When in Spain… Eat!

If I'm honest, all I've really done since being in Madrid is eat. And whilst my waistline might be suffering, I don't plan on stopping any time soon.

Madrid, like any city, is the perfect place to try new things and enjoy lots of what you already love. From budget bars to upmarket tapas, from late night takeaways to luxury Asian cuisine, from Telepizza to authentic Italian restaurants; Madrid has it all.

Here are a few of my favourites so far:

1) El Tigre (C/ Infantas). Old news maybe, but it really is great. Okay so they just hand you plate after plate of stodge, stodge and more stodge, but it's so cheap and there's so much. For 2, 50 euros you receive a drink and a plate of food, which can be anything from patatas bravas to paella. Plus there's always a buzzing atmosphere and the fact that there’s no seating forces you to mingle and chat. And calories don't count if you eat standing up, surely? And as if you need any other reason to go, there is one on the very same road as our school on Infantas; the perfect lunchtime retreat! 

2) Shan Hai City (C/ Orense, nearest metro Nuevos Ministerios). This Chinese restaurant offers great set menu deals for either 12, 50 or 15, 00 euros, which include a drink and dessert. There is enough food to feed an army, it comes in pretty little boxes and it’s always full of locals.  Must be good! 

3) Pizzaiolo (C/ Hortaleza, just off Gran Via). Recommended to me by some Italian friends, this pizzeria offers an authentic taste of Italy for reasonable prices.  The staff are friendly and the food is great.  Buon appetito!

4) Café and Tapas (Puerta del Sol, directly underneath Inhispania). This café has only just opened and offers a great selection of coffees, teas and tapas in a fresh, modern environment. At the moment it’s also doing a breakfast offer where you buy 6 and get your 7th breakfast free! 

5) Lateral (C/ Fuencarral, C/ Velásquez, C/ Arturo Soria, Plaza de Santa Ana and Pº de La Castellana). Lateral is a chain of restaurants that offer Spanish style sharing food with a bit of a posh twist. The menú offers something to suit everyone, the dining areas are really nice and a full meal won’t set you back more than 10 euros. Be aware that they don’t take bookings, so get there before 9pm to make sure you don’t have to wait too long for a table. 

6) 100 Montaditos (absolutely everywhere). How can I not mention Montaditos?  I’m sure you’re all already well-acquainted with this famous chain of beer and mini baguettes, but if not this blog entry will change your life.   A bit extreme, maybe, but Montaditos really does offer some great deals. On Wednesdays and Sundays absolutely everything costs just one euro (salads for two are 2 euros). So that’s a pint of beer and three mini baguettes for just 4 euros, which will easily fill you up for dinner. The food is fresh and the restaurants are always packed with young people.

So there are a few ideas to give you some food for thought. Get eating!