Visiting Madrid for the first time 3rd week of August, sadly when many restaurants will be closed. Family of four incl twin teens. Staying at the Palacio de los Duques for four nights. I’ve made some reservations based on @Maribel’s excellent recommendations. We love to eat, and @Maribel’s “solid value, sit-down dining” restaurants are the type of place I’m looking for! Welcome any other suggestions, particularly for lunch. TIA
Sunday, early morning flight arrival:
Visit El Rastro
Lunch near market - suggestions?
Dinner and show: Tablao Flamenco Las Tablas (choosing this over Corral for the smaller room, better viewing, not the food)
Monday:
Walk and Eat Spain Neighborhood Market and Food Family tour (incl lunch) La Malasana.
Dinner: La Monteria
Tuesday:
Lunch: Mercado Anton Martin - La Lopez closed, Sincio not open for lunch on Tu, any other suggestions?
Prado
Dinner: La Catapa
Wednesday:
Lunch: Mercado de la Paz - suggestions?
Dinner: La Lloreria - if it is open in late August?
Would love your suggestions. We generally like to wander and absorb local culture more than visit museums/sites. Looking for something close to our hotel, that doesn’t require a ticket/pre-booking since we fly in that day.
I regret going to El Rastro and would feel guilty if I didn’t try to discourage you from going, especially after an overnight flight and in August heat! If you must, try not to get sucked into the main crowd, it will take you half an hour to get out. Skirt the outsides. Glimpses of stalls at the edges will suffice; there is nothing special about them. But I would suggest instead a stroll in Retiro Park; there are plenty of food options just to the east of it (that is @Maribel’s nabe), and the park will have lots of locals for people-watching on a Sunday, but it has space to absorb them, so it will not seem crowded.
Too bad Barmitón is closed in August, but it looks as if La Lloreria is only closed Jul 30 - Aug 10. Book well in advance! For your Tuesday, Tatema is not too far from the Prado and has interesting food. But I would suggest going to the Prado first thing, as it gets packed out, and there will be long lines, even with pre-purchased tickets or passes. Then have a late lunch afterwards. In Mercado de la Paz, Casa Dani is a solid choice.
Thank you, this is incredibly helpful and makes a lot of sense. Following your sage advice, I’ve amended our itinerary. Sadly La Lloreria is closed from Aug 10 this year, but I’ve booked Lakasa instead.
Sunday, early morning flight arrival:
Walk in Retiro park
Casual lunch near park, or takeout spot for picnic food - suggestions for places open on a Sunday?
Dinner and show: Tablao Flamenco Las Tablas
Monday:
Walk and Eat Spain Neighborhood Market and Food Family tour (incl lunch) La Malasana.
Dinner: La Monteria
Tuesday:
Prado
Lunch: Mercado Anton Martin - La Lopez is closed, Sincio not open for lunch on Tu, any other suggestions?
Dinner: La Catapa
Wednesday:
Lunch: Mercado de la Paz - Casa Dani
Dinner: Lakasa
You could think about Rafa, on the east side of the park. It’s open now for Sunday lunch only. It’s a traditional upscale seafood place that I’ve been to several times…we always arrived on a Sunday and we would have our first meal In Madrid there. They have a bar area in front where you could sample seafood tapas/raciones. More casual than the interior restaurant.
Not in Mercado Antón Martín, but nearby, is Maria Sarmiento, open for Tuesday lunch. Their sister restaurant next door, La Burlona, is closed on Tuesday, but accepting reservations on Wednesday that week, so my guess is that they are not on vacation. A little further away but still an easy walk is La Caníbal, with very nice octopus and natural wines on tap. Also accepting reservations.
I can 2nd the recommendation for Maria Sarmiento in that area. Excellent rices and fried seafood dishes in particular. We thought the arroz with red carabinero prawns was better than more established arrocerias in the city.
Unfortunately, looking at their most recent online menu, María Sarmiento no longer features rice dishes. I´m not sure why not, given its name “Sarmiento”, but their sister restaurant next door, La Burlona, does. I would inquire about the rice dish situation at the former.
We do. go to La Caníbal on Sundays and enjoying their hearty Galician fare (they do pulpo a. feira really well) and wine list from many small producers, including their own wines.
And in the area for an aperitivo of vermouth and a gilda skewer, there is now another branch of Hermanos Vinagre.
If in this area, above the Reina Sofía, and you´re in the mood for flame grilled Mexican-Spanish fusion, we. enjoy TATEMA.
And for rice dishes, very well priced, we also enjoy USKAR in Embajadores, which I’ve posted about here (also has an excellent wine list).
Looking at the menu of La Burlona, it seems they may have moved the rices and other large dishes to there and transformed Sarmiento into a tapas place.
