Madrid: Where to eat
Aug 14th, 2007 by Intermanaut
Next time you’re in Madrid and fancy some really good chicken and a glass or four of cider, Casa Mingo’s (Paseo de la Florida) is the place to go. It’s about 800m from Estacion del Norte, or a 20 minute walk from the Palacio Real.
We had half a roast chicken each, mixed salad and two bottles of cider (750ml each) for less than €25. We did have a little panic because we’d run low on cash, they don’t take credit cards, and the Santander cash point was borked. Fortunately we had about €40 on us, meaning that we could bring a bottle of their cider back with us. Marvellous.
While a capital city, we didn’t find it to be too expensive. Except in The Penthouse, the terrace bar that overlooks Plaza Santa Ana. We paid €20 for two Cuba Libres (rum & coke) and, frankly, they were crap. Almost completely devoid of any rum they tasted of little more than coke with lime. Rubbish.
La Tia Cobella, just off Plaza Santa Ana, does superb tapas in an extremely frantic little corner bar. It looks like it’s family-run and staffed, so everyone’s happy to be there. For less than €20 you can get a couple of beers, a decent Cuba Libre and a couple of tapas. I recommend their paella (one serving is enough for two), or their croquetas con jambon.
On Plaza Santa Ana you’ve got a great choice of bars for tapas and a drink. Miau is superb – very friendly staff (Gari) and reasonable prices (a beer is about €2.50 and a Cuba Libre is €7 with Habana Club Tres Anos). Cracking boquerones (fried anchovies) and interesting free tapas when you order a drink.
Our benchmark for the trip was the cost of a Cuba Libre. The most we paid for a decent version was at The Midnight Rose (the main bar at The Penthouse), costing €12 each. The cheapest was at La Tia Cobella at €5. Keep in mind that these are large measures, so they give Wetherspoons a run for their money.