Chic Chueca Chow and Darn Fine Disco Dancing

Take one chic and delicious café on the outskirts of Chueca by day, add an awesome underground night-club by night (Thursday to Sunday), then throw in some good lookin’ friendly staff, blend that together with music to get the toes zapping, then for the finishing touch sprinkle a dust of metrosexuality and you have one of the coolest places to discover in Madrid.

Café Oliver
Although slightly pricey as an eating establishment, Café Oliver is well worth the treat as you’re guaranteed quality comida. One of the A-Listers on the menu is the famous Sunday brunch which is sexy and oh, so citylicious. Perfect for soaking up the pain of Saturday night’s alcohol with the endless courses of top notch nosh. Imagine that hangover hunger gripping your body, then fill it with a perfect pastry, eggs benedict, fresh fruit salad or cheeseburger (among other options), wash it down with some coffee and fruit juice and I guarantee that you´ll be joining another Oliver in asking “Please sir, can I have some more?”

Main dishes will set you back about 20 euros so  I wouldn´t recommend this as your daily dining option, but certainly get yourself over to Café Oliver at least once a season to enjoy a belly-filling beauty of a meal. Don’t worry if you don’t get to try everything on the menu the first time around, this place is a fixture so you’ll have plenty of opportunities and special occasions to come back.

The Velvet Room
Now the delights of Café Oliver are nothing to be pushed into a corner, but come the weekend the shadows take over and the chic café environment slips into the background with the ease and grace of the Opera´s Phantom. And what emerges from the darkness is the inviting sound of the clandestine underground. On a Thursday to Sunday evening, you´ll arrive at the corner of C/Almirante and C/Barquillo thinking that the place is closed with nothing going on, and yet you´ll be met by a friendly bouncer inviting you in to the very dimly lit café. Once inside, head to the back where the music beckons and follow Alice´s lead into the rabbit’s hole below… Though if you fancy a chilled drink then the upstairs café bar is open, serving a full range of copas and cocktails. Also, upstairs is perfect to come up for a breather  once you’ve ventured to the depths below and worked up a sweat.

On descending the spiral staircase you enter into The Velvet Room: an intimate affair with a disco power that Donna Summer would find hard to avoid. The lit up dancefloor is my personal favourite and with fun music and a crowd that holds a host of new friends, you´ll be dancing til the sun comes up.

One tip: head to Velvet when you´re being kicked out of the other bars about 3 .a.m, because this is when the place kicks into gear and gives Lewis Hamilton a run for his money. Also, the DJ changes at 4 a.m. and then the tunes are cranked up further and it’s non-stop anthems all the way. The music is generally vocal house, commercial dance and disco tunes, giving the perfect mixture of fun beats you can sing along with.  The atmosphere is also one of the only genuinely ‘mixed’ surroundings I have experienced where straights and gays seem to fit hand-in- hand. So head to Velvet for some fun times, you won’t regret it.

Café Oliver
C/Almirante,12 (on the corner with C/Barquillo)
Tel: 915 217 379
Metro: Chueca
Horas: Mon-Sun Lunch 13:30 p.m. -16:30 p.m. , Mon-Fri Dinner 21:00 p.m.-00:00 a.m., Sat & Sun Dinner 21:00 p.m. -01:00 a.m., Sunday Brunch 11:30 a.m. -16:00 p.m.
Plato: 16-20 euros

The Velvet Room
C/Almirante,12 (on the corner with C/Barquillo)
Metro: Chueca
Horas: Thurs, Fri, Sat 23:00 p.m. – 06:00 a.m. , Sun 23:00 p.m. – 05:30 a.m.
Entry: 12 euros
Beverage: 8 euros
By  Tom  Burgess

Madrid Restaurants: Cheap Greek at La Taberna Griega

Many restaurants in Madrid combine chic looks with cheap food as a way of attracting customers. Places like the Asian food franchise Wagaboo, for instance, are designed to be easy on the eyes as well as on the wallet with affordable food and Ikea furniture that looks classy (but isn’t). Then you have the much more usual traditional restaurants and taverns—you know, the ones with white floors, neon signs, worn out bar stools and hanging televisions featuring telenovelas and football games. Some of these are well kept while others are baptized with the very Spanish concept of being cutre, the word to describe places that are rundown, cheap and hopelessly picturesque because of it. Taberna Griega isn’t a cutre place, but it definitely falls into the traditional tavern category. It’s as plain as it is simple—I mean, they didn’t even bother coming up with another name other than just Taberna Griega—but man oh man, the food is amazing.

