It’s lunchtime and you are in the mood for something besides the standard fare. If it’s sushi your after, head over to SushiOlé. Their menu is extensive, offering a number of appetizers and tempuras, as well as standard teriyaki chicken and steak entrees. But their specialty is the sushi. You can create your own rolls [...]

I love a neighborhood bar with its requisite old men, antiquated decor, and dirty floor, but sometimes it’s refreshing when your neighborhood bar isn’t that way. So it goes with the Taberna de Moncloa — a place where owner Luis calls everyone jóven (youngster), regardless if that person is young or old, a long-time customer [...]

Everyone who decides to have lunch in Madrid’s Plaza Mayor soon discovers that they have made a huge mistake. The Menu del Dia (lunchtime set menu) is far too expensive and usually not all that good. Walk a few minutes in any direction however, and you are likely to be far better off. My personal [...]

Will places like this still exist in 10, 20 or 30 years time? Family run, a little rough round the edges, good old-fashioned food – already these ‘typical’ mesones are increasingly rare in Madrid, and you’ll have to get here early (pre-2pm) or late (post-3pm) to get a seat on a weekday lunchtime. The 10 [...]

There are two things I occasionally miss amongst the wonders of Spanish cuisine: a good sauce and enough chips. Now Spanish meat is fantastic, and best served alone, so that you can savour its wonderful taste, but that is also the problem: it is often just too lonely on that plate. I like the occasional [...]