Lunch at the Madrid’s Military Palace? Why Certainly!

If you´ve ever been to Gran Vía then you´ve passed by the casino militar at least once—if you hang around there a lot then you´ve passed  it a thousand  times.  In plain sight for all to see, but rarely paid attention to by tourists, the casino militar—the actual name is El Centro Cultural de Ejercitos—is enclosed inside one of Gran Via´s spectacular turn of the century buildings, the kind  that you imagine must hold some sort of government office or be the king´s storage depot. In fact, this particular building is an exclusive army social club complete with a gym, tai-chi, massage parlor, esgrima, barbershop, events room and more. Never mind all that though, because only members can use those facilities and you must be in the army to be one. What is open to you and your wallet is lunch at the center´s dining room at a price that might surprise you.

The food at the casino militar is as Spanish as it gets, the same you´d find in any cerveceria or typical restaurant except here, quite unexpectedly, prices are lower. Go to your run of the mill places around Gran Via and calle Alcala and the daily fixed priced menu—the traditional choice for a business lunch—will be between eleven and fifteen euros.  At the casino militar it costs no more than nine euros while the permanent menu is fourteen fifty.

Upon entering the solemn 1916 building you have to go to the second floor to get to the dining room. If you can walk rather than take the lift you will run into a good number of classic military portraits and statues from the 19^th century as well as swords and even knight´s armor from who knows when.

The dining room itself is ample and simple: a big room surrounded by white walls barely covered by the occasional nature portrait and a tall roof from which three chandeliers hang silently. Despite this lack of luxury, looking down to busy Gran Via from the tall classy windows you might wonder how it is that a nine euro meal got you such a good view. Speaking of the meal, the daily menu looks something like this: for starters fish soup; artichokes with ham; noodles with ham and an apple and chicken salad; for main course meatballs with rice, stuffed red peppers, grilled grouper fish and huevos a la flamenco (a sort of egg, ham and tomato stew).  The permanent menu is not very different, among the highlights there´s the melon soup with Iberian ham, a mushroom and shrimp pastry and lamb chops with salad. If you´re wondering about desserts just think of the most Spanish sweets you can: arroz con leche, chocolate pie, puff pastries—they´re all here and included in the menu.

Come have a quality meal at a great price inside one of Gran Via´s beautiful historic buildings!

Centro Cultural de los Ejercitos de Madrid
Gran Via, 13
Metro: Gran Via / Banco de España
34 91 522 24 09
Hours: Open all week for lunch from 13:00 p.m. to 16:30 p.m.

By Daniel Sznajderman

El Cisne Azul: Best Restaurant for Mushrooms in Madrid

El Cisne Azul stands along calle de Gravina, a few steps away from the heart of the very lively Chueca district. It’s easy to recognize among all of the funky shops and restaurants because it’s one of the few that isn’t quirky, pink or hip. Like a beacon of hope to every olive oil slurping, football watching, cigarette puffing Madrid traditionalist, it stands alone with neon lighting and wooden tables that characterize typical restaurants of the city.

Inside it’s usually crowded with customers, many of whom seem to hang out there often  judging by their familiarity with the waiters and contented attitude. But the blue swan (still haven’t figured out why that’s the name of the place) isn’t just another place to get chorizo, in fact, its particular niche makes it a special place: the specialty is mushrooms.

If mushrooms are a food you enjoy and you are reading this then don’t  miss visiting this small restaurant, which offers great varieties of the vegetable served in all kinds of combinations. You might need help from the waiter when picking out the mushrooms from the menu unless you are a botanist of sorts or just have an unhealthy obsession with them: the easily recognizable boletus, the Spain native niscalus, the lentinus (also known as shiitake mushrooms), cantharellus and enoki are a few of the types you can choose from. The rather flat and wrinkled cantharellus mushrooms are particularly delicious when served grilled. These vegetables come served every which way except plain or cold; they are all cooked in a lot of olive oil and come with—among other things—eggs, foie gras, mussels or goat cheese. These combinations go surprisingly well together and are not the kind of dishes that are easily found even in Madrid.

If you never got over the premature death of Babar the elephant’s father or simply find the fungus revolting, have no fear: El Cisne has plenty of other food to go around that isn’t as particular but just as good. To start off they have big green plates, their most recommended ones being the green asparagus and the watercress, tomato and cheese salads. Other combinations get tastier or weirder depending on your taste: anchovies with cheese, green veggies and morcilla (you know, the sausages filled with rice and dark coagulated cow blood), mussels, duck foie gras with marmalade and caramelized onion.

If you’re going more for the simple, tasty and traditional, there’s good choice of both meat and cheeses: the lamb and veal chops, solomillos and classic steaks all come highly recommended, as do the manchego, gamoneu and majorero cheeses.  Another thing that separates this restaurant from others is its wine selection, much more varied and superior to what you get in your typical Spanish tavern. The selection comes from three denominaciones de origen or specific regions, the first two being well known for their wine making: Rioja, Ribera del Duero and Madrid. Also available are white and rose wines, champagne and the traditional cava.

So whether or not you are a fan of mushrooms El Cisne Azul is likely to have something you like. The food is delicious, the ambiance comfortable and the service swift. Browse though below to get a general idea of the price range:

Mushroom dishes – from 10 to 16 euros; the mixed variety plate goes at 13 euros
Salad and starters –from 10 to 15 euros
Cheeses – from 10 to 15 euros, the mixed variety plate goes at 18 euros
Meats – from 16 to 22 euros
Wines, cava and champagne – from 12 to 240 euros

“El Cisne Azul”
Calle de gravina, 19
Metro: Chueca / Gran Via / Colon / Plaza de Espana
915 213 799
Hours: Open all week from 13:00 p.m. to 15:00 p.m. and from 20:15 p.m.  to 24:00 a.m.

