renfe Metro station to catch the Metro up to the Bernabeu to see if we could get our hands on some tickets for the Real v Valencia match that night. We bought a ten trip ticket for around £3 and jumped on the next train. We found the Metro very clean and easy to navigate and would recommend it to anyone as a great way to get around. As we got off and walked towards the stadium we were approached by a tout straight away offering tickets at around £40 each. We decided to walk all the way around the ground before buying and were approached on several other occassions after which we'd discovered that £40 seemed to be the "going rate". In my infinite wisdom I decided that we should come back just before kick-off when they'd be getting desperate to sell their tickets and we'd get a better price so we jumped back on the Metro and headed back into central Madrid.
We got off at Alonso Martinez and walked through Chueca towards Gran Via. A lot of the places in Chueca were closed, therefore, it's hard to comment on the area. I'd imagine it to be quite lively at night as there were numerous bars.
Upon hitting Gran Via we carried on walking and while walking down Calle Tetuan we were hit by the most wonderful smell coming from a place called Parilla El Gaucho. It was an Argentinian place sellling meat, meat and more meat! They have a big black metal grill behind the bar where they cook chorizo (my kind!), big steaks, black pudding and several other meaty looking things. Rachael wasn't hungry but I ordered the chorizo. This was served with the obligatory delicious crusty bread and a small pot of something called "Tumituri". This was an oily dip with loads of herbs and bay leaf type things in there and a humungous amount of garlic. Although we'd only ordered for me we were given two plates and two pieces of bread so, as it would've been rude not to (!), Rachael got stuck in aswell. The chorizo (in the form of a whole sausage this time) was out of this world and the Tumituri delicious. Has anyone had this anywhere else or is it an El Gaucho speciality? We finished our food and our glasses of wine and asked for the bill expecting to pay at least £5 or so. The barman asked us what we'd had! (you couldn't do that in England) and the bill came to a ridiculously cheap £3!!! From here we walked up to Gran Via Metro station and visited a few more bars along the way. We were given free tapas in a couple and all were, as ever, dirt cheap.
We got back up to the Bernabeu at about 7pm. The streets, squares and bars were thronged with people and, although we were disappointed at not getting in (prices hadn't come down and there were fakes being sold so we decided against it - the people on the gates wouldn't accept bribes either) it was enjoyable soaking up the atmosphere and nearly being deafened by firecrackers! We watched the first half in a bar in the square right next to the ground called Maoi (I think???). In here they didn't have any red wine so the barman suggested another drink that came in a long thin glass. I can't remember the name of it (i think it bgan with "c" and it was dark red) but it was different and quite nice.
We headed back to central Madrid on the Metro and got off at Opera. We went in another Planet Hollywood style bar outside the Metro station and then walked up Calle Arenal towards Sol. We passed Joy Eslava and spotted Chocolateria San Gines and decided to come back there for Churros y Chocolat the following morning. Along Calle Arenal from Joy Eslava we went into a small tapas bar run by an old couple who argued incessantly while we were in there! The miserable old git gave us a tapa of small potato pieces with tomato, chorizo and oil which was absolutely delicious. As this was so nice we ordered Calamares and Patatas Bravas. The calamare was top notch and, as nice as the Patatas Bravas in El Brillante was, this wiped the floor with it! Again (yawn, yawn) it was really cheap. I wrote the name down somewhere but can't find it!
From here we got back on the Metro to Atocha and went back to El Brillante. Again, we got a mussel and an olive each (unfortunately we don't like olives) and we ordered a racione of albondigas (meatballs). These were absolutely gorgeous!
After this we headed "home" to Hostal Lopez, stopping for a last drink of the night along the way.
