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

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! :)

One of Madrid's best kept secrets: a tiny "Chino" (as they call Chinese restaurants here) in the underground parking lot of Plaza España.

When I say secret -- I mean from the tourists; in my 15-months in Madrid, I have been there a thousand times and other than me and my boyfriend, I have never found English-speakers in there.

It's small, the menu is limited, and the service is fast but not quite what you'd call friendly. But the food is great, it's served super-quick and it's very cheap. On weekends the line can be a 100-metres long!

Chinese dumplings, Chinese vegetables, beef with green pepper (not on the menu but they make it) and noodles, is our standard order and never goes wrong. They even have more authentic dishes like chicken feet (ugh) and Chinese noodle soup with urrrm...nobody quite knows what's in it.

The staff don't speak any English and hardly speak Spanish, so sign language is the only way to go. If you don't order enough, they will make sure you order more.

The name of the place is in Chinese, so nobody knows what it says. I asked them once and they said "it's a Chinese restuarant, what do you care what it's called!?" There is only one parking lot in the plaza -- don't be afraid to walk down -- that's where it is.

So, if you want some good, fast and cheap Chinese food -- and are not easily bothered by bad service -- you will love this place. And, it's kinda cool to be eating in a parking lot! 

Metro: Plaza España (yellow line)

A burger is a burger is a burger. When traveling, we often crave them and resort to uncle Ronald McDonald or his majesty Burger King. But you know what, look a little harder and you'll get your burger, usually bigger, better and cheaper, in local city joints.

Oskar Burger in Plaza Santo Domingo in Madrid's city centre is one such place. Their burgers are HUMONGOUS, with fresh bread buns, and beef/chicken/fish patties made in-house. You can pretty much get them to make them just as you like it: with bacon, with egg, with cheese, without mayonnaise, with some chilli, whatever. They are priced anything between €3 and €5, and they really hit the spot.

What's more, you won't have to ask for extra little packets of ketchup and mustard, they will put FULL squeezy-bottles of them on your table (not common in Madrid). You'll have to order fries separately, but one plate is enough for two people and they are made of freshly cut potatoes.

Incase you want a salad, tapas or a steak instead, you can get that too -- but it's famous for its burgers. My mouth dribbles just thinking of the place! A must go for burger lovers.  

Open 11am-Midnight everyday.

Closest metro: Santo Domingo

Spring is here! The flowers are blooming, everything is green, there is pollen in the air and I can't stop sneezing, but it's all good!

Post a pretty severe winter, as soon as the weather gets a wee bit better, everyone is out and about in Madrid -- I love Spain for that! Cafes have put tables out, street markets have put their stalls up, people are all smiles -- oh how I love Spring!

One thing you can't miss in Madrid is Retiro Park. "What's great about a park?" I hear you ask? Well, Retiro is not just a park it's a whole 350 acre patch of paradise.

Other than it being a humongous space of lush green grass and tall trees, it has a beautiful Crystal Palace that often has offbeat exhibitions, two lakes -- one of which allows you to go paddling, and is home to the statue of "El Angel Caido" (the fallen angel) -- which is the only statue in the world that represents Satan. 

The park was made back in the 1620's for Phillip IV as a retreat for the Royal Family; it only opened to the public in the late 19th century.

If you want to take a siesta, blissfully read a book, or have a coffee while watching ducks pitter patter, Retiro is the perfect place to go. The park is divided into multiple parts (hard to locate and keep track of, it's just sooo big), but the main ones are: The Garden of the Parterre -- a French/Arabic style garden, and El Bosque Del Los Ausentes (forest of the departed) that commemorates the 191 victims of the March 11 2004 bomb attacks in Madrid.

Once you've had a bit of peace, walk to another side of the park and you are bound to encounter many dancers, musicians, puppeteers, artists, actors and tarot-card readers; or you can keep yourself entertained by ice-skating in their rink. The park even has a military museum called "Museo Del Ejercito" dedicated to Spain's history from the Middle Ages to the Spanish Civil War.

These are just the highlights of the park -- you can spend a whole day here and not get bored. If you don't want to loose yourself in the park and want to be well-guided around all the things to see here, every Sunday at noon there is a guided tour ("Secrets of Retiro") you can sign up for. 

Whether it's Spring, Summer or Autumn, this park is not to be missed! It's open all day every day and has free entry.