La Cocina de Madrid
I had planned on sharing some sinfully delicious notes from Madrid with you folks, but it got a little wild with the Best Job in the World frenzy so I have had to address the media and doctor my blog before talking about munchies. Here’s where you definitely have to go if you want to have some of the best Spanish food in Madrid!
La Casa Del Abuelo
Cook grilling shrimps at La Casa Del Abuelo
Gambas A La Plancha for €7.60 at La Casa Del Abuelo
Juicy Gambas A La Plancha
Why? This specialist tapas haven is frequented by locals looking for only the freshest shrimps and langostines that are flavored with their house adobo and grilled to succulent perfection. Euh yeah, (vegetarian warning) I ate it all and sucked all the juices out of their heads because it was so fresh and tasty!
La Casa Del Abuelo
Fundada En 1906. Madrid
Tfno: 902 027334
Victoria, 12 – Nunez de Arce, 5 – Goya, 57 MADRID
www.lacasadelabuelo.es
La Mi Venta
La Mi Venta: Across the road from Jardines De Sebatini
If you are a fan of Parma ham, you would probably love Iberian ham! La Mi Venta, a tapas bar near the Palacios Reales hung a Spanish sign that claimed that their ham was “possibly the best in Madrid.” With a cue like that, how could I resist? So I went in and asked and because they liked my style, I was given a slice to try for free! Haha.
Possibly the best Jamón ibérico in Madrid, claims La Mi Venta owner
After tasting their ham I immediately insisted to get 100 grams worth of that stuff to take away without hesitation. It is the “best” raw ham I have ever tasted, I just can’t get enough of it because of how much flavor and character it has. You would think that because it is raw it would taste raw but it doesn’t. Very fatty and very delicious!
La Mallorquina
Window display of pastries at La Mallorquina Bakery
Perhaps the one thing my travel mates and I loved most about Madrid was the discovery of this insanely, yes “insanely” congested bakery! I kid you not, La Mollorquina is so busy they have a line of 6 or 8 servers behind the pastry counter serving takeaway pastries like bartenders selling beer at a popular urban nightclub on a Saturday night. You’d be lucky if you manage to exchange eye contact with one of the staff to get your order in but I insist the pushing, shoving and hollering is well worth it if you love your food.
La Malloquina's specialty: Agujas de Ternera
They have the most delicious cream-filled buns and some wicked Agujas de Terneca which are a type of beef empanada. The mincemeat-filled oblong puff pastry is to die for so needless to say, they have definitely passed my umami taste test!
La Mollorquina Bakery
Calle Mayor 2, 28013 MADRID
Tfno: +34 91 521 1201
Other must-tries are Bar Andalú for their calamares and Lhardy for their bits and bites.
Lhardy: Look at the guy behind sneaking a wave, hah!
As you can see folks, the Madridians are nice. They love people who want to eat their food and couldn’t be happier to share all of that with you if only you’d give the city a chance. Madrid is the third largest city in Europe after London and Berlin, so the flight links are fantastic. Going from London is easy peasy. Flight tickets on Ryanair starts from £0.01 and £22.99 on EasyJet before taxes. With deals like that, it would be a travesty not to see Madrid if only just to have some tapas over the weekend. So what are you waiting for? Book your tickets now! 
