A gastronomic tour of Madrid - Days 1 & 2
Navigation has never been my strong point, and evidently it isn't one of Frankie's either. So when the two of us headed off on a foodie tour of Madrid last weekend, no amount of map reading, data roaming with Google maps or general common sense could keep us from getting fairly lost on occasion.
Fortunately I am a firm believer that the best way to get to know a city is to get lost in it. So despite our navigational ineptitude, we ate the city up, both literally and metaphorically.
Four full days of sunshine and 28°C was just what the doctored ordered, the naughty Spanish delights we consumed were probably not. After setting down our suitcases at our Airbnb apartment in Chueca, we headed off to explore the Spanish capital, hungry to taste some Iberico ham, uncover some glorious old man bars and ogle at the pastries in some of the ancient pasteleria windows. Thanks to some excellent reader tips, some Google gimping and our trusty Herb Lester companion map, we discovered some fantastic places to eat, drink and shop, and also found time to explore two of the city's most incredibly rich art galleries, the Reina Sofia and Museo del Prado, and relax in the sunshine with chilled red wine on our terrace.
Here were some of my favourite foodie finds from our first couple of days:
1. Coffee break at La Mallorquina
The kitsch window displays and crowds drew us into this pastry shop near Puerta del Sol. It's a hive of activity, ladies selling chocolates by the kilo to one side, as well as tocinos and flans to the other side, then at the back cabinets are filled with cream stuffed buns and weirdly flattened croissants and the like. We headed for the back where you can perch and enjoy a coffee with a portion of cake, or these little sweet little aceitunas sevillanas.
C/ Mayor, 2
2. DO Designs homewares
Ever on the hunt for perfect props, cute stationary and other lovely such things, this tip in the Herb Lester map fulfilled that criteria exceptionally well, with crockery, marble rolling pins, gorgeous leather bags and embroidered textiles.
C/Fernando VI 13 Madrid
3. Mercado San Miguel and things on sticks
The San Miguel market is one of the city's prime gastronomic meccas and pretty much everyone knows about it. Open til 2 am and all throughout the day, it's a great covered market to pop into for a light standing bite and a glass of wine. We also discovered the joys of aperitifs served on sticks, as pictured above. There is an entire stand devoted to olives, pickled onions and little pieces of tuna skewered onto this miniature kebabs. We also tried a cone of iberico pork scratchings (below).
While it still has some exciting offerings, such as little newspaper cones of crispy deep-fried boquerones and octopus pieces, the arrival of cupcakes, pre-prepared packet tortilla and frozen yoghurt on the scene, doesn't bode so well for the future of the market. But in the meantime, eat it all up while you can.
Plaza de San Miguel, s/n, 28005, Madrid
3. Mercado Chamartin
Somewhere in the North of the city, this covered market is a dream of a place to do your regular food shop. The fish counters are probably the most bustling of them all, but there is also an excellent selection of high class tinned goods (anchovies, broad beans, smoked roe pate) and cured meats and fish. Do as the locals do, and grab a slab of tortilla on bread for breakfast with your coffee.
Fantastic tapas, and great vibes, this dinky little tapas bar on Calle Cava Baja is young, friendly and fun. They have an extensive selection of pinchos, both cold and hot, such as the morcilla with egg and raisins that we opted for. Secreto de Iberico was an equally delicious discovery – a really rich cut that the bartender pointed to around the shoulder somewhere by means of explanation of the cut. It's pretty much 50% fat, but as they cook it the fat melts into the flesh making this an incredibly succulent and rich treat.
Cava Baja, 30
A covered market to rival San Miguel, this swanky two storey food haven is a safe bet for lunch, as well as having a pretty comprehensive selection of cured Iberico meats. On the top there is a terrace where you can eat at a proper table (though when in Spain, standing seems to be all the rage) and enjoy an overpriced plate of Iberico ham, but have the pleasure of an alfresco experience.
C/ Augusto Figueroa, 24 28004 Madrid
6. Casa de Bacalao - The House of Salt Cod
If bacalao (salt cod) is your thing, this is the place to head for it in all its variations. There are various locations around town and you can buy the pre-hydrated variety as well as a number of cuts of this cured cod that seems so popular across town.
Stay tuned for Part 2 of our eating exploration of Madrid.
