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Dining in Europe > Madrid Food is a central part of life in Madrid. This is also true for the rest of Spain, but one thing that most tourists will admit is that in Madrid you can enjoy food and have fun anywhere and anytime. There are a lot of typical bars where you can have a beer or glass of red wine to go with a tapa, such as boquerones en vinagre (marinated anchovies), for example, or a piece of Galician-style empanada (pastry filled with tuna and tomato), a ración (larger helping than a tapa) of chorizo sausage or jamón serrano (cured ham), a must, a slice of tortilla de patata (potato omelette), or champiñones con ajos y jamón (mushrooms with garlic and ham), and a whole lot more. Tapas have an interesting history and date from the 13th century. At that time, stagecoach drivers would stop off in a tavern to take a break and have a glass of wine after an exhausting journey transporting merchandise. They used to get so drunk, however, that the number of accidents they caused led the government to introduce a law which made it mandatory for coachmen to always eat something while they drank. Normally, this consisted of a piece of bread with a slice of ham placed on top of the glass or jar. These tapas (tops or lids) became a custom and are alive and well today. They are surely as good for you now as they were in the 13th century. If theres one thing that Spaniards in general and the people of Madrid in particular boast about, it is not being limited by schedules when sitting down at a table to eat or hanging out in a bar. The foreigners living in Madrid may wonder about the Spanish custom of leaving for lunch in the middle of the day (starting around 2.30 or 3 in the afternoon), ordering a meal that includes two courses, dessert and coffee and "wasting 2 hours" in the process. They don't generally understand how you can work after having such an enormous lunch. But this, in fact, is a typically Spanish custom, a way of looking at life, like leaning against the bar and throwing your used toothpicks and rolled napkins, or olive pits, peanut shells or prawn heads onto the floor. No Spanish "lady" will be offended at seeing a bar full of rubbish (even if shes wearing new shoes), but that custom, like hanging a leg of ham from the ceiling to slice jamón ibérico from, sometimes has a profound impact - and not a very pleasant one - on the visitor. Once you get used to it, however, you'll ask yourself how you ever lived without throwing toothpicks on the floor...like they do in Madrid. The tourist will soon learn what to throw down and what not to, as well as where you can and where you can't. In fact, this is really an art form. In Madrid, the most popular places to tapear (have tapas in one or more places) include the areas around Plaza de Santa Ana (the Cervecería Alemana is almost completely full of foreigners), Plaza de la Cebada (don't forget to stop by El Almendro) or Plaza de Alonso Martínez. Some other areas, like along Calle Conde Duque and the nearby streets, Moncloa and Cristo Rey neighbourhoods or Calle Arenal and Calle Mayor are also popular. At the end of Calle Huertas, almost at the intersection with Paseo del Prado, is a place called La Dolores, one of those places that have been around for as long as anyone can remember, with a wide range of really delicious tapas and one of the prettiest and best-kept bars in Madrid. There are four other equally recommendable bars to tapear in on the same side of the pavement. But the best thing to do is wander about, exploring the streets, because each area of Madrid has its own famous bars, and generally there are a lot of them. After this tapeo, comes lunch or dinner. If what you'd like to do is try local dishes and capture the Spanish essence, you have to go to the traditional restaurants such as Casa Lucio or El Shotis on Calle Cava Baja, or La Bola or Botín near Plaza Mayor. The most typical dish in Madrid is quite simple and comes from Castilla la Mancha originally. Cocido madrileño is a soup with noodles to which chickpeas, meat of all kinds, ham, chorizo and vegetables are added. When its cooked right, its the perfect dish (actually several courses) for a cold winter afternoon. Another of Madrids typical dishes is callos madrileños (tripe in a slightly spicy sauce) which people either love or hate. Once again, when properly prepared, its delicious!. The best callos, consisting of beef tripe - or sometimes lamb or pork - with chickpeas, chorizo, morcilla (blood sausage) and back fat, can be found at Botillería Maxi on Calle Cava Alta. Caracoles (snails), tortilla de patata and sopa de ajo (garlic soup) are also among the citys outstanding dishes. Fish is another culinary strong point. No restaurant worth its salt will have anything but the freshest fish of the day. As the popular expression in culinary circles goes, "Madrid is the best port in Spain", because fresh fish arrives from the Spanish coasts every day aboard private planes. It goes without saying that red wine is the best accompaniment to have with callos, cocido, meat or almost any other dish. A good wine from Rioja or Ribera del Duero will liven up anyones meal, but there are also good wines from the Community of Madrid, which are becoming more and more popular. In terms of foreign cuisine, Madrid is starting to have an ever-wider variety of cuisines available, though its hard to find affordable and "exotic" cuisines, while Chinese restaurants aren't usually very good (except for Tse Yang, excellent but prohibitively expensive for most). In general, the range of Italian restaurants is quite good and there are a lot of Argentine, Mexican and American restaurants to choose from. At night, Madrid is one big party as everyone knows. Perhaps there isn't the same level of enthusiasm that existed in the 80s during the movida madrileña (the period after the dictatorship, when Madrid was awash with all sorts of theatre, bands, art, etc.), but people are out having fun almost every day of the week. In Madrid, the weekend really begins on Thursday, the day that people living in the city centre go to their favourite haunt. During the weekend, Madrid is filled with people coming in from the outskirts and surrounding cities and towns and it is practically impossible to find a parking space or to make a reservation in a restaurant. The best way to discover Madrids nightlife is to do what the people from Madrid do and go to the places that they go to. Huertas, Malasaña, Chueca, Moncloa, Salamanca, Bilbao and Alonso Martínez are the main areas that become one giant bar. There are people on the streets all weekend long and its easy to find a style you like, depending on your mood that night. Moncloa tends to attract students and its not so common to find anyone over the age of 22 there; Malasaña combines teenagers and people between 18 and 30; Huertas is normally full of people in their 20s and 30s, so there is a greater range of places to go to; Bilbao and Alonso Martínez cater to a wide mix of ages and different types of people and there is a wide variety of bars to choose from; in the last few years, Chueca has become the most progressive neighbourhood and home to the gay community; lastly, the neighbourhood around Salamanca, the complete opposite of Chueca, is a place without the street life you'll find in Malasaña or Huertas, but with a lot of generally quiet (and expensive) bars where "people of a certain social position" over the age of 30 normally go. Late night is of course the time for discos and clubs like Joy Madrid (which leads to early morning fritters and hot chocolate next door - a Madrid tradition - at Chocolatería San Ginés), el Palacio de Gaviria (much more laid-back but also quite interesting) or Kapital. The rest is up to you. Translated by A.Rupert Entertainment in MadridMadrid is, beyond a shadow of a doubt, one of the worlds best cities for having fun. Night owls will meet their matches here, as Madrileños don't tend to go out on the town until after midnight and rarely arrive at clubs before three in the morning. However, even if your entertainment tastes are rather more sedate, you won't be disappointed (unless you were planning on having dinner at half past six!). Art is abundant in this vibrant and creative city. There are numerous galleries to be visited, whatever your taste. For instance, Galería Capa Esculturas specializes in sculpture, showing the hottest new names in the game. Galería Estiarte shows promising new graphic artists, and for international flavour, Galería Heinrich Ehrhardt offers German avant-garde, while Galería del Cisne concentrates on contemporary Catalan artists. A plethora of galleries can be found in the swish Salamanca district of the city, while many others are spread around the Alonso Martínez and other areas. Cinema is mostly centred around Gran Vía, running from Plaza de España eastwards. Spain is renowned for dubbing (both quality and quantity), so if you want to see films in English or their original language, make sure to check for the V.O. (versión original) listing. Some cinemas routinely show foreign and/or original language films. Most notably, the Filmoteca, the Renoir Plaza España and the Alphaville (which are also great for people watching). Dance can be seen at several