Chocolate in Madrid

[bobsdf]

If anyone has suggestions for Sidra bar's and Chocolate y Churro places in Madrid I'd be grateful to hear them.

Thanks!

[pedro]

Asturianos has appeared before in the forum as an excellent wine bar with very good food. Coming from the sidra region in Spain by definition, Asturias, they also serve what looks like good and natural sidra.

[Rogelio]

Even being a fan of Asturianos, this wouldnt be my first choice for sidra. I rather go first for El Garabatu in Echegaray, an old traditional asturian bar and restaurant with good asturian cider and specialities like carne gobernada, pimientos verdes rellenos de carne or cebollas rellenas de bonito that bring me mouthwatering back to my student years.

For Chocolate con churros my first choice is Chocolatería San Gines near Arenal. And there is a new brand of Chocolatería Valor in Postigo de San Martín, also very centric.

[Bux]

An address, phone number and a bit of information that may, or may not, be up to date at this link - Garabatu.

Ditto - Chocolateria San Gines.

[Rogelio]

Bux, thanks for the links. The adresses are right, but don't know how often yhey are updated.

The only amendment is that saying that El Garabatu has an aparcacoches ie car parking service keeps me laughing. It is just a bar with a few tables and a restaurant at the back, placed in a very popular and narrow street.

[Bux]

Now that I've returned to the web page for that guide, it is a bit odd. It says "aparcacoches" on the English language page and that the restaurant is closed "Jueves y Sunday night." It does tend to make me worry about how well they check their information.

[vserna]

Ah, Garabatu, wonderfully dingy place with those greenish walls and the old wooden chairs! From back when we were poor and maybe happier!

[pedro]

In Spain, we have a fair number of delicious cold soups. The best known is gazpacho, but there's also ajoblanco, salmorejo (we could argue whether this one is a soup or a cream), garlic soup (see Las Rejas' thread)... So, with the temperature in the high eighties for the first time in the year, the natural thing to do was to have fabada at lunch.

Located in Hortaleza, specifically in what's left of Hortaleza's town, Mesón Sidrería Arturo has been serving for twenty two years the same dishes. Very good fabada, the traditional fabes (white beans) stew from Asturias; cabrales cheese; natural or sweet cider. Picadillo, seasoned pork meat in a way that resembles chorizo, served with fries and green peppers is also a signature dish (as is chorizo a la sidra, BTW). Like the red pepper and ventresca (tuna belly) salad with good olive oil and rock salt. In fact, our meal consisted of those three dishes, shared by two: red pepper and ventresca salad, picadillo with fries and green peppers, and last but not least, the fabada. If you don't want to upset the owner, you better have your fabada eaten from the bottom to the top without shaking it in the pot where it's served. Of course, natural cider was chosen as our drink.

The owner, Arturo Santos, is also proud of their grilled pork ribs, which indeed looked terrific uncooked. We chat a little with him, since the restaurant was unusually quiet. The reason, of course, was the hot temperatures, he told us. They're fully packed in the fall/winter months, but now they enter a period of relative calm. They tried to remove the most powerful dishes from the menu during these months, but they couldn't. There are always crazy people whom fancy to have fabada even with the temperatures in the hundreds, he said. He was proud of the dishes they serve, in a simple and honest way. He said that if all their dishes were this good now, it's because before they haven't been so good. It's not a trivial task to select good picadillo providers (achieve a balance between fat, spices, meat used, ...), fabes, and so, and so. They had twenty two years to perfect that area.

It was good to return to this no frills casa de comidas. So, with a smile and some sweat in our faces, we happily returned to work.

[Cellar Tours]

There is a great Asturian Ciderhouse in our neighborhood of Madrid called "Casa Mingo". The only thing they serve there is roast chicken (they have a huge spit) and their bottled cider. They don't do wine or coffee, you go for chicken and cider y ya esta. It's a great place with old time waiters, big Cider barrels inside, and tables outside to enjoy the warm summer nights.

The closest metro is Principoe Pio, and it is on the Paseo de la Florida street, a 15 minute walk downhill form the Royal Palace. All taxi drivers in Madrid know Casa Mingo, fabulous place.

