A gastronomic tour of Madrid - Days 3 & 4
By Day 3 of our Madrid adventure, we had fully adopted and adapted to the Spanish schedule; breakfast started at a leisurely 11 onwards, lunch was somewhere around 3pm and dinner wasn't even conceived of until well after 10. And with a lovely sun-filled terrace and a kindle full of literature, the afternoons welcomed reading and siesta-ing.
But despite our quickly adopted and exceptionally time consuming new routine, we still managed to find time to discover some other fantastic finds in the city...
1. Churros con chocolate at San Gines
Hardcore would probably be the the best adjective to describe San Gines signature 'dish' - churros con chocolate. The best spot in the house has to be perched up at the bar, peering through the window at the action in the kitchen, where two Spanish chaps are cowered over red hot oil frying the batter of the churros and porras respectively, the latter being the fatter, free form variety of the doughnut, wound into a spiral, then snipped into submission.
This historic little address was drawing in the tourists and local post-church goers alike. Apparently it is even open at 5.30 am, when the partying madrilenos pop in for a cheeky hot chocolate with its accompanying plate of 6 spindly churros. Divine.
Pasadizo de San Ginés, 11 28013 Madrid
2. A plate of percebes and Albarino at Riveira Do Mino
We were on our way home late one night and meandered past a bustling bar with shiny shellfish gleaming at us in the window. Despite having already had dinner, we nipped in for a cheeky media racion of percebes (goose barnacles), whose Jurassic attributes had peaked our interest since we saw them in the fish market.
Faced with a plate of them, we were still at a loss as to what to do with them, so our barman kindly pinched one and chuckled as he demonstrated the pulling apart and slurping of the flesh from its shell. Years of practice had clearly left him considerably adept at the process, while we were reduced to a fit of hysterics as sea juices squirted us from all directions. It was fun though, and the Albarino by the glass was cheap and tasty.
Calle de Santa Brígida, 1 28004 Madrid
3. Free Sunday entrance to the Reina Sofia
The Reina Sofia must be up there as one of the world's most exceptional galleries, and Sunday it turned out to our surprise and joy, entrance is free to anyone. Go with plenty of time, as the collection is vast and quite breathtaking, housing a massive number of Picasso works, including Guernica of course, and plenty of Dali for Salvador fans out there.
4. Casa Lucio
This was possibly one of the only seated dinners we ate in Madrid on the last night of our trip. It seems like a bit of an institution, rammed with groups of well-heeled locals tucking into large platters of fried padron peppers and other such delights. We took on hake cheeks two ways, alla romana (fried with a light batter) and in a salsa verde. It wasn't the best food we had by a long shot, but the cheery atmosphere and friendly service counted for a lot in this case.
5. El Central Bookstore
A treasure trove of delightful books, with a small but nicely selected cookery section.
6. The Penthouse - for a drink with a view
What the Re Madrid Hotel on the Plaza Santa Ana lacks in charm, it moe than makes up for with its extraordinary view from the rooftop over the capital. Head up here for a pre-dinner glass of cava and marvel over the cityscape before heading somewhere with a little bit more life, a more interesting wine list and better all round vibes!
7. Before hopping on a plane back to our respective destinations, Paris in my case, London in Frankie's, we headed out to find the Antigua Pasteleria del Pozo (Calle del Pozo, 8, 28012), which, to our dismay, was closed on a Monday. But fortunately, round the corner we uncovered another a little gem of a cafe; delved into a doughnut filled with custard and we were ready to hit the Museo del Prado for our last artistic excursion.
8. Which leads us to our last recommendation for the city, The Museo del Prado. Like its more modern counterpart, the Prado is an artistic institution in Madrid being one the country's greatest galleries covering the 12th century to the 19th century with major works from Goya, El Greco, Titian and Velázquez. It's pretty impressive to say the least, but make sure you leave plenty of time to explore.
This week we are heading off to Biarritz and San Sebastian, so be ready for plenty more tips from our travels.