The restaurant has been located on calle Juan de Urbieta for the last five years, offering a cheap tavern in the front and a series of tables for actual dining in the back. It has since then won over more than a few local residents—most spend time around the bar—and business is going good according to its grateful Greek owners. Far as I can see the secret to their success comes from two things: cheap beer and great food. Greek beer is 2.30 euros and 5.00 euros for half a liter, while all the dishes are less that 10 euros. The place offers all kinds of Greek plates made from the freshest ingredients and there is variety for all tastes, whether you are a meat lusting predator or strict vegetarian. This being Greek, the dishes contain elements from both Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine; the star ingredients are Mediterranean style meat and rice, white cheeses, yogurts and nut and honey based desserts. There is (of course) a large selection of gyros to choose from, with the most expensive one—the killer double gyro with tzatziki sauce and cheese—costing no more than 6.50 euros. There are also hamburgers and rolled pizzas available for a similar price which, although also good, should perhaps be substituted by more traditional Greek specialties: say a tasty serving of musakas, a chopped meat pie with eggplant and béchamel sauce, or the succulent tomatoes and peppers stuffed with meat and rice that go by the name of gemista.

One great thing about this place is that you have the option to order by portions and thus eat from a large selection of flavors, a sort of Greek tapas if you will. Don’t miss the hummus and melitzanosalata rations (3.90 euros each), which go very well with pita bread or pretty much any part of your meal. The second ration refers to a sauce made from eggplant and olive oil (known usually in the West as babaganoush) that is irresistible. Another good serving to share or to just gobble up yourself are dolmadakias (7.00 euros). These treats are those stuffed vegetable dishes commonly seen across the Middle East, in this case they are vine leaves drenched in lemon and olive oil filled with rice and chopped dills. Don’t get too caught up in the main dishes though because the desserts are well worth a try. There is the traditional yogurt with nuts and honey, and we all know the reputation Greek yogurts have around the world. Happily enough there is also a strong Middle Eastern influence in this section as well, so baklavas and halvahs (3.00 euros each) are offered as well. The first is a sticky and sweet pastry that contains nuts, pistachios and honey, while halvah is a sort of bland turron that is as tasty as it is filling. So procrastinate no more and take advantage of Madrid’s large range of international cooking! Come by or get a delivery order from this cheap and healthy tavern that offers the best in Greek food; you won’t be disappointed.

Taberna Griega
91 434 89 19
Calle Juan de Urbieta 6
Metro: Pacifico or Menendez Pelayo
Open from 13:00 p.m. to 17:00 p.m. and 20:00 p.m. to 24:00 a.m. (the bar is usually open till 1:30 a.m.)

By  Daniel Sznajderman

To go to the main Food and Tapas page click here

Nutella Filled Crepes, Cakes and Fondue in Madrid

L´art Creperie isn´t much to look at. Contrary to what its name may suggest, it does not look like a French restaurant or chic creperie—at most its a traditional Spanish tavern that barely bothers to put a few pictures of Paris on its walls. What it does have is a good location, low prices and a very long list of dishes to order from. In here you can eat from the normal menu or the run of the mill fixed priced menu, usually present in other restaurants. But you also have a wide variety of sweet and salty crepes to choose from as well as other dishes like fondue and tea selections that are hard to find in Madrid.