On Monday morning (our last full day) we went back to the same place we'd had a coffee and a croissant the previous day prior to getting Churros at San Gines. Unfortunately, it was closed so we went to a bar just by Anton Martin Metro station on Calle Atocha. Here we both had coffee which, again, was great. I had toast and Rachael had a ham and cheese bocadillo(??). Not as good as some food we'd had but good all the same. From here we got the Metro to Opera and headed to Chocolateria San Gines only to find it was closed. There was a place next door, however, that was cashing in on the fact and serving Churros y Chocolat itself. I'd been looking forward to this for weeks prior to coming but have to say I was a little dispappointed. I was expecting really thick chocolate but what I got was thick hot chocolate (like the drink). Despite my disappointment, it was OK. Did I find bad Churros or is this just what it is like??? Anyway, the coffee was great again!
From here we went to the Palacio Real. What struck me first was how close it is to everything. We walked out of a side street and there it was. It was a lovely, sunny morning and it looked magnificent. After hanging around outside for a few minutes, soaking up the grandeur we headed inside. We walked across the Plaza Armeria expecting there to be a great view at the far side but there was just a load of brush and tower blocks in the distance! The armoury was magnificent although Rachael wasn't overly impressed - is it a bloke thing? Walking through the rooms in the Palace was great. Information on each room was in English aswell as Spanish - which isn't always the case, eg Museo del Prado - so you could read about the events that had occurred there and let your imagination do the rest. Our legs were in agony from the 200 miles we must have covered the previous day, so we were quite relieved when we reached the end of the tour and went and sat down to a nice Fanta Limon in the cafe. It was also nice to get away from the stares of the Palace security guards who weren't exactly the most cheerful people in the world!
From here we took the Metro upto Salamanca to check out the designer clothes shops. Prior to going here we had been struck by the lack of "beautiful people" we'd seen in our first one day and two nights. Within minutes we realised they all lived here! Two out of every three people we walked past reeked of money and were exceptionally well turned out. I found myself looking on enviously at the bankers and businessmen walking out of various financial institutions with their expensive haircuts and suits that cost more than my car! We went into the Armani shop and it was like a scene out of Pretty Woman when the stuck up shop assistant reluctantly pointed me in the direction of the menswear. The prices in here were ridiculous. One shirt in particular was about three times as much as you'd pay in England! This was surprising and disappointing in equal measure as I was hoping to pick up some designer gear at good prices. Oh well.
We didn't bother with anywhere else and headed back to Gran Via by Metro.
By now my stomach was starting to rumble and El Gaucho was calling! We'd decided that we'd come back and have the steak today but when I got there and saw it, I just had to have that chorizo again! Rachael wanted it too, so we ordered one each. Again it was served with the Tumituri and bread and was just as nice as it was the day before which was great because it doesn't always work out like that! From here we headed back to our Hostal and had a 2 hour siesta before heading out for our final night in Madrid.
This remaining night, and the following morning (our flight home was at 1545), were going to be a culinary expidition planned with military precision!
From Hostal Lopez we went into a small tapas bar down towards the bottom of Calle las Huertas. In here we ordered Spanish Omelette and, naturally, it was delicious (lost the name I'm afraid). Next was a tapas bar near El Diaria which I'd recognized from the Walks of Madrid website. In here we had canapes. Rachael had cheese, tomato and anchovies and I had this green cheesy stuff. Delicious! Next was El Brillante (again!). Meatballs for me (again!) Patatas Alioli (potatoes in Garlic Mayo) for Rachael. Once again, delicious!
We were rather full by now so headed to Plaza Mayor to take some pictures. When we got there there was a thick fog! We snapped away anyway.
We took some pictures outside Botin. We were definitely intending to go in here but just didn't feel the need to have a "proper sit down meal" with the proliferation of amazingly cheap, delicious and atmospheric tapas bars.
We got a drink in a bar just by Plaza Mayor and got free tapas - typical, as we were full! Worse still, it was Patatas Alioli which we'd just had!
