Sorry Lee, I missed your post and was beaten to the punch by Epaulino4. When I was there in December they had the elevator frame up to the 3rd floor, so it will probably be quick work to finish.
Of course I had some great food and wine, mostly the usual tapas at the usual places.
I was introduced to a new restaurant where I ate twice, "Galopin" (Caballero de Gracia, 22-just south of Grand Via). It is a sidreria and they start you off with a glass of cider and some chistorra. The salads are a high point, both imaginative and featuring high quality ingredients. One I had contained bacalao, mesclun, dried apples and a dressing made from cider vinegar. The "platos" are traditional and feature plenty of fresh seafood. I got my fill of bacalao, which I am finding harder to find these days. They have several half bottles of wine on the list which is nice when your dining companion is eating a different meat than you are.The desserts are good, the service is excellent and the prices are somewhere in the middle. The only drawback I saw was when a large group came in, the kitchen fans were a bit overwhelmed and the dining became a bit smokey. Make a reservation for the table in the window if you can!
I would also recommend that anyone looking for a unique, albeit expensive experience have a drink in the rotunda bar of the Palace Hotel. For 17 Euros (per drink!) you are entitled to about 100 square feet of the most beautiful indoor real estate in Madrid, for as long as you care to sit. You get your own Oriental rug, couch, chairs, table, a large bowl of mixed nuts (no peanuts) and the largest olives I have ever seen! After paying 10 euros and more for a cocktail, just to stand and sweat in the crowds of some of the more popular clubs, it is a bargain! It kind of reminded me of flying first class.
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