Madrid Eats
Madrid is a major capital city with dozens of Michelin-starred restaurants. But perhaps because we had enjoyed a local food tour on our first day, we chose to eat at casual neighborhood restaurants with local cuisine that were near our hotel. This strategy had the added benefit of being relatively inexpensive, which was great!
Museo del Jamón (from the tour) was our choice for a cheap, tasty snack. There were eight stores around the Centro, so it was super convenient. Two cañas (small beers) and a racion de jamon cost just 5€!
Casa Nicasio (from the tour) was our favorite spot for a delicious and satisfying dinner of sangria, tortilla de patata (potato omelet) and chistorros al vino (chorizos cooked in wine).
Entre Santos lived up to its positive online reviews with a selection of tasty tapas. Our favorites were the grilled octopus with mojo picón (spicy red pepper) sauce and the crispy breaded asparagus with truffle aioli.
The complimentary breakfast at the hotel is included here because it was SO much nicer than the ones we’re used to in the United States. It featured a buffet with fruit and jamón, and eggs cooked to order. I tried them all and liked the crepes with ham and cheese the best.
We also ate at two iconic spots in Centro.
Botín is the world’s oldest operating restaurant, founded in 1725. We had their signature cochinillo asado (roast suckling pig) and cordero asado (roast lamb) - both were tasty, but we preferred the cochinillo. We peeked into the kitchen and saw shelves of roasted baby pigs and the famous oven which reportedly has been burning continuously since the restaurant was established. Francisco de Goya worked as a dishwasher at Botín, and Ernest Hemingway mentioned Botín in The Sun Also Rises. (This meal cost more than 100€ and was our only ‘“splurge” meal in Madrid.)
Chocolatería San Ginés is open 24 hours a day, every day, and has been serving chocolate y churros since 1894. The classic coffee shop vibe was fun. The hot chocolate was very rich and thick - good for dipping our crispy churros and thicker porras.
I have to mention Mercado de San Miguel, which is like Madrid’s version of Eataly. We feasted with only our eyes this time, but it all looked mouth-wateringly delicious. We’ll have to do some serious eating there on a future visit to Madrid.
