Many Madrileños eat their main meal between 1:30 and 3:00 PM. At that point, many of the restaurants close until the next meal: around 9:00 to midnight. The late meal is often lighter, consisting of a series of small plates called tapas. Tapas can be anything from a plate of olives to a miniature paella. They're the perfect opportunity to eat a little and drink a little while you catch up with friends and family after work.
In most bars, bodegas, tapacerias, tavernas, or cervezcerias, when you order a drink the server will bring you a tapa or two to go with it.
You can stick with what they bring you, or you can order more. At the Bodega de la Ardosa, a plate of olives comes with your draft vermouth, but you have to order the salmorejo, a cold soup made from fresh tomatoes and garlic blended with stale bread, extra virgin olive oil, and sherry vinegar and garnished with grated egg and crispy ham bits.
It's been a specialty of the house since they opened in 1892.
Olive pits, etc. get tossed on the floor under the bar.
At the Taverna Real, the specialty is Jamón Ibérico de Bellota, so that costs extra. Especially since theirs is sliced by one of Madrid's premier ham slicers, Joselito. Yeah, ham slicing is a licensed profession here, almost like sushi chef in Japan. It takes three years of training, and the top slicers can produce slices of uniform thickness with precisely the optimum ration of meat to fat.
The kitchen at Taverna Real, with vermouth and beer taps and an array of hams waiting to be sliced.
Many of the tapacerias have a specialty. For this one it's mushrooms.
They're stuffed with, what else, ham, and dipped quickly in the deep fryer. Served with bread and grilled padron peppers. A glass of vino tinto is optional.
Almost all these places have both beer and vermouth on draft. And, as in France, the house wine is always a good bet.
Another lunch option is the bocadillo, a sandwich without dressing, just the naked filling and bread.
Fried squid is a local favorite, as are fried anchovies and other fish, ham, or any of various kinds of sausage.
The Mercado de San Miguel is a gastronomic palace overflowing with all kinds of delicious food from fresh oysters to caviar and champagne. You buy whatever small bites take your fancy and wolf them down at the crowded tables. Though the individual prices are reasonable, it's all too easy to rack up a considerable bill. Everything looks so damn tasty that it's hard to stop once you start eating.
Toasts with seafood. Though it's many miles from the sea, Madrid offers some of the best and freshest fish in Spain since it's the major export point for all manner of ocean products.
The market has its own cocktail bar as well as several wine bars.
Tapas made from various kinds of olives.
It's also one of the few places I found that offers tapa-sized portions of paella. I was disappointed to find that in most restaurants here, you can only order paella for two people. Since O is not a big paella fan, I'd be out of luck even if she was here.
Shellfish in abundance.
Practically anything you can think of that's delicious to eat is available here. Snails, cheese, cookies, candy, breads, fruit, pastries, coffee. All available in small portions for you to try. It's really the ultimate tapaceria.
P.
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