PlanetEye

Lavapies is the barrio that every Madrileño goes to find a good Indian curry meal. The barrio probably has over 40 Indian restaurants to choose from, but -- truth is, only one of them is truly Indian -- the rest are all run by Bangladeshis. That doesn't mean they are bad, but it means that the food is not as authentic as it should be.

The only purely Indian restaurant in Lavapies, is Mr India. Located in the centre of Plaza Lavapies, the restaurant has a North Indian cook and is the official caterer for events at the Indian Embassy in Madrid. And, I have to say, the food here is more close to home than any other Indian place I have tried in the city. The Paneer Tikka, Chana Masala, Lamb Vindaloo, and Dal Tadka is what my standard order is, and it is just finger-licking good. They also have a selection of Indian beers to choose from.

The restaurant is not expensive, but compared to other "Indian" restaurants, it's a little more expensive (per person you are looking at an average of €10-15 per head, other places you can manage with €8-10) -- but if you are looking for good food from the subcontinent, this is the place to go.

Closest metro: Lavapies (yellow line)  [walk out of the metro and it's the first restaurant on your right).

Exotic foods outside their land of origin, are often expensive -- so finding a good one where you won't have to pay a bomb is not easy.

I love Arabic food, and having lived in Dubai for 10 years, I'm pretty picky about the Arabic food I eat, finding most places below average. Infact, in the two years I've lived in Spain, the only Arabic restaurant that gets my approval is AlHambra Restaurant, on Calle de Tribulete 37, in the immigrant barrio of Lavapies.

It's actually a pure Moroccan place, something you can feel as soon as you enter. The decor is simple, yet you'll find that dash of Arabic opulence if you look around a bit. The menu is vast with everything from Arabic and Andalucian salads, hummous, vine leaves and tabouli, to all sorts of cous cous, Arabic style lamb and lentils.

The main portions are large and are priced between €7-50-€9 and it's delicious; it's obvious that it's freshly prepared by someone who really knows what Arabic food is about. 

AND, surprisingly, the restaurant is dry -- probably the only restaurant I know in Madrid that doesn't serve alcohol -- but it's still always full and other than Arabs, many of the guests are Spanish.

A must visit if you want reasonably price, delicious, Moroccan meal!

Closest metro: Lavapies (yellow line)

Normally when you go to a new city, by default you hang in the city centre. So when you get to Madrid, you will probably be walking in and out of Sol and Gran Via the first day you arrive. The first day is also when you are most keen to try local foods and might find it annoying to only see restaurants that cater to tourists -- which means they are expensive, and probably not the "real" thing.

However, if in Madrid, I have good news for you! There is a restaurant called "Restaurante Catedral" on Carrera San Jeronimo 16 -- bang in Madrid's city centre. It does cater to tourists (the waiters kind of speak English), but it is visited by locals as well. It's a large place that has a great variety of tapas in various portion sizes and is reasonably priced, and even serves a menu of the day on weekends -- something not common in other places. It's decor is like a cathedral which makes it an interesting ambiance. 

So if you have just arrived and don't want to hunt for something off the map, yet have good, well-priced local food -- you will not be disappointed here.  Also, you will always get a table!

Closest metro: Sol

Address: Carrera San Jerónimo 16,
Tel: 91 523 35 56 

Plaza Mayor has been around in its current state since 1790 and has eversince been spot for many important events like bullfights, soccer games and public executions during the Spanish Inquisition. In other words, its historical significance and architectural specialty has lead it to become one of Madrid's most important tourist spots -- which means anything in or around the plaza is priced double (if not triple). Except this one little bar right outside the plaza (but stuck to it) called Casa Rua (Calle C/ Ciudad Rodrigo, 3).

Here you will get "bocadillos" (sandwiches) for €2.15 and litres of beer with patatas bravas (typical Spanish tapas of fries with spicy tomato sauce) for as little as €6  -- a cheap and perfect lunch/snack place in that plaza, should the hunger bug bite and you don't want to spend an unnecessary little fortune. Evenings and weekends it's usually packed, but service is super fast and their most famous bocadillo is the calamari one, but I personally prefer the one with lomo (chicken). AND, the bread of the sandwiches is actually fresh and soft, so unlike most sandwiches in the city, the ones here won't rip a layer of skin off the top of your mouth!

Closet metro: Sol 

These days, pizza and pasta fall into the category of rice and bread. You'd think you can't go wrong with pizza/pasta -- but believe me, you totally can -- so finding the right place to satisfy your Italian food craving is fundamental no matter where you live, and especially if you are visiting a city for more than a few days. 

I have eaten pizza/pasta at many places in the city, but the two best places in Madrid are:

1) Pizzaiolo: A small restaurant on Calle Hortaleza 84, in barrio Malasaña. The cooks are Italian and so are the waiters, the menu is an elaborate selection of salads, pizza and pasta, you can tell that all the ingredients used are fresh, and even the pizza bread base is made in their ovens. Delicious food, great service -- you can eat a hearty meal there for about €15 including a few beers. This restaurant also has a take-away shop called La Vita e Bella (Calle Pelayo 22) where you can buy individual pizza slices, calzone, pasta portians and even dessert.

Closest metro stop: Tribunal 

2) Croccos: Located in barrio La Latina in Plaza de la Cebada 9, this Italian place is run by a Venezuelan and a Columbian, but man do they know how to make their pizzas! Slightly more expensive than Pizzaiolo, this place has small candle lit tables -- making it ideal for a romantic date. A meal for two with dessert and a bottle of wine will cost around a total of €40, but it is well worth every cent. 

Closest metro stop: La Latina

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) 

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)