capital city venues. Of course flamenco/sevillanas is not too difficult to find in a traditional tablao, but Madrid also often hosts national and international companies who perform ballet, modern dance and so on. Try checking out whats on at the Teatro de la Zarzuela (which is not used solely for dance). Shows also go to the Centro Cultural de la Villa, located behind the waterfall under the Plaza de Colón. Museums certainly abound, and the three most important collections are all within walking distance of each other in what is now known as Madrids "Golden Triangle". The Museo del Prado is certainly the most famous, with its astounding collection that includes El Greco, Velázquez and Goya. The relatively new Thyssen Bornemizsa has everything from Van Dyck to Van Gogh, Dégas to Dalí, and Carpaccio to Kandinsky. Finally the Centro de Arte Reina Sofía houses contemporary Spanish art, such as Picassos Guernica and work by Miró, Dalí and more. Aside from these more obvious choices, there are also a plethora of smaller, quirkier museums such as the Museo de los Bomberos (Firemens Museum) and the Museo Angel Nieto, dedicated to the motorcyclist. As for music, jazz clubs can be found without too much trouble. Aficionados have been turning up at Populart, Café Central and Clamores for years. All of these are located close to Huertas and, if you don't like whats on, there are plenty of other venues all around the area. Flamenco comes from the south, but Madrid obviously attracts many top acts. Try Casa Patas or Candela, or just wander through the gates of the Plaza Mayor until you hear something you like coming from within (but be prepared to pay heftily for it). Rock/Indie music can be heard in places like Suristán, which has been going for ages and regularly has alternative and world-beat concerts in its famous smallish quarters, or at larger venues like La Riviera, which hosts bands such as Blur, Massive Attack, and others. Classical music and opera can be heard at the lovely Teatro de la Zarzuela and the Teatro Real. Theatre is not difficult to find in Madrid. In fact just a stroll around the centre of town will take you past more than you'd have time to visit in a month, so just pick a show that sounds interesting and go. There are dozens of "mainstream" theatres, often showing works by old Spanish masters who have metro stops named after them (Quevedo, Tirso de Molina). The Nuevo Apolo, the Abadía and the Comedia are just a few. Or for way-out Spanish fringe try Cuarta Pared or Canto de la Cabra. In addition, be sure to check out Madrids English-language whats-on guide, as there are often productions performed in the Bards tongue. Nightclubs in Madrid are like pubs in England: everywhere! There are large and small, cheap and outrageously expensive, techno, salsa, gay, straight, mixed, and just about anything else you could come up with. Many do not open until midnight and remain empty until 3am. The main areas are: Chueca (for predominantly gay/mixed clubs), Malasaña (plenty of rock, grunge, indie and alternative) and Huertas (latin, jazz, etc.). Often, if you have to pay a cover charge, a drink is included. Don't be shocked if a drink costs 1000 ptas. Madrileños love their nightlife, and they're willing to pay for it! By zone: Huertas is central to just about everything and is an ideal area for a night out without having to travel much. The street itself and surrounding ones (as well as lively Plaza de Santa Ana are crowded with tapas bars, cafés (many with live music), restaurants and late night spots. Populart and Café Central, for example, are great places for jazz. Las Bravas is the best place in the world for patatas bravas (fried chunks of potatoes in a delicious, spicy, secret-recipe sauce), a speciality that no one outside Madrid seems to do properly. And Naturbier is a great micro-brewery not to be missed. Chueca is one of Madrids most cosmopolitan areas, and also the capital citys gay centre. There are numerous clubs, discos and even gay bookstores, cafés and b&bs! Black & White is one of the best-known gay discos, and Acuarela is a charming café. Chueca used to be quite a rough area; and though it has become fairly gentrified, it is still not uncommon to see Madrids underbelly here, so its best to keep an eye out. Malasaña is full of bars and clubs and tends to be on the younger side. It is easy to party all night in any of the places surrounding the Plaza del dos de Mayo and though there is a large variety of music, much of it often tends to be rock, grunge, and indie. There are also many restaurants in the area. Dining in Europe > Madrid
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