Best Madrid Restaurants and Hotel

Top quality and best value for money.     These are top-quality restaurants---but NOT top price.    They are all real Spanish food.   Extremely good value for money, especially compared with London, Vienna, New York.   Much food in Madrid is very ordinary, even dull---these are exceptional.

Click for hotel.

Price Euro

Opening

Location

Phone

Galicia is that part of Spain north of Portugal.   It has two of its four borders on the sea (Atlantic and Bay of Biscay).   These restaurants (founded in 1915) specialize in Galician food.   Wonderful food, especially the seafood (their speciality) and meat.    Excellent service and wines.    Wood panels and pictures made of tiles (including maps of Galicia).     Air-con.

According to the Guinness Book of Records, this is the world's oldest restaurant, opened in 1725.   It is decorated in the old Madrileño style, with dark wooden panels carrying elegant gilt designs.   The exterior is entirely in beautiful, old wood.   There are two floors and a small room (to get to which you have to go through the kitchen).  Traditional Madrileño food with lots of variety (meat, game, seafood).   If you have the appetite, you could have a traditional seven course meal (starter, soup, egg course, vegetable, seafood, meat, dessert)---we just have three courses.   Portions are huge and the flavours and textures are superb.   Excellent wines and service.   Cuchilleros a la plancha (roast suckling pig) is a speciality.    Sopa ajo con hueva (garlic soup with an egg and diced bread) is superb, as is the cazuela pescados (seafood casserole).   For dessert, try bisquit de higos y nueces (a sort of half-frozen nougat with figs and nuts in it).   Must book for peak hours, or arrive early (before 2100 hours).   Air-con.   Menus in several languages.

25- 40

a hundred yards/ metres from the SW exit from Plaza Mayor

'Turn of the century' ambience.    Dark red wooden lower walls, gold patterned wall paper above.   Gold-framed mirrors and chandeliers.   Excellent food, wide-ranging menu.    Very good wines and service.    Air-con.

Close to the Puerta del Sol

91 429 98 22

Arguably the best tapas bar.    Wide range of tapas and dishes (raciones).    Seafood, meat, pâtés, salads, etc-- all superb quality.    Very good wines and service.    Tables outside as well.    If you like seafood, try higado de bacalao or salmon humado or bonito.    If you like meat, try lomo de caña or chorizo or jamón or lacon.    Plaza Santa Ana has a nice garden in the middle, with play grounds for children.    Late evening/early morning, it is a centre of (respectable) night life, with lots of bars playing good music, jazz, flamenco.  The square is the site of a centuries-old convent, founded by St John of The Cross, but demolished in the 19^th century.  

Close to the Puerta del Sol.

Hotel

Recently renovated, been an hotel since 1853.    Large rooms, beautifully modern bathrooms.    Very helpful staff.    Just round the corner from Plaza Santa Ana, close to Puerta del Sol.    No bar or restaurant, but many nearby (including the two mentioned above).    There is a breakfast room.   Staff speak good  English.

85

double suite

fax: 91 420 24 23