The normal Spanish food is good and varied, and for an 8.90 euros fixed menu that includes bread, a drink and dessert it´s not at all a bad idea. Starter options are usually green salad, asparagus soup, pasta with meatballs or tuna salad and main dishes include roast beef with fries, stuffed chicken or a crepe of your choice. Yet if you do make it to the L´art Creperie perhaps it´s better to use the occasion to gorge on rarer dishes like, say, the Miami Crepe: meat, cheese, ham, peppers and tomatoes wrapped in a huge crepe. There is also the Italian crepe that has ham, cheese, eggs and tomatoes, while other combinations have egg, spinach and ham or spinach and chicken. Present everywhere in Switzerland but as far as I know a rarity in Spain is fondues, and here you can get both a cheese and meat one for 16 and 18 euros for two people, respectively.

The real variety, however, comes when you enter the sweet crepes section. Crepes with sugar; nutella; white chocolate; dark chocolate; sugar and honey; marmalade; chocolate, cream and nuts; banana split…! Mouth watering yet? Think about the Jamaican crepe—a mix of ice cream, pineapple and Grand Marnier liqueur—the Viennese with sugar, chocolate, nuts and cream, or the Brazilian crepe that comes with vanilla ice cream, nuts and fruit. All the salty crepes cost between 5.00 and 7.00 euros, while the sweet ones are placed between 4.00 and 6.00 euros depending on your level of gluttony. You would think the chocolaty obsession ends here, but it goes on: fondue also comes with strawberries covered in melting hot chocolate at a price of 16 euros. Chocolate cakes are also available for 4.50 euros, 50 cents extra for a scoop of ice cream on the side.

Apart from crepes, this place also excels in variety when it comes to tea. With an endless list of options, you´ll spend more time choosing your tea than drinking it. All of them cost 2.00 euros, here are some options: black, spearmint, cinnamon, jasmine, orange, peach, lime, apple, rum, vanilla, Azahar water, almond and cardamom. Coffee delights abound as well with cups like the French café—Grand Marnier and cream—and the traditional Irish coffee, each costing 5.00 euros. So if you don´t mind the ordinary setting and rather mediocre service, then come discover an affordable menu full of plates that are anything but ordinary in Madrid.

L’art Creperie
91 547 52 28
Calle de Martín de los Heros, 6

By Daniel Sznajderman

To go to the main Food and Tapas page click here

New York Style Bagels at Beigol Bagels Madrid

In the land where toast with olive oil and churros dipped in hot chocolate are the typical breakfast, how would bagels fare? Beigol Bagels, which opened up barely two weeks ago, is about to find out. Although there are a couple of bakeries that sell bagels and its necessary ingredients, Beigol Bagels is the first sit-down and chill out café in Madrid solely dedicated to the consumption of these round wonders. Behind this place is a native New Yorker who’s longing for bagels got her through making her own, an idea later amplified with the opening of this friendly bagel sanctuary.

Yes, that’s right; all that’s sold in this café is either made or prepared in its kitchen. This includes the different kinds of bagels: normal, sesame, garlic and onion—cheeses and toppings, which brings us to Beigol’s second perk after guaranteed freshness: variety. In here you will find traditional combinations, strange Spanish infusions and sugary creations that can place a bagel as a good option for breakfast, lunch, dinner or dessert. Let’s start with the conventional kinds so as to not scare off the traditionalists: bagels with cream cheese or butter, with ham and cheese or with cream cheese and salmon. There is also the Spaniardized option, bagel with olive oil and crushed tomatoes, or with a tortilla stuck in the middle—all these range between 2.50 and 3.80 euros.

For the more adventurous there are the special combinations for 5.00 euros each: pizza bagels; chicken, cheese, lettuce, tomato and mayo, and  fried plantains with cheese bagels. Of course there are also a variety of ingredients for the old “make your own” option, where there bagel is 2.50 euros and the toppings range between 30 cents and 1.60 euros. Among these are chorizo, ham, egg salad, tuna and mayo, salmon, plantains and many other vegetables. Sweet options aren’t lacking either  they have bagels with nutella, sugar, honey, sweet apple, and marmalade, all between 2.60 and 3.80 euros. There are a couple of other items on the menu for those who don’t want bagels—gazpacho, a soup of the day and dessert brownies—but coming here for something other than bagels is like going to the Museo del Jamon for chicken cutlets. Be sure to try some of their tasty drink options though, like the natural juices and chocolate milk, all under 2.00 euros.

