All posts by brandy

Destinations

How to spend siesta in Madrid

Madrid is the city that never sleeps — that is unless you catch her between the hours of 2-6pm. A stillness falls on the city as shop doors roll down and workers head to their favorite bar or tavern to grab a bite before indulging in a few moments rest.

Follow their lead and recharge during these hours so you will have the stamina to join in “la marcha” of the night. Of course, that doesn’t mean heading back to your hotel to sleep — Spaniards of late are shunning the actual sleeping during siesta and taking advantage of this time as an elongated social hour.

Spain, and Madrid in particular, operates in a seasonal way. During the summertime, the Siesta means thousands of people loitering in plazas wherever shade can be sought. Spring and autumn draw people from their homes, you’ll find locals basking in every moment of the sunshine possible; it’s not unusual to see benches full from morning to night. Winter is a strange beast in Madrid, some days will be brutally cold and siesta hour will leave the streets empty and the cafes full.

To be sure you’re covered no matter the season there are plenty of indoor and outdoor options on this list. Do like the locals and let the weather be your guide!

In summer, pick a plaza and join the crowds

Tinto de verano, half red wine and half sparkling lemonade

Terrazas, terraces, begin to swell with crowds right around 2 in the afternoon, and tables fill with drink after drink. During the summer months, this is the perfect time to take a tinto de verano, a wine spritzer that you will actually find locals drinking — unlike sangria which is pushed onto tourists. For beer drinkers order up a shandy or clara which is half-beer and half-lemonade. It’s refreshing and hydrating at the same time. This is the secret to how the Spanish keep going all day and night, their daytime drinks are not completely alcoholic!

Winter means bigger meals and delicious dessert

La Bola is known for their cocido Madrileño, a hearty stew perfect for winter

Though it might not be terraza season there are still plenty of cozy restaurants to duck into and take shelter from the elements. La Bola is an old favorite for their cocido Madrileño, the local stew. Vegetarians and vegans take refuge in Plaza de la Paja which is home to several cruelty-free restaurants or in Pura Vida Vegan Bar near Plaza Cebada.

No matter how your wintertime siesta begins, there’s one thing many can agree on: finishing with a rich dessert. During the winter months, many people take the chance to indulge in churros and hot chocolate to keep the cold at bay. There’s no place more famous than San Ginés, found tucked off Calle Arsenal, just around the corner from the iconic nightclub Joy Eslava.  If you’re hoping to find a place that’s a little less known then walk just a few more minutes to Confitería El Riojano. Their drinking chocolate is lighter and the selection of pastries is more varied than most chocolaterías who only offer churros or porras.

Churros with hot chocolate from Chocolatería San Ginés

Take a rest in a park, garden, or holy place

The Debod Temple, an ancient structure reconstructed in Spain after being gifted by the Egyptian government

After the long and lingering lunch time meal, it’s customary to take a walk to the nearest open park and close your eyes for a few moments if the weather permits. While the Retiro is arguably the most famous of all the parks in Madrid it’s also worth walking the extra mile past the Royal Palace to arrive in the shady Templo de Debod park which offers one of the nicest sunsets in Madrid.

Plaza de Oriente lays at the feet of the Royal Palace and the statue strewn gardens play host to many local musicians and painters. Grab a spot on one of the benches, enjoy the music, and drift off. It should go without saying, but be certain you’ve put your valuables into your front pocket as Madrid has one of the highest pickpocketing rates in the world.

Almudena Cathedral, to the left of the Royal Palace, also makes a good place to have a few moments of stillness in the Madrid afternoon. The colorful vaulted ceilings, stained glass, and the decorum of visitors make it a very tranquil place to sit for a while and take it all in. As there’s no entry fee charged at the time of writing, it’s also a good place for those on a budget to enjoy.

Make for the museums and get your cultural fix

CaixaForum

If some shut-eye isn’t on your list then make for one of Madrid’s many museums. The CaixaForum is always a good choice, and their location at Paseo del Prado 36 makes it an enjoyable walk from anywhere in the downtown area. The exterior of the building is covered in flowing green plants and is worth a few moments. After paying a modest admission free you’ll find a bookshop, cafe, and over 600 objects on permanent display in addition to the rotating themes. My personal favorite was the sneak peeks at Pixar animation studios unreleased short films as well as the labor of love that went into each animated classic.

For a more central option, the Telefónica Building also has wonderful displays and four floors to choose from. Their rotating exhibitions include everything from massive wind-powered sculptures to director Alfred Hitchcock’s life and have even included temporary virtual reality displays. Tickets are not needed for most events, you can just walk into the building which is easily found where the Gran Via meets Calle Fuencarral.

A winter sightseeing option

The Madrid teleférico

In winter the sun sets much earlier, just before 6 in the evening in December, and taking a ride on the Teleférico during sunset is one of the more romantic and charming views of Madrid possible. If you plan to take a one-way ride be aware that it’s a 20-minute walk through the Casa de Campo to the nearest metro station (also named Casa de Campo) so you’ll want to bring a flashlight with you. A return trip will land you back at the same spot after dark, just in time for the mid-evening snack of merienda. This is typically taken anywhere between 6 to 8 depending on the season and your schedule. For this, you’ll just show up at a tapas bar, order your drink of choice and enjoy a tapa or two before thinking of dinner plans.  

