Grazing in Madrid

By the time we got back home I needed to rest my stomach.  A city break in Madrid had turned into an opportunity to spend a lot of time grazing.  We hadn't planned it liked that.  We had thought we would be busy with museums, art galleries and culture, and in many respects we were.  But wandering around the city of Madrid also meant taking in wonderful smells and tempting sights of delicious treats that seemed to be available in many locations.  It all started on day one.  We arrived late in the evening and having had a long day we decided to try and find something to eat locally. 

 

The guidebook had promised lots of small bars and tapas in all locations.  However this did not seem to be the case in the area we were staying.  Not wanting to walk far we tried one restaurant that was full even at 10 o'clock at night.  Undeterred we wandered further into a housing estate and found a small bar open.  It wasn't a particularly appealing looking place, Formica tables and high stools at the bar.  However we spied cold beer on tap and delicious looking Iberian ham on the counter and were drawn in.  We tried to order some food.  Tricky without any Spanish.  In the end the waiter just brought us stuff.  And every time we ordered more beer he brought more food.  A good system.  We feasted on various morsels and enjoyed every minute of time in this locals bar.

 

Another destination of choice for further grazing was the Mercado de San Miguel located in the city centre.  This old market has been renovated and now provides countless counter bars where individual taps are prepared.  Seating is limited but not the food and drink.  It's difficult to decide where to start but having arranged to meet back in 10 minutes off we went.  Fish, meats, cheeses and breads, paella and foie gras all on offer for between 1 and 5 Euros.  Piling plates high we met at one of the bars.  A huge piece of wood, smooth and worn, either with age or the number of elbows on it.  Behind it bottles of all sizes stacked up ready for the demand.  Rioja in large glassed flowed and as the place became busier the noise and hustle and bustle grew as the place filled up with both tourists and locals alike.

Rioja Madrid style

Whilst on the theme, other food destinations of choice included the Mercado de San Anton where fresh fruit, vegetables and fish were all displayed in a colourful and eye catching way, and the Iberian ham marquee that just happened to be in the Plaza Mayor while we were there.  Who knew Madrid has the second largest fish market in the world after Tokyo?

Madrid provided many treats and not just of the edible kind, the vast museums of treasures, huge parks and cobblestone streets all are well worth the visit and might feature another time.  But for now the chocolate con churros stand out.  We had resisted for 4 days but on our final night in the city we gave it a go.  Rude not too.  The famous destination of local choice was Chocolatria de san Gines where we ordered 2 portions of these donuts with chocolate sauce.  It proved hard work.  The initial effort soon petered out and defeat was upon us, this trip had taken its toll on our stomachs.  If only we had come here earlier in the week!!