See some of you there tomorrow! I remember last summer we had a thread started by another visitor to Madrid. It seemed the OP and another visitor were going to be in Madrid so we organized a lunch. When steve robinson and I met at the statue of Gabriel Garcia Lorca in Plaza Santa Ana we were the only ones there! The other two never showed up and never returned to the message board, no doubt ashamed or embarrassed. So he and I had lunch together. Regardless of who shows up, I'll try to get to Maceiras on the Calle Huertas.

Saludos, MadridMan

I may be a little bit late, i´m waiting for my DNI, still have a few people ahead of me but I don´t think i´ll be too late, maybe 10 or 15 mins. Will look arond the plaza if I don´t see you at the statue. I´m wearing a beige colored t shirt with kindof tribal logo and a baseball cap. Looking forward to it.

What a shame. Okay. Try to find us at the statue. If it seems you're really late we may just walk on down to Maceiras and you might find us there (Calle Huertas, 66) - assuming it's open and assuming we can get a table.

Hope to see you there! Saludos, MadridMan

I´ll be late too, I´ll send you a PM with my friend´s number so maybe you can SMS us in case you decide to go somwhere else?

First, I have to say that new-ish member canspan is one of the nicest, most genuine people I think I've ever met in my life. He's just great and we got along very very well. I felt instantly comfortable with him. Great guy.

canspan and I were the only ones lunching. We LUCKILY didn't have any of the service-attitude problems as mentioned in the other reviews at TABERNA MACEIRAS.

The Service: Our service was good and it seemed we had the only (multi-colored-hair) Spaniard working there. Not that it matters, but the other women waitresses were (1) Chinese and several (probably) Dominicans (or Cubans). The service was pleasant and she brought the check immediately upon asking.

The Place: We probably arrived there at about 2pm and there were only about 4 table occupied then. But by the time we left, maybe 4:30pm, every table was full. And it's true that all the tables are pushed up against once another so there's no extra space. The chairs are square, back-less wooden stools. The decoration is kind of nice, very "mariner" and eclectic. The restroom seemed clean.

The food: We ordered a full ración of PULPO (10 Euros), a full ración of the berberechos a la marinera (7 Euros), and a full bottle of the recommended Ribeiro white wine (14 Euros). The pulpo was tasty, very tender. The steamed berberechos ("cockles", in English) in the marinera sauce was very good too. The sauce surprised me though, being a kind of tomato and vinegar sauce which is not what I'd had before but still tasty. There were puh-lenty of berberechos too! The bottle of Ribeiro, typically good, was surprisingly expensive at 14 Euros. Often Galician restaurants will have a kind of "keg" or large container of Ribeiro wine from which they'll pour into individual pitchers for their guests. In this way it's still good but much cheaper. And yes, they gave us these small white ceramic bowls from which to drink the wine. The bread was really really good, not typical break, it was more of a wheat bread with thick dark brown crust.

Total Bill: 32.20 Euros - not bad, I'd say. The 14 Euro wine really added to the price.

ARGH!!! PIA, I didn't get your PM and posting until after leaving the house. SO SORRY! It would have been great to have more people too!

sallyanne, member canspan and I toasted to you and your birthday in the Plaza de Santa Ana after lunch. Shame you missed it.

Final Lunchtime Review: Good price, decent service, good food, tight eating quarters, good location, comfortable inside "climate".

And the best of all, and I made a new friend in canspan.

Saludos, MadridMan

P.S. steve robinson, you really missed out.

Hi MadridMan! Have just returned home and logged in for the first time since we met that day in Madrid. Thanks for the nice things you posted about me and same goes here. Will constantly be in touch and I hope to see you again soon. Will be deciding on whether or not I go back to Spain or school shortly. I am sort of glad to be back home but I miss my other home in Spain tremendously! Saludos y hasta pronto.