[Eric_Malson]

There's a quite decent Asturian restaurant in the c/Bordadores called El Ñeru. I've been going there for years whenever I needed an Asturian food fix in Madrid, and on my last trip to Madrid a couple of months ago I have to say I think the food has improved recently. They have a very reasonable menú and the arroz con leche (queimado de momento, even) was spectacular. I got sidra here for the very first time this trip, and it was excellent (although I had a false start when I first ordered it and got a draft of that fizzy, sweet stuff from the tap that some other people seemed to be enjoying but I thought was nasty...if you're not Spanish, be sure you ask for una botella de sidra!).

[butterfly]

I'm looking for a shop in Madrid with really high-quality chocolate that is made in Spain. Any recommendations? Thanks!

[vserna]

Let's face it, Butterfly: the Swiss (Lindt, Cailler), the Dutch (Droste), the Belgians (Godiva), the Italians (Perugina), the French (Valrhona) have a stronger tradition than Spain, chocolate-wise. There is however one interesting, artisanal chocolate brand in Spain: Chocolates Valor, founded in 1881, with the factory at Villajoyosa near Alicante. They have several outlets in Madrid, particularly at Fuencarral 128.

For a thick hot Spanish-style chocolate with sensational churros, the place of course is Chocolatería de San Ginés, plaza de San Ginés 5.

[butterfly]

Thanks--

I'm already (far too) familiar with San Ginés! How is it that their hot chocolate is so much better than the rest?

I'm looking for a decadent little present for my son's teacher... I'll try to check out the Valor store (I'm assuming they have a bigger selection than what's available at El Corte Ingles). How about Blanxart?

[tsquare]

There is however one interesting, artisanal chocolate brand in Spain: Chocolates Valor, founded in 1881, with the factory at Villajoyosa near Alicante. They have several outlets in Madrid, particularly at Fuencarral 128.

Guess I should have picked these up yesterday - I found them down the street at The Spanish Table. Not too pricey either.

Ended up with a dark chocolate / almond Blanxart bar. Kind of dry, but tasty.

[Bux]

Let's face it, Butterfly: the Swiss (Lindt, Cailler), the Dutch (Droste), the Belgians (Godiva), the Italians (Perugina), the French (Valrhona) have a stronger tradition than Spain, chocolate-wise. There is however one interesting, artisanal chocolate brand in Spain: Chocolates Valor, founded in 1881, with the factory at Villajoyosa near Alicante. They have several outlets in Madrid, particularly at Fuencarral 128.

←

My turn to be an elitist snob. At the really high end of artisanal chocolate, I think of guys like Pierre Marcolini in Belgium and Bernachon in Lyon as well as a few others in France and Belgium and not of those brands which I think of as top quality but commerical. I am aware of a few shops in Barcelona and one in the southeast of Spain whose names escape me right now, who might qualify, but I've not had the opportunity to sample their wares.

Let's see, in the south it's Torreblanca in Elda (Alicante). Barcelona, I understand, was home to the first chocolate factory in Europe (1780). Considering Spain's conquest of Mexico, that almost seems like a late date. In Barcelona Cacao Sampaca comes to mind and they have a shop at C/ Orellana, 4, in Madrid. 91 319 58 40.

[vserna]

Indeed elitist, Bux. Sampaka is fine for fashion victims, no doubt. I'm more of a traditionalist - in chocolate at least, and I've always liked the Valor 70% dark chocolate with orange.

Spain has been drinking dark, thick (no milk or cream) chocolate since the mid-16th century. About the 1780 date, I'm skeptical. It's either too new (chocolate was here two centuries earlier) or too old: solid chocolate, the chocolate tablet, was a sensational development, but it only happened in the 19th century, and not in Barcelona, but in Switzerland!

OK, I'll give in to your elitist preferences with a couple of addresses of small confectionery or pastry shops where they make their own quality chocolate:

La Oriental. Campomanes, 5.

La Pajarita. Villanueva, 14.

Santa. Serrano, 56.

Bon Art. Infanta Mercedes, 31, one flight of stairs up.

But, I insist - check out the Valor bonbones!

[Silly Disciple]

OK, I'll give in to your elitist preferences with a couple of addresses of small confectionery or pastry shops where they make their own quality chocolate:

←

Victor,

as usual you have great tips!

And of course after flattery comes abuse. Taking advantage of your knowledge, can you point out similar places in Barcelona?

Thanks,

Silly.

[Bux]

Chocolate, the warm drink, is indeed something else in Spain. I doubt any afficianado is likely to be tempted by the best of Dutch cocoas. Likewise those who love a creamy milky cup of cocoa are likely to be put off by the intensity of Spanish hot chocolate. A Spaniard asking for a cup of chocolate in NYC will be likely to suffer greater disappointment than one asking for coffee at a random luncheonette. In fact, freshly made real espresso is widely available now in NY, though not usually of first class quality.

