erm, not sure I really agree. I quite like VIPs for lunch. they have a menu del dia at a good price and the often is often better than you'll get in a lot of bars.
Sure, sometimes you eat bad, but I think that is down to the locale itself, as they are simply franchises. If you eat bad in one it is normally because the food is never too great there. but go to a different VIPs and you can eat really well.

I'd wondered why I couldn't connect outside their windows.

Yeah, I agree. I quite like VIPs food. It reminds me a lot of an American Denny's (with southwest dishes too!). Their burgers and pancakes are good. And their dozens of salads, huge and fattening, are delicious. Oh, and I've also bought pancake syrup and lots of American DVDs in their shop.

Hi there, Nice to be back here, Chueca is a wifi area, so you can go for DIURNO cafe in C/ Libertad and get a wifi while sipping your coffee, or go to Plaza de Sto Domingo park where wi fi free!!

Cheers!!

Neil

Denny's is good, but for me the best place to eat that type of food is Red Robin :-) yum yum. Everytime I go to the US I make sure I go.

the starbucks in Juan Bravo/Conde de Peñalver also has free wifi.

Oh, and by the way, J and J's Bookstore on Calle Bernardo offers free WiFi. You can probably plunk down in one of their sofas and just grab a magazine or free newspaper without buying anything.

Saludos, MadridMan

I guess when you only visit for a short time, you want to eat more exciting than VIPS. When you're in Spain all the time, you need to eat like a real person (burgers and pancakes).

I remember one weekend during Las Fallas in Valencia when I didn't realize how crowded all the restaurants would be, and the only place I could get into was VIPS...and even that had a line outside.

While the dinner wasn't memorable, at least I got to peek into a lot of magazines without buying them and shop for jobbed out books at a discount.

Next time I'll bring my netbook.

"When you're in Spain all the time, you need to eat like a real person (burgers and pancakes)"

:-o I hope not! Not sure what a normal diet is for an American, but eating this all day has to be terrible for you. I only eat that stuff if I go to TGI Fridays or Fostes Hollywoods! But give me lentejas and costillitas anyday.