Madrid - eating out

One characteristic of eating in Spain in general is that, like in some parts of southern Italy, but much more so, the mealtimes are usually much later than everywhere else: lunch takes place between 2pm and 3pm, and dinner from 10pm onwards, with restaurants keeping the kitchen open as late as 1am. This can be quite of a culture shock if you come for countries where one has lunch at 12am, but you’ll get used to it. It is also a hint of the Spaniards’ tendency towards going to bed very late at night (and getting up even later, if they can).

In terms of choice, as in many cities of the same size, choice is vast and varied, and includes most world cuisines, which are constantly growing in importance, local cuisine (restaurante is the name for a normal restaurant, a meson is a restaurant with house cooking, and marisquerias serve mostly fish and seafood) , great both for meats and seafood, and the usual fast food chains. Most bars and cervezerias (bars which serve mostly beer, so a kind of equivalent of pubs) will also serve food, whether it be tapas (see below) or more substantial dishes. It must also be said that, in comparison with other major European cities, eating out in Madrid is generally cheaper.

It must be said that most Spanish cuisine comes from areas other than Madrid, because the capital had been an area of extreme poverty for centuries, as some of the typical dishes will suggest. In general, Spanish cuisine is of the Mediterranean type, rich in olive oil, onions, garlic, hot pepper and tomatoes. What makes Spanish cuisine a bit different is the wider usage of several spices of Arab origin, and the widespread use of honey in sweets, which could date back to the Roman era, or be another product of Arab occupation.

Paella

The most famous Spanish dish, it’s not from Madrid but other cities. It is an archetypical cousin of Chinese Cantonese rice (the rich variety, not the pathetic stuff you get at takeaways), and is made with rice with a lot of saffron and a variety of vegetables, meats or fish and seafood, and sometimes both (even if you never thought of eating fish and meat together, we can assure that it’s a great experience). All of the stuff is cooked separately then mixed in a big pan, which can assume huge proportions if it’s made in big quantities.

Other Madrid specialities

The Cocido Madrileno is the best known Madrid dish; it is a stew made with broth, lard, pork and/or beef, and various vegetables including cabbage, carrots and chickpeas. Tripe is also very popular in Madrid, for some reason related to past poverty, probably. If you are amongst the lucky few who can approach it, it’s a good place where to eat it. Other options are garlic soups and tortillas (which are unlike the Mexican tortillas, since they are made with eggs and not corn, so they are more of an omelette).

Fish

In spite of its distance from the coast, Madrid has one of the biggest fish markets of the world. The Spanish fishing fleet is huge, and supplies the capital with fresh fish in big quantities. Therefore, fish is often cheap and very good, especially seafood.

Tapas

Another Spanish speciality, Tapas are small appetizers usually served when you have your glass of wine or beer before dinner. They can be anything from seafood (if you’re lucky) and cold meats to tortillas and vegetables. While in many parts of Spain they come for free with the drink, in Madrid you often have to pay for them - the stingy bastards! If you have many drinks while you wait for dinner (a thing which is likely to happen often in Madrid), they’re a great ally to save you from getting drunk very quickly.

Alcoholic beverages

Spain is a good country for wine, which comes in the tinto (red), blanco (white) and rosado (rosé) varieties, the latter of which is sort of an acquired taste, and generally the result of alchemical practices on the producer’s side. The best wines come from the north of the country, and tend to be stronger than Italian and French ones, due to the warm climate. If you go to a restaurant, you can order house wine in 1 litre or 1/2 litre jugs; it is usually cheaper than bottle wine, and often good. Beer (cerveza, in Spanish), especially in the warmer periods of the year, is everywhere in Spain: you will find both good local brands and most international ones; it is drunk in huge quantities, and often served in 1 litre glasses. One important phrase to know in Spanish is "otra cerveza, por favor", which means "more beer, please". Another famous Spanish drink is sangria, which is red wine with lots of assorted fruits cut in dices and extra sugar. It is very good, but beware that if you have too much you can get incredible headaches.