Beyond the world of the bull and bullfighting, with its detractors and its followers, San Isidro in Madrid means a couple of weeks of parties, of concerts, of chotis grabbed, of chulapas and chulapas and of chotis that multiply everywhere throughout the city.
Casticismo is its maximum splendor in three key points such as the Pradera de San Isidro, the Las Vistillas park and, as a bullfighting epicenter, the Las Ventas bullring, in a series of restaurants that can be reached in less than 15 minutes on foot.
Perhaps Madrid’s cuisine, a mixture of influences from all communities, don’t be the most purist in Spain, but there are dishes that are already classics and whose surname ‘Madrid’ is replicated over and over again.
Bar, snack and tavern culture, Madrid was never a city of great restaurants or tinsel (although now it seems so), but of bars, stick and low tables where wine and beer without surnames had the singing voice.
Whether you bet on the world of bullfighting or not, the surroundings of Ventas, El Carmen, Manuel Becerra or Guindalera turn during the days of the fair into a hive of people looking for restaurants and bars where you can eat Madrid with the capotazos.
Toribio House
Cardenal Belluga Street is the benchmark for tapas and snacks in the Las Ventas area. In this house, marked by its Leonese origin, there is no shortage of octopus a la sanabresa or black pudding, but also traditional dishes.
It is essential to try the stewed oxtail or cheeks, but also some large and traditional croquettes based on ham or, if we get exquisite, the famous ‘rejonazo’, a dish based on scrambled eggs, fried potatoes, eels and Iberian ham. On request they also have roast kid, being one of the few places in Madrid where it is easy to find it.
Toribio House. Calle del Cardenal Belluga, 14. Telephone: 91 355 90 20.
Timbales
Always bustling, this bar and restaurant that crosses Cardenal Belluga with Alcalá is another of the totems of the area. The letter is very broad and touches all the suits, but its best versions are found in the most traditional tapas.
good croquettes, excellent gizzards and bravas potatoes they give that first capo to the menu. Also the Castilian soup, the oxtail stew and the meats, especially veal, are of high quality.
The Timbales. C. de Alcalá, 227. Telephone: 917 25 07 68.
The Burladero
Little noise, but a lot of nuts. The third in concord of Cardenal Belluga is a discreet tavern, somewhat hidden and not very bright in which, however, some croquettes that alone deserve the trip. The grilled secret with mushrooms and, of course, the oxtail are not left behind.
Crispy torreznos, natural fried potatoes —no frozen—, freshly cut ham and some championship tripe They finish the job for a tavern that, without much pabulum, is one of the classics of the area.
El Burladero Tavern. Calle del Cardenal Belluga, 13. Telephone: 917 26 52 88.
The Tempta Tavern
Although recently remodeled, La Tenta is another of the illustrious taverns in the Las Ventas area. 70 years of history contemplate its passage through the capital as a tavern. Both for the bar and for sitting down to eat, the menu seduces from a classic and well-executed cuisine.
Tripe, Andalusian-style squid, oxtail, generous croquettes, anchovies in vinegar and a grilled and generous ear with garlic serve as an example to show that the tradition is still alive. Simple, honest, tasty and two steps from the Madrid bullring.
The Tavern Tavern. Calle de Alejandro González, 7. Telephone: 650 42 27 61.
The Corner of Jaen II
Although there are several places, the closest to the square is the one on Calle Dr. Gómez Ulla, but the menu of this series of taverns is identical. Although he is not as traditional as the rest of the residents in the area, he is a good place for a snack and tapas with an Andalusian accent.
Good seafood, both cooked and raw, and elegant fried foods are fundamental pillars of this house where the sirloin with whiskey and an interesting offer of fish are not lacking either, especially with its three-phase and four-phase seafood.
The Corner of Jaen II. Calle del Dr. Gómez Ulla, 6, 28028 Madrid. Telephone: 913 55 40 11.
Colossimo
One of the best potato omelettes that can be eaten in Madrid. Fine, creamy and with a balanced point of caramelized onion are its attributes, but the display does not end here. Stewed croquettes, marinades, steak tartare, stuffed baby squid…
The deployment of this house of contemporary Cadiz essence, with two young chefs at the helm, They are a safe value in the Salamanca district, which they have conquered by revitalizing this classic bar in Madrid, now transformed into a restaurant and a fun bar (in addition to its terrace).
Colossimo Tavern. Calle de José Ortega y Gasset, 67. Telephone: 914 53 14 25.
axes
We keep up the pace upper part of Ortega y Gasset with a restaurant with product and reinvention of recipes. Varied, versatile and original without falling into the stridency, Haches boasts a modern cuisine and an informal bar, based on preserves, pintxos and appetizers, which operates throughout the day.
Once at the table, an obligatory stop is their baby squid with onions, fried egg with shrimp or roasted pumpkin with chilli and feta cheese. They also have good desserts and generous meats like rib eye or cotoletta.
Hackes restaurant. Calle de José Ortega y Gasset, 79. Telephone: 910 51 01 82.
The Mountains of Galicia
The nº1 in Tripadvisor Madrid is barely a quarter of an hour from the bullring. Traditional kitchen, covered with a a certain modernity in somewhat more avant-garde recipes, These are the wickers of this restaurant that has been going for three decades and has become a benchmark in the Guindalera area.
quality embers, especially in fishand good meat, are the wickers with which to ensure success in Los Montes de Galicia, which also boasts an open but protected and very bright terrace.
The Galician Mountains. Azcona Street, 46. Telephone: 913 55 27 86.
Pictures | iStock / Instagram Eat more than eat
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