FOR LUNCH VALUE: Look for signs outside restaurants (and bars) which list a "Menú del Día" - often at prices between 7 Euros and 14 Euros. The Menú del Día is a set 3-course menu usually consisting of your choice of 2 or 3 starters, 2 or 3 main course dishes, 2 or 3 desserts, and USUALLY bread and wine or beer is included in the price. Sometimes after lunch coffee can be substituted in place of dessert. At some restaurants (and bars) you can choose from upwards of 10 items for each course - all depends on the restaurant. Many bars will not accept credit cards for payment but most restaurants will.

FOR DINNER VALUE: It's tough finding dinnertime values if looking for a large meal. Prices are often 25-50% more expensive as compared to lunchtime prices - SOMETIMES the prices & portions are the same no matter the meal. Value can be found by simply eating "raciones" (small portions) if available. OR, for more value, one can simply have tapas. It's common for couples or small groups to order a number of raciones or tapas and share them for their evening meal - then dividing the bill EQUALLY among the group (if with Spaniards) - no matter if you ate a lot or a little.

IMPORTANT COMMENTS:
Restaurants are required to list menu items and prices outside of their establishments. In the old city center you'll often find these menus in a variety of languages.

Terrace/Outdoor dining, while more charming, is nearly always more expensive. Look for the "adjustment" price on the menu stating something like "Terrace Prices 10% more" or another price altogether.

Opening Hours
Restaurant's OPEN HOURS can be quite frustrating for the non-Mediterranean traveler because restaurants in Spain are only open for a number of hours for lunch and then another number of hours for dinner - with generally a 3 to 5 hour block when they're closed between the two meals. Generally speaking restaurants open for lunch from 1:00 to 4:00pm and open again for dinner from 8:00 to 12:00 midnight. Smaller restaurants might have narrower open hours.

Tipping
Tipping is a conflictive topic - or not a topic at all when mixing cultures. Tip what you "feel" you want to tip. Spaniards most often leave what ever's left over when the change comes back (coins only). Some Spaniards leave roughly 5% or nothing at all and no dinnertable mental calculating goes into the assessment. MOST (although this is sadly changing) waiters get paid a decent living wage and do not rely on tips for survival. The American 15-20% tipping scale is outrageous by Spanish standards and no one BUT Americans tip that much - but the waiters are always happy to get it - PARTICULARLY if the tip is ALREADY included in your bill. (CHA CHING!!!) Read your bill ("cuenta") carefully for this as well as the accuracy of your order. Sometimes they get it wrong.

And IF they do get it wrong and you want to complain to the owner/manager, you have the option to fill out a complaint form ("Hojas de Reclamación"). A sign proudly states this ("Hay Hojas de Reclamación") near the cash register or over the bar - but more often than not they "just happen to be out of them" at that moment.

Sometimes these establishments can overlap with other food-related MadridMan pages. A "Favorite Madrid Restaurant" might also be listed on the Madrid Terraces or Madrid Tapas Bars pages as terraces can be part of Madrid Restaurants, Tapas Bars, or even drinking-only Bars.

COMMENTS: Spanish-owned/staffed, traditional establishment a few blocks from Plaza Anton Martín. Family hails from Sanabria, Spain and has shot to "fame status" in the Madrid Guidebooks in recent years but food quality and service hasn't suffered. Due to its new status, this quality Madrid restaurant has a nearly 50% tourist clientele but many area business people come here for lunch as well. There are no less than FOUR Menus of the Day at different prices and each offering no less than 10 items per course. Incredible choices. GREAT value and good, basic Spanish food - never disappointed. While I've never tried, I seriously doubt any of the Spanish staff speaks English. Try to arrive between 1:30pm and 2pm (weekdays) for best chance of getting a table in the somewhat cramped dining room. By 2:30 to 3:00pm the place is FULL and the waiting lines goes out the door.

name: RESTAURANTE PUEBLA
address: Calle Ventura de la Vega, 12 CLICK for map
metro: SEVILLA
food type: Spanish
style of restaurant: traditional, rustic
lunch Menú del Día?: Yes!
prices: 10 to 20 ? (LESS with the "Menú del Día")
credit cards: Yes
cloth napkins and tablecloth?: YES!
has bar?: No
days closed: Sundays & August
MadridMan Number of Visits: 4 (or more)