I was also skeptical of that 1780 date, which is why I put a link to my source. I suspect others could find other dates of record. It may well depend on one's definition of "factory" as much as anything else.

I really haven't tried much of Spanish chocolate high or middle scale. I shall keep an eye out for the Valor 70% dark chocolate with orange next spring. I've noticed the Valor shops and seen Valor chocolate in grocery stores and supermarkets. My preference for a respite in a cafe is usually for a coffee or a beer. On occasion I might have a fino or manzanilla. Chocolate and churros is a preference that comes only on rare occasions and needs to be triggered by a time or place.

[butterfly]

Ah, that's the beautiful thing about living here... there's a time and place for everything.

When you have a child, there's this really nice window of time right after school when you can go for a merienda--in our case chocolate con churros and maybe a clementine. All of the old-timers in my neighborhood do likewise. If you go an hour or so later, it's all beer and tapas.

Victor--your list is exactly what I was looking for. Thanks so much! I also promise to delve further into Valor's bonbones, I've never gotten past the chocolate a la taza bars.

I recently discovered the Lindt 99% cocoa bar, which is something of a psychedelic, slightly masochistic experience...

[vserna]

similar places in Barcelona?

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Well, in addition to Sampaka and the local Valor outlet, Barcelona is really the capital of Spanish chocolate, so...

Xocoa. Shop plus chocolate-intensive restaurant! Carrer d'en Bot, 4.

Oriol Balaguer's Estudio de Chocolate y Pastelería, Morales, 21. Oriol is probably Spain's No. 1 chocolate artist right now.

For hot chocolate and home-made croissants: Granja Catalana, Muntaner, 409.

[Silly Disciple]

similar places in Barcelona?

←

Sampaka

been there a couple of times, not a big fan

the local Valor outlet

where, would you know?

Xocoa. Shop plus chocolate-intensive restaurant! Carrer d'en Bot, 4.

yup. I visit the one on C/ Vidrieria often (close to Cal Pep). I didn't know they had a restaurant as well.

Oriol Balaguer's Estudio de Chocolate y Pastelería, Morales, 21. Oriol is probably Spain's No. 1 chocolate artist right now.

I remember the mention of his studio in an earlier thread, but haven't had the chance to visit. This one definitely makes it to my must-visit list.

For hot chocolate and home-made croissants: Granja Catalana, Muntaner, 409.

mmmm yummy. This one is actually fairly close to my place.

Thanks for the info.

Silly.

[vserna]

where, would you know?

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Valor has at least one Barcelona outlet that I know of, at Rambla de Catalunya, 46. You can't get much more 'downtown' than that...

[pedro]

There's a store in Barcelona's airport completely devoted to chocolate, which looked very promising last time I took a look (I didn't buy anything though). Its name, escapes me. Any idea?

[Bux]

There's a store in Barcelona's airport completely devoted to chocolate, which looked very promising last time I took a look (I didn't buy anything though). Its name, escapes me. Any idea?

←

I don't know the store, but my prejudice is that airport stores are generally an expensive place to shop as they deal with a captive audience most often desperate to find a last minute souvenir or gift and frequently not at all adverse to getting rid of spare change from a foreign country. The euro will do a lot to remove that incentive. I have of course, willingly paid a severe premium to buy some ham just so as not to be dependant on the food on board.

[butterfly]

Feeling a bit "pija" after Victor's admonition about elitist chocolate preferences, I went by La Oriental (Campomanes, 5--one block from the Opera metro stop) today. What a nice little spot. They have a small selection of homemade "bonbones," chocolate-dipped orange slices, creative variations on turron, beautiful little cookies, etc. The bonbons have a really nice texture and intense flavors like ginger, green tea, sesame... very nice.

In addition, they have a little tearoom/cafe in the back where you can snack right on the premises. A very nice little respite from the maddening Christmas crowds--close to the tourist attractions--Plaza del Oriente/the Palace/Opera, etc. Also close to Alambique (the beautiful kitchen supply store), which is good for culinary multitasking.

Thanks again for the recommendation!

P.S. I ran across El Mundo's very complete guide to bonbonerías:

http://www.elmundo.es/metropoli/2004/02/16...1076933150.html