What's good about Madrid?...

.... I've got to go there next week

 

Good nightlife and cheap alcohool. And a good selection of restaurants.

 

I'm going in 3 weeks because I want to

 

Keep a stern eye on all your baggage in the airport.

 

This restaurant, near the Puerta del Sol.

http://www.frommers.com/destinations/madrid/D54935.html

Turn up about fifteen minutes before it opens if you want to eat. It's
not expensive and the food is excellent.

 

It's warmer than South Wales.

 

Tapas

 

Avoiding whichever place is called "Museo del..." Shite.

 

I think it's a reference to the `Museo del jamon' where they sell
jamon.

 

I'd go for tapas in Madrid, it is truly typical (in Barcelona it is stuff
for tourists). But there is this sort of "Museo del whatever" places which
didn't satisfy me much. With exceptions, a 6 months project dining at a
"Museo del jamón" (AFAIR) near Puerta del Sol helped me gain some 7 kilos.

 

Yeah, it's quite a pretty building, although it was cowled in
scaffolding and stuff when I was last there.

Someone told me once that you can actually pay to go inside, but then
I found out thet there's just a bunch of pictures and stuff in it, so
I must have been mistaken.

--
_______
..'_/_|_\_'. Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
\`\ | /`/ GSX-R1000K3
`\\ | //' BOTAFOT#3, SbS#2, UKRMMA#13, DFV#8, SKA#2
`\|/`
`

 

I loaded Solaris 10 on my 2500 because I wanted to. It's nice in a svcs
kind of way Madrid is for a workshop on HLR servers.

 

There are several "Museo del jamon" with a rather irregular quality. The
place I mentioned near Puerta del Sol is <corrects> a "Museo del vino" and
had a reasonably priced menu at night. Near it there was a "La fontana de
oro" or similar bar with live music and a good choice of beers and some
single malts. La fontana is in the street from Puerta del sol to the
Parliament, and the Museo was in the street that starts at la Fontana
(aprox).

Madrid people, if skilled to speak English, are rather friendly and open to
suggest places to go. A few tips:

- "Santa Barbara" beer bar/restaurants, several of them all over the city.
Fair, decent and correct.

- A bullfight lovers bar called "La torre del oro", try its "gazpacho".

- Ask for a good place to eat "cochinillo" and "cocido" (preferably, not in
the same meal unless someone expect to exlode). I remember having been to
places, but remember neither the name nor the street.

"Cocido" is a legume soup with meat that can be considered Madrid typical
dish. It is eaten in three "vuelcos" (steps) in this order: meat, legumes,
soup. It is told to be historically that this order was just in case
unfriendly arabs appeared and in need of having to run, the most valuable
was eaten first. May be just a legend.

"Cochinillo", typical in all the region around, is a young pig cooked in the
oven. It should be so soft and tender that it should be cut by hitting it
with a dish (some restaurants do it to impress people, not as a rule)

- I'd also ask for a "marisqueria gallega" and attack Atlantic seafood from
Galicia, which is by far the best I've ever eaten and sometimes justifies
flying to Galicia. Centollos, vieiras (no, not Parick), percebes... Oh, God!
<ongoing gastronomic orgasm>

- There is a fashion of eating ribs in American style. Totally crap compared
to the Spanish "ternasco" in Aragon, IMHO. Avoid.

- Some Catalan chefs, Ferran Adrià, Sergi Arola, Sergi Santamaria and the
like have open restaurants "in the province" (no, I never said civilization
ends in the Ebro river If looking for creative cuisine, I'd give them a
try. There was an interesting place by local people called "La gastroteca"
in Chueca (er, gay neighbourhood) but last thing I heard was it closed
because of owner's depression.

 

Yes it's gone a bit mad like that. Same thing when I went to Hanover two
weeks ago. Very strict.

 

noted thanks...

 

Sound good then. I'm visiting our Madrid office, so they can entertain me

 

A bit of culture. Well I would love to, if I;ve got the time. I could look
at the building though.

 

Expect the best, then

Add to my suggestions some "rabo de toro" (bull's tail).

 

It's bank holiday in Spain on Tuesday, so my flight is quite different.
Cardiff to Schiphol, Schiphol to Barcelona, Barcelona to Madrid. That's
Tuesday sorted then

 

Correct.

--
_______
..'_/_|_\_'. Ace (brucedotrogers a.t rochedotcom)
\`\ | /`/ GSX-R1000K3
`\\ | //' BOTAFOT#3, SbS#2, UKRMMA#13, DFV#8, SKA#2
`\|/`
`