Madrid, March, 8 days

[brescd01]

We all have our particular tastes: mine is for rustic over refined, local over international, honest over precious. I would not mind spending money on grand meals if they made me happy, but overwhelmingly when I eat at the grand restaurants I long for the simpler local favorite. I hate restaurants frequented by tourists, which I know seems somewhat self-hating, but my experience is that tourists = bad food. With that preamble, let me ask the board where I should eat in Madrid in March.

I have divided the restaurants into seafood, meat, tapas and other. Amongst seafood places I would like to dine at the local favorites that are not too expensive. I am quite sure these will be good enough for my peasant tastes, with the Spaniard's emphasis on ingredients that I have read so much about. So El Combarro is out:

Casa Rafa, Narváez 68 915731087

Gran Barril, Goya 107 914312210

Naveira do Mar, Santa Juliana, 57 914594532

Taberna del Puerto, Fernán González 50 915046699

Telégrafo, Padre Damián 44 913506119

Do any of these places fill the bill?

In the second category, meat. Any of these places recommended?:

Ansorena, Capitán Haya 55 915796451

Casa Julián, Don Ramón De La Cruz 12 914313535

Frontón, Tirso De Molina 7 913691617

Imanol, General Díaz Porlier 97 913090859

Next, tapas. This is hard I know, people tend to recommend areas rather than specific places. I have scanned Chowhound and eGullet for recs. I have to add, we are not going to be drinking more than one glass of wine if that, and I am very unlkely to want to go to several places in an evening. We are probaly going to bed early and not keeping Spanish hours. Finally, we will probably spend a disproportionate time in the Prado and at Salamanca, because we both love window shopping and art. Can anyone propose a few starting points or some classic recs? Two I found were:

Casa Lucas, Cava Baja 30 913650804

Tempranillo, Cava Baja 38 913641532

Txirimiri, Humilladero 6 914014345

Finally, other. These are some varied recs I have written down:

Casa Lucio, Cava Baja 35 913658217

Chocolatería San Ginés, Pasadizo San Ginés 5 913656546

Maceiras, Huertas 66 914295818

Taberna de la Daniela, General Pardinas 21 915752329

Ventorrillo Murciano, Tres Peces 20 915288309

A side issue is that I would like to try a fine Madrid tailor and may bring fabric so that I can have the requisite 2 fittings before I leave, with the final product to be shipped back home. These are the tailors whose names I have collected. Note that the most famous is not on the list (Larrainzar), because I always feel as if I get more local flavor from the second tier option, a personal predjudice:

Cecilio Serna Martinez, Miquel Angel 4 913087100

Hermanos Collado, Almirante 21

Jaime Gallo, Ayala 27 914316084

Manuel Calvo de Mora, Claudio Coello 113 915765931

Moises Cordoba, Valazquez 96

(I have edited to accomodate suggestions and corrections)

Edited August 11, 2008 by brescd01 (log)

[Rogelio]

I have divided the restaurants into seafood, meat, tapas and other. Amongst seafood places I would like to dine at the local favorites that are not too expensive. I am quite sure these will be good enough for my peasant tastes, with the Spaniard's emphasis on ingredients that I have read so much about. So El Combarro is out:

El Telégrafo, Padre Damián 44 913506119

La Taberna del Puerto, Fernán González 50 915046699

El Gran Barril, Goya 107 914312210

Casa Rafa, Narváez 68 915731087

Do any of these places fill the bill?

←

Good seafood in Madrid (and everywhere in Spain) is expensive and those above mentined are certainly good but , with the exception of Taberna del Puerto that I haven't visited on the expensive side. Why don't you give a try to Naveira do Mar. In Santa Juliana, 57 St Tel:91 459 45 32. In a hiden, but centric, neighbourhood which is worth the visit.

In the second category, meat. Any of these places recommended?:

Frontón, Tirso De Molina 7 913691617

Casa Julián, Don Ramón De La Cruz 12 914313535

Ansorena, Capitán Haya 55 915796451

Imanol, General Díaz Porlier 97 913090859

Ansorena would be my choice, and Imanol the second.

Next, tapas. This is hard I know, people tend to recommend areas rather than specific places. I have scanned Chowhound and eGullet for recs. I have to add, we are not going to be drinking more than one glass of wine if that, and I am very unlkely to want to go to several places in an evening. We are probaly going to bed early and not keeping Spanish hours. Finally, we will probably spend a disproportionate time in the Prado and at Salamanca, because we both love window shopping and art. Can anyone propose a few starting points or some classic recs? Two I found were:

El Tempranillo, Cava Baja 38 913641532

Txirimiri, General Díaz Porlier 91 914014345

There is another branch of Txirimiri in Humilladero 6, close to El tempranillo, so you can try both at once. I'll add Casa Lucas in cava baja to the tapas tour.

Finally, other. These are some varied recs I have written down:

Chocolatería San Ginés, Pasadizo San Ginés 5 913656546

Taberna de la Daniela, General Pardinas 21 915752329

Casa Lucio, Cava Baja 35 913658217

Maceiras, Huertas 66 914295818

El Ventorrillo Murciano, Tres Peces 20 915288309

These are all very good options for very different reasons. El ventorrillo Murciano for paella rices (minimum two people) and La Daniela for cocido (traditional chick pea stew) are worth the visit for lunch only both.