Michael Carlin went to Spain on a Fulbright research grant 3 years ago. He was writing a dissertation on twelfth-century liturgical manuscripts from León, and despite going everywhere in Madrid, kept coming back to the Taberna del Almendro:

I know of no more satisfying experience than the Taberna del Almendro at Calle del Almendro 13 (in La Latina – Map). Even for people really into Spanish food, the native Madrileño cuisine is often not the most rousing experience. Forget that here. This place only does a few things, but they are done exceedingly well. The roscas and huevos rotos are satisfyingly solid, but also have a rustic flair that seems constantly ahead of the curve on avante garde cuisine. The decor is the madrid taberna of Anglo-American imagination. A tasca in a smart suit. It features a vaulted basement dining room from before the epoch of Goya, and the building itself abuts the old 12th-century city wall, traces of which are to be seen in the courtyard alongside the taberna. Oh, and the price defies expectation. I defy you to find a more fully satisfying dining experience in Madrid for the money. Oh, and the house Manzanilla is fantastic as well.

Have you got a Madrid favourite you can write in and tell us about?