PlanetEye

This place is one of my favourite places to eat in Madrid. Hmmm...well, I only really write about my favourite places, and yes I know they are many! :) This one I like because it is ridiculously cheap and the food is as good as if your mum made it at home.

They have specially named sandwiches such as : El Gañán and El Señorito being the 2 main specialities of the house; they are essentially a piece of freshly cooked meat with a vegetable (mainly onion or green/red pepper). They are just the right size and cost a meagre €1.50 each. Yes, €1.50 -- that wasn't a typo!

All other food is mainly tapas that are well made and cheap too, but alongside their sandwiches, what's also famous are their meat skewers called El Timón -- a large stick of a variety of well marinated meat.

The bar is run by old men who don't speak anything but Spanish, and the place is anything but posh or "happening", but you go there to eat. Service is super quick at the bar, so if you are a small group stay there. For bigger groups, there is a small dining area at the back where they have fit 15 tables instead of 10 and the service is slow -- but Spain was never known for its service so it's all good! You won't find tourists here, and if you see some -- they are most likely to be expats who have lived in the city for a while and know where to go to get the good, cheap stuff ;-)

Location: Calle de Veneras, 7 

Closest Metro: Opera (green line) 

Ok, I know that if you're visiting Madrid, seeing things from other countries is probably not on your agenda, however if you are here for a while and have some extra time, this one exhibition is worth visiting, even though it's Egyptian, and even though it's temporary.

For the last 12-years, under the supervision and guidance of marine archaeologist Franck Goddio, a team of people have been discovering Egyptian treasures from as long ago as the 7th century BC, lost and submerged in the sea. They have managed to recover a large amount of these objects: monumental statues, coins, jewellery and cult objects, and even entire sections of cities; 500 of them have been displayed in Madrid's Matadero (former slaughter house which is now a cultural centre) in Legazpi.

The artefacts are over a 1000 years old, spanning from the days of the last pharaohs to Alexander the Great, the period of Greek rule to the Roman conquest, then to the Byzantine times until the beginning of  the age of Islam.

The exhibition runs until September 28 and costs €11 for normal tickets and €9 for students.

Place: Matadero de Legazpi, Paseo de la Chopera 10/12 (closest metro: Legazpi, yellow and grey line)

Timings: Monday-Friday, 10:00-14:00; 16:00-18:00

This week, until the end of the month, Madrid celebrates the Fiesta of San Isidro with the main day of celebration being May 15 -- which is a public holiday in the city.

Should you have the urge to watch bullfights this is the best time to do so. I personally find it barbaric and have only watched it on television (I wanted to vomit), but throughout May, Madrid holds bullfights with some of the best matadors in the bull ring of "Las Ventas". Fights can cost anything from 10-100, depending on when you go and who you go to watch.

Otherwise during San Isidro, from May 11-18 Madrilenos dress as as chulos, chulapas, and goyescas and parade the streets. People set up stalls of food, drink and music -- and everyone's just merry.

San Isidro was a good man and hard worker, who found "miracle" water when he was digging, ever since he has been named the patron saint of Madrid. On May 15, you can go to the Park of San Isidro and drink this miracle water from the fountain. Other key areas to be at this time are: Plaza Mayor and Jardines de las Vistillas, where alongside open air concerts, you will find people traditionally dressed dancing the chotis -- a slow polka-waltz type trot. All in all, a good time to experience traditional Madrid!

Just like burgers, if you're a meat-eater you also crave that perfect slab of meat. If you get that urge to devour a bloody steak and prefer to stay away from the Irish Rover, boy have I found the place for you!

Located on a little street called Calle Pez, 30 in barrio Malasaña sits a little, homely Argentinean restaurant called "The Sitting Bull" that is open all day, serves the best steaks, and is totally affordable -- any steak dish varies from €9-14, with fries -- not bad at all!

The portions are large, the atmosphere is comfortable, and the place is normally filled with large Argentinean families. It's always busy, but they try their best to accomodate you even if you don't have a reservation -- even on a weekend, so it's a great bet!

Being a typically Argentinean local, it's a great place to get some pizza (€5.50 per pizza!) and watch the football -- it has a huge plasma screen! So there you go: steak, pizza, football, cheap, Hispanic -- it really doesn't get any better!

Closet metro: Noviciado (red line) 

Yes, it's true: you don't have to spend a bomb to see good Flamenco in Madrid. Although you can, and other than a little hole in your pocket, you won't be disappointed. But, if you are not fussed about visiting the Flamenco bar where Che Guevara and Ronald Regan hung out (where the show would be €40 with only glass of wine!), and prefer a low key, inexpensive, yet authentic Flamenco experience, these are the three best places to go in the city:

El Juglar: By far my personal favourite, this bar is in the immigrant Lavapies barrio on Calle Lavapies 37. Shows are about an hour long (no breaks!) with 4-5 dancers and a 3 piece Flamenco band (singer/guitar/percussion).They say shows start at 10pm, but they won't start until 11 (that's Spanish standard time for you!).They perform in a little hall behind the bar, on a stage, so you feel like you are at a theatre. Of the dance group, there are always 1-2 amateur dancers but they are pretty good. They all dance individually and then do a group session. Flamenco shows are only on Sundays and cost €9 -- that includes a drink.

Cardamomo: Located in barrio Huertas on Calle Echegaray 15, this place has a great ambiance more than anything: dim lights, red and black decor, candles, Flamenco music playing in the background, traditionally dressed darked haired/red lipstick Spanish women and Spanish men with the waistcoat and ponytail. It makes you feel like you've entered a warm and comfortable Spanish locale. Here they have 2-3 dancers along with the band. I personally found the dancers at El Juglar far superior, but the ones here are not bad either. The only annoying thing about this place is that the shows have long intermissions: they dance for 15-minutes, then there is a 30-minute break until the next dancer dances. Entrance is €5, including a drink and the show. Show starts around 11pm and is on every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Clan: On Calle Ribera de Curtidores 30 in barrio Embajadores (close to Lavapies, right where I live! :), Clan is a nice restaurant/hangout/club/performance place. They have free Flamenco shows every Friday and Saturday 00:30 onwards! The shows here are good and the crowd is always bustling.

Happy Flamenco! Ole! :)