I luckily decided to get the guide book out in here to make sure we hadn't forgotten to go anywhere. We had! Taberna de Antonio Sanchez, the oldest bar in Madrid! This bar has been there since the 17th Century and probably hasn't changed much. Again we got free tapas and again it was Patatas Alioli! It was nice but we just couldn't face anymore food (not to mention anymore Patatas Alioli!).From here we headed back to the tapas bar on Calle Arenal where we'd had the amazing Patatas Bravas the previous night. The proprietor was at his miserable best and didn't even acknowledge our presence for about 3 minutes!!! We ordered a glass of wine each and waited expectantly for some tapas. It never came! There were also two men in the bar and one of them had some sort of fit/blackout and collapsed. I helped his friend get him up and once he'd got himself back together he came over to thank me and asked if we'd like a drink. We said no but thanks anyway etc as we were going to go in a moment. They actually left before us and said something to the proprietor and pointed at us while paying their bill. I don't speak Spanish but from the body language I was 99% certain he paid for our drinks. When we asked for the bill the owner still charged us!!! This was such a shame because this guys Patatas Bravas was unbelievably good.
Also mentioned in our guide book was a place called Vina P, on Plaza Santa Ana, so we headed there. We couldn't find it so we went in another bar on Plaza Santa Ana. I can't remember the name but it seemed to specialise in cheese and chorizo (the kind I don't like!). From here we went in the bar next door, which again seemed to specialise in cheese! In here I had this cloudy beer which, from the little Spanish I know, was made from only natural ingredients. This was very nice and the very friendly, cheerful barman asked us whether we wanted peanuts, crisps or olives with it - a chance to avoid the dreaded olive! We stayed in here for quite a while and I had a couple more of these delicious beers.
After this we went back to the hostal.
Our last morning and we had to buy cigarettes, souvenirs, get to the airport and, most importantly, fill our stomachs with food! We had coffee and a croissant in the place we went to on our first morning (it was open today!). From here we had a last look at Plaza Mayor and took some more pics. While at Plaza Mayor we realised that our flight was later than we thought it was so we went to the Thyssen museum. This was mainly modern art and we weren't impressed at all compared to the Prado - a green triangle on a white background doesn't really do it for me (there was some good stuff though and we did have to rush around it).
After leaving here, buying our cigarettes and picking our bags up (they kindly let us leave them at Hostal Lopez after checking out) we were hungry and had a major decision to make - where do we have our last meal in Madrid??!! El Gaucho was tempting but it was in the wrong direction. The place on Calle Arenal was out due to the miserable proprietor. The Menu del Dia we had on Day One would have gone down nicely. There could only be one winner though - El Brillante! Visit no.4! This time we got anchovies as our free tapas and ordered the wonderful meatballs again and hmmmmmmm...that bread!. Once we'd finished we reluctantly left and headed to the airport via the Metro (this was STILL using our ten trip ticket!). Big mistake!!! We thought we'd given ourselves plenty of time but found ourselves running through Madrid airport to catch our plane! This wasn't easy with the bad leg I'd picked up through all that walking! We made our flight with seconds to spare - we were the last to check in!
On a negative note, we found a lot of people to be quite surly and unfriendly, not to mention impatient with our lack of Spanish. On a lot of occassions when we had unsuccessfully tried to communicate in our pidgin Spanish, we had to resort to asking if someone spoke English. This was, more often than not, greeted with a snappy "No!". I could understand this if we'd made no attempt to try and communicate in Spanish but it was a little disappointing that they didn't appreciate the effort - I've always found that other nationalities appreciate you trying to speak their language, French, Italian, Dutch to name a few, no matter how badly. Also, Madrileno men aren't very courteous to women are they? No holding doors open or giving up a seat! We did meet plenty of nice, friendly people aswell though.
All in all, we had a wonderful time in Madrid and we definitely hope to go back there someday. The food was out of this world. The place itself has a certain something about it. There is plenty to do and see, whatever your taste, and the food was tremendous (have I already said that?!).
Tenerife, Amsterdam and Cyprus are next on the agenda, but as Arnie said - "I'll be back!"
:p
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