Destinations

Take a tapas tour of Madrid

According to some legends the iconic eating style of Spain originated in the south of the country where a crusty slice of bread was placed on top of your beer or wine to keep the flies out. The term tapa comes from the verb tapar, which literally means to cover, so this has us convinced! This tradition later included topping the bread with a paper thin slice of jamon or rubbing it with tomato and drenching it in olive oil.

This is a custom that the south of Spain takes more seriously – in fact, it’s pure luck when you’re given a tapa with a drink in Madrid! So, you will typically need to order a portion or two from the menu which is often standing up on bar counters or scrawled on a chalkboard behind the counter. First, let’s go through the lingo you’ll need to know.

Talk the tapas talk

Tapa is a single portion and is a great way to taste your way through the many flavors of the city. For a long Spanish night of tapas as dinner, I suggest having two to three tapas with each glass of wine to make sure you can keep pace with the locals and end your night as the sun comes up!

A ración (ration) is meant for sharing and will usually serve two to three people, though if you’re having them as dinner plan to order one for each person in the group plus one. So a party of three would order four raciónes and this would be a very good start.

A plato is the main plate. If you find something you truly love then go ahead and order the full plate—it’s common to share this size dish among friends and family, too. Depending on the restaurant, some foods like paella are made-to-order only so you would need to order a full portion to try it.

Look for the messy bars

Don’t worry about a floor littered with toothpicks, napkins, and olive pits. It’s a traditional marketing method used by many bars. Depending on the bar, you too can feel free to toss your trash on the floor as you leave so clients know the place is well-loved and often visited, but make sure it’s the bar’s custom as some high-end places frown on this in favor of keeping the chic vibe.

What to eat, where to eat it

Some of the best bars simply won’t have a menu in English—or a menu at all—but don’t let this dissuade you from walking in and trying some of the best delicacies. Those without menus will have the tapas displayed in their cold case on the bar, just point to what you’d like, order your drink and post up at a table like you own the place. There are some things that you really should try while in Madrid and topping that list is a deep-fried and delicious serving of patatas bravas.

Patatas bravas

Oh man. Crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, covered in aioli and bravas sauce (like a creamy yet slightly spicy ketchup) patatas bravas are served with a toothpick and are best with beer. Enjoy a tapa-sized serving at first because they are quite filling, and there’s more on the list to try! A guilty pleasure for patatas bravas is El Tigre bar which fills up with bargain-hunting locals and expats alike. It’s one of the places in Madrid where tapas are given free with each purchase, so enjoy this southern hospitality, but save room for more bars.

Tortilla de patata

Bar Cerveriz holds the current title for best tortilla de patata in Madrid. This is a small family-run bar across the main entry of the Mercado de San Miguel. This humble interior boasts several awards hung on the wall though nothing else about the decor would tip you off that you’re in the presence of incredible food. Order a slice of tortilla, which is like a potato frittata only much more delicious, and try a glass of Asturian cider to wash it down. Notice how they pour the cider from over a meter high to aerate it and add a nice frothy head. Now this is Madrid.

Champiñones a la plancha

Few things are as delicious as freshly grilled button mushrooms marinated in garlic olive oil. Calle Cava de San Miguel number 17 holds the ticket to some of the best fungi in the city at Mesón del Champiñón. Tuck into this tiny space and snag a barstool if one’s available. On this street, you will find several little taverns that specialize in one thing, and take it to the limit. Next door the Mesón del Boquerón serves vinegar and garlic anchovies day and night to their adoring public.

Pimientos de Padrón

Small, wrinkly, and oftentimes charred to a nearly black perfection, pimientos de Padrón have worked their way onto most tapas menus and into the heart of the Spanish. In fact, they’ve even earned themselves a little rhyme, “pimientos de Padrón, unos pican, otros non.”
Padrón peppers, some burn, some don’t. 
So take care when you’re tucking into these semi-sweet chilis as one in ten will be spicy. These are frequent on the menu at La Casa del Abuelo and with good reason — they really jumpstart your appetite.

Calamares

Though hours from the ocean Madrid is home to some of the best calamari in Madrid. Of course, you need to know where to find it. In the Plaza Mayor, there’s a small little exit which looks like nothing more than an archway; this is actually Calle Botoneras and it is home to La Ideal, the ideal place to grab a calamari sandwich for a quick, delicious, and very filling lunch. For tapas, simply order a ration of calamari and – if your luck holds out – enjoy the scene from a table. It can be a bit tricky to get a spot inside and the incredibly low prices draw locals by the hundreds per hour.

Something for your sweet tooth

For a sweet end to any evening stop for one last drink at Casa Lucio and order a bottle of Spain’s claim to sparkling wine fame, cava. Enjoy Raventós i Blanc Brut Nature Gran Reserva with a slice of the traditional tarta de santiago, an almond cake, that hails from Santiago de Compostela.

Pst, you can enjoy a little tapa for breakfast, too. Take a page from the local’s book and head to La Mallorquina for some excellent freshly baked pastries. Don’t be put off by the crowds at the bar, simply elbow your way up and order. My favorite? A napolitana de chocolate pastry and black coffee. “Una napolitana y café solo, por favor.”

So go on, take a bite out of Madrid, I promise it’s delicious! Buen provecho!