By Daniel Sznajderman

Madrid Bakery: [h]arina

Go into any restaurant or cafeteria in Madrid and more often than not you’ll be offered bread. Ask any Spaniard and they’ll tell you that bread is an  essential part of every meal. And fortunately for the residents of Madrid there is [h]arina; a local bakery whose specialty is artisan breads. Conveniently located across from El Parque del Retiro, it is a great spot to pick up tasty loaves and head out for a day in the park. Aside from loaves of bread, they also serve a variety of sandwiches, cakes, coffee, teas and even organic yogurt from a local dairy.

Within these bakery walls nothing is more important than bread, which is exactly what Carmen, the owner of [h]arina, had in mind. Carmen wanted to create a bakery where people could come for wholesome, artisan breads made with quality ingredients and without any preservatives or artificial flavors. They have breads ranging from the typical barra (the Spanish baguette) to a delicious 5-grain loaf that cost around 2 euros.

Although [h]arina just opened in September of 2009, it already has a loyal following.  Not only can you grab your food to go, but also they have plenty of tables inside where you’ll find people enjoying their food, relaxing,  and hanging out. This is not only a bakery, but also a refuge. Inside you’ll find a bright, tranquil, setting that welcomes you with the smell of freshly baked breads, soft music, and a non-smoking atmosphere.

To return to the main page click here.

[h]arina
91 522 8785
Plaza de la Independencia, 10
Metro: Retiro

By Alondra Palomino

Dining Desires Fulfilled at Cervesia and El Caldero

It is well known that Spaniards can be quite territorial, a fact often reflected in the country’s deep regionalism (would this happen in the U.S, it would be like having people who consider themselves to be more Mississippian and Oregonian than American!).  Well guess what, it ain´t so different when it comes to cafes and restaurants: people pride themselves in hanging around their neighborhood’s café and eating ¨the usual¨ in their familiar restaurants. This at least is what characterizes Cervesia and its adjoined associate El Caldero, which stand a couple of minutes away from the Menendez Pelayo metro and about a ten minute walk from Atocha Renfe. One a café and the other a proper restaurant, they are neat but informal neighborhood hang out places where people get their coffee, breakfast and hot meals. Don´t worry if you’re not from the area though—you´ll still be allowed in.

Cervesia is a small and simple place made for being visited in the morning. The coffee is excellent, the service polite, the newspaper selection noteworthy and more importantly breakfast is very cheap. The best options of this last point is the combos, all of which come included with coffee and orange juice: the classic for 2.10 euros (toast with olive oil and fresh cut tomato bits), the Spaniard for 2.30 (tortilla Española and toast), the American for 3.50 (eggs, bacon and toast), the light meal for 3.50 (turkey, cream cheese and toast), the mix meal also fro 3.50 (mixed sandwich or croissant) and the cervesia meal for 3.80 (half a baguette with your choice of filling).Breakfast is not the only thing served, for Cervesia is open—without interruption—from 7 a.m. to 12 a.m. Thus, a variety of baguettes, sandwiches, soups and salads, all placed between a 2.50 and 6.50 euro price range, are also available. A day´s special, for instance, may include sautéed mushrooms, pan cooked squid and a goat cheese and vinaigrette salad.

If you are up for more serious dining, El Caldero offers truly superb Spanish food—the main specialty being paellas—as well as wine. A perfect place for sharing this flavorful rice dish with three or five more friends; the paellas can be made with yellow or black rice and can come with seafood, chicken, mushrooms and vegetables. Of course, a selection of the most celebrated greasy tapas—smoked ham, bloody sausages, eggs and potatoes, traditional patties—is never missing. Paellas for three to four people are between 37 and 47 euros while ones for five to six people cost between 52 and 72 euros, tapas range from 7 to 9 euros (there are however fixed menus that serve a variety of dishes for around 30 euros). The wide selection of wines ranges from 10 to 26 euros.

Whether you live close or far to these two locals, they are well worth a visit. If moving your feet isn´t your thing, El Caldero has delivery service that brings you steamy paellas to your doorstep in half-an-hour.

El Caldero / Cervesia
Travesia de Tellez 2 / Calle de Tellez 18 (they are next to each other)
91 501 28 28 / 91 551 41 07
Metro: Menendez Pelayo or Pacifico
Hours:
Cervesia – everyday from 7 a.m. to 12 a.m.
El Caldero – Mondays through Saturdays from 1 p.m. to 12 a.m.  and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

By Daniel Sznajderman

To go to the main Food and Tapas page click here

El Corral de la Morería: Flamenco and Spanish Cuisine at its Finest

El Corral de la Morería: Flamenco Show in Madrid and Spanish Cuisine at its Finest

El Corral de la Morería is Madrid’s best known tablao (or flamenco) show, offering arguably the best flamenco performances in the city. Flamenco isn’t its only strength: the food has earned the hard to get recognition of the Michelin Guide. The flamenco spectacle runs from 22 to 23:30 and then again from 24 to 1:30 in the morning—the musicians are first rate and the dancers are amazing, most are young artists that have risen to be among the best of their generation.

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As for the food, the menu has a wide selection of exquisite Spanish delicacies than can be ordered á la carte or by fixed menu. It is an expensive place—the cheapest starter is 17 euros and fixed menus can cost up to 99 euros—that also charges 34 euros as cover charge for the show. But being honest: is one of the best tablaos of the city.

El Corral de la Morerira
Calle Moreria 17
913 651 137
Metro: La Latina
Hours: Opening Monday through Sunday at 8pm. First show: 10pm-11:30pm / Second show: 12am-1:30am

To go to the main Flamenco in Madrid page click here
To go to the main Food and Tapas page click here
By Daniel Sznajderman