Beigol Bagels wants you to come and read, work or waste time with acquaintances for as long as possible, for its designed precisely for that. The two sofas and window lounge chairs are soft and comfy, the music is background noise and the lighting is artsy and not too bright. There is a small but valuable bookshelf filled with names like Conrad, Wilde, Joyce and Garcia Marquez, the walls are covered with art or photography of local artists and Wi-Fi is readily available. Theme nights are on the way of being organized. So far Wednesday’s are reserved for cycling enthusiasts and Thursday’s are dubbed international night, where Spanish and English learners can come and learn from each other.  Plus, the café’s schedule make it a multipurpose place indeed: it is generally open from 10:00 a.m. till late at night, so it’s not only a place to get all three meals but also a fully equipped bar that serves beer at 1.20 euros and all other liquors between 5.00 and 7.00 euros—a well rounded place worth going to!

Beigol Bagels
Calle de Melendez Valdes, 29
91 162 53 89
Metro: Moncloa or Arguelles
Hours:  Mondays, Wednesdays and Sundays 10:00am – 12:00am / Thursdays, Fridays and Saturday’s 10:00am – 2:00 am / closed on Tuesdays

By Daniel Sznajderman

To go to the main Food and Tapas page click here

Let the Curry Flow at Anarkoli Indian Restaurant

What immediately comes to mind when you hear the words Barrio de Lavapies? Immigrants, colorful buildings, dirty zigzagging streets, drug peddlers and a whole lotta Indian food would be the probable answer of many people that have been to this popular neighborhood. This particular article focuses only on the last point (sorry there, drug seekers). There are enough Indian restaurants in Lavapies to fill its streets with waves of hot curry and ride them with naan surfboards, but if you find having a huge amount of choices to be rather overwhelming I’d like to humbly recommend a sure thing: the Anarkoli Indian Restaurant. Located in the neighborhood’s main street, it is a place to have a feast of traditional and odd Indian dishes full of that which characterizes Indian cuisine outside of India: intense flavor and ever present spice.

The restaurant is clean and simple with one room that serves as a  bar and waiting place for takeout orders and an ampler room for dining. The brick walls hold various posters and paintings of Indian religious figures and of the country itself, but these are not too overwhelming in number or variety—the food is what you should be concentrated on anyway, and the food is good. If as mentioned before you have a problem with having too many choices then bad news with the menu, this place has almost too many dishes to count. To give some idea and direction the menu is sectioned so forth: entrees (2.95 to 4.95), tandoor oven cuisine (5.00 to 13.50), chicken and lamb dishes (6.95 to 8.25), vegetable plates (3.95 to 5.50), the all inclusive two person meal (approx 32 euros) and a large selection of breads (3.50 each).

Notable entries include the traditional meat somosas and the spicy lentil soup, the latter goes well with some naan bread, which is offered in its traditional form but also with garlic, meat and cheese. You can also order the peshwar naan which comes doused with almonds, coconut and sugar—though that hardly classifies as a side dish anymore! Chicken and lamb options are ample, with dishes such as mango chicken, and the explosive paneer tikka which comes as a mix of meat, cheese, yogurt and spices. For 13.50 euros there is a mix grill plate that combines chicken tikka and tandoori, lamb kebab and fried king prawns.

For those who can only think of innocent animals being slaughtered when reading this list of recipes, don’t worry—there’s stuff for you cow huggers as well. The malai kofta is a cheap dish of potato balls with almond cream, while the mitar paneer has fried cheese, onions, tomatoes and peppers. If you’re a curry lover (you know, the kind who can’t help always getting curry despite having other dishes to choose from) there are plenty of curry options when it comes to the type of meat, rice and spice level. These are usually 8.00 euros each except the mixed curry that comes at 12.50 and the vegetarian at 5.00 euros. Well, there you go—next time you are walking in Lavapies on a sunny day or are itching for Indian food, drop by Anarkoli.

Anarkoli
Lavapies 46
91 467 60 00
Metro: Lavapies or Tirso de Molina
Open daily from 12:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m.

By Daniel Sznajderman

To go to the main Food and Tapas page click here