We spent 5 days in Madrid on our 2023 trip before we met up with Angel to tour the sights in Andalusia. The night we checked into the Hotel Wellington, Manchester City was playing Real Madrid in the semi-final of the 2023 Champions League. We watched the second half in the hotel bar and the game ended 1-1. Man City went on to beat Real Madrid. The hotel was situated in a lovely cosmopolitan area. It reminded me of the Upper East Side in NYC. It was also very near the El Retiro park which is a very large park that reminded me of Central Park.
Our first full day we did a city tour with Victor from With Locals. He was a great guide, very knowledgeable about the city and the history of Madrid. He was gracious and talkative and brought us to some historic bars (over 100 years in service) and explained how a short glass of beer came along with a plate of tapas for free, which for the most part were pretty tasty. When our tour ended, Victor set us up with another 100 year + restaurant near the Plaza Mayor – Los Galayos. We had a lovely lunch sitting on the outdoor terrace.
That evening with met our former neighbor Anish at Terracotta; we also met his lovely wife, Carmen, their son, Leo, and his sheepdog, Hanna. It was a great night to reconnect and reminisce.
The next day we ventured out on our own and went back to Plaza Mayor to eat lunch at the Mercado San Miguel, which is home to an amazing array of tapas.
We walked off lunch at in the El Retiro Park. Dinner was a little off the playbook. I had noticed an Italian restaurant near the hotel, Ornella, but was disappointed no one there spoke Italian. The food was passable, but we found better restaurants in the area.
The next day we did a tour of the Museo Prado with a Context Tours guide, Barbara. She was very knowledgeable and friendly. The museum is not too big; we spent 2 or 3 hours and felt we had covered most of it. Barbara took us immediately to Bosch’s Garden of Delights, which is one of the highlights. She also provided background information on Velazquez, El Greco, and Goya. After the museum we searched for a restaurant for lunch and discovered Tabriz, which served delicious Persian food.
After lunch we explored the Botanical garden – Real Jardin Botanico. It was a nice place to walk on a sunny day with lots of shade and plenty to see. Dinner was at Quintin, a hotel suggestion. Although the space was cramped, the food was very good.
Our last day before the trip to Andalusia, we went to Museo Cerralbo, which was the residence of the Marquis of Cerralbo and his family. A surprising place, it is a classic building from the end of the 19th century. The house is perfectly preserved with beautiful ornate interiors, furniture, paintings, Murano glass chandeliers, and an impressive armor collection. Our With Locals guide, Victor, had suggested the visit. After the museum, we texted Victor for a place to eat lunch and once again he was spot on and sent us to Sifoneria. We had some great food and enjoyed the charm of this old time bar.
Our dinner that night was at Pante which was unique experience in true Italian food in the heart of Madrid. It was also a 2-minute walk from our hotel. Pante comes from the volcanic island of Pantelleria, located 70 miles southwest of Sicily and 39 miles northeast of Tunisia. We had a delicious meal and were entertained by the guests at the wedding reception in the backroom.
After we returned from Andalusia, we spent one more night in Madrid before the flight home. We stayed at Roommates Alba which was a 10-minute walk to the Plaza Mayor and certainly had more of a downtown vibe than the Wellington. We made one more trip to the Mercado San Miguel and dinner was at a traditional Madrid restaurant called Capitan Alatriste (Angel’s suggestion). I had a delicious ox meat steak.
Madrid Restaurants:
Terracotta – ate there with Anish
Ornella – Italian, near hotel, but not worth another visit.
Tabriz – Persian restaurant near Museo Prado
Quintin – nice restaurant near the Hotel Wellington. Cramped seating but very lively.
Pante – Sicilian delight across the street from the hotel.
Capitan Alatriste – city center. Very nice place. Lots of tourists during our early dinner.
Los Galayos – near Plaza Mayor
Sifoneria – Victor’s suggestion near Museo Cerralbro.
