In the land where toast with olive oil and churros dipped in hot chocolate are the typical breakfast, how would bagels fare? Beigol Bagels, which opened up barely two weeks ago, is about to find out. Although there are a couple of bakeries that sell bagels and its necessary ingredients, Beigol Bagels is the first sit-down and chill out café in Madrid solely dedicated to the consumption of these round wonders. Behind this place is a native New Yorker who’s longing for bagels got her through making her own, an idea later amplified with the opening of this friendly bagel sanctuary.
Yes, that’s right; all that’s sold in this café is either made or prepared in its kitchen. This includes the different kinds of bagels: normal, sesame, garlic and onion—cheeses and toppings, which brings us to Beigol’s second perk after guaranteed freshness: variety. In here you will find traditional combinations, strange Spanish infusions and sugary creations that can place a bagel as a good option for breakfast, lunch, dinner or dessert. Let’s start with the conventional kinds so as to not scare off the traditionalists: bagels with cream cheese or butter, with ham and cheese or with cream cheese and salmon. There is also the Spaniardized option, bagel with olive oil and crushed tomatoes, or with a tortilla stuck in the middle—all these range between 2.50 and 3.80 euros.
For the more adventurous there are the special combinations for 5.00 euros each: pizza bagels; chicken, cheese, lettuce, tomato and mayo, and fried plantains with cheese bagels. Of course there are also a variety of ingredients for the old “make your own” option, where there bagel is 2.50 euros and the toppings range between 30 cents and 1.60 euros. Among these are chorizo, ham, egg salad, tuna and mayo, salmon, plantains and many other vegetables. Sweet options aren’t lacking either they have bagels with nutella, sugar, honey, sweet apple, and marmalade, all between 2.60 and 3.80 euros. There are a couple of other items on the menu for those who don’t want bagels—gazpacho, a soup of the day and dessert brownies—but coming here for something other than bagels is like going to the Museo del Jamon for chicken cutlets. Be sure to try some of their tasty drink options though, like the natural juices and chocolate milk, all under 2.00 euros.
Beigol Bagels wants you to come and read, work or waste time with acquaintances for as long as possible, for its designed precisely for that. The two sofas and window lounge chairs are soft and comfy, the music is background noise and the lighting is artsy and not too bright. There is a small but valuable bookshelf filled with names like Conrad, Wilde, Joyce and Garcia Marquez, the walls are covered with art or photography of local artists and Wi-Fi is readily available. Theme nights are on the way of being organized. So far Wednesday’s are reserved for cycling enthusiasts and Thursday’s are dubbed international night, where Spanish and English learners can come and learn from each other. Plus, the café’s schedule make it a multipurpose place indeed: it is generally open from 10:00 a.m. till late at night, so it’s not only a place to get all three meals but also a fully equipped bar that serves beer at 1.20 euros and all other liquors between 5.00 and 7.00 euros—a well rounded place worth going to!
Beigol Bagels
Calle de Melendez Valdes, 29
91 162 53 89
Metro: Moncloa or Arguelles
Hours: Mondays, Wednesdays and Sundays 10:00am – 12:00am / Thursdays, Fridays and Saturday’s 10:00am – 2:00 am / closed on Tuesdays
By Daniel Sznajderman
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What immediately comes to mind when you hear the words Barrio de Lavapies? Immigrants, colorful buildings, dirty zigzagging streets, drug peddlers and a whole lotta Indian food would be the probable answer of many people that have been to this popular neighborhood. This particular article focuses only on the last point (sorry there, drug seekers). There are enough Indian restaurants in Lavapies to fill its streets with waves of hot curry and ride them with naan surfboards, but if you find having a huge amount of choices to be rather overwhelming I’d like to humbly recommend a sure thing: the Anarkoli Indian Restaurant. Located in the neighborhood’s main street, it is a place to have a feast of traditional and odd Indian dishes full of that which characterizes Indian cuisine outside of India: intense flavor and ever present spice.
The restaurant is clean and simple with one room that serves as a bar and waiting place for takeout orders and an ampler room for dining. The brick walls hold various posters and paintings of Indian religious figures and of the country itself, but these are not too overwhelming in number or variety—the food is what you should be concentrated on anyway, and the food is good. If as mentioned before you have a problem with having too many choices then bad news with the menu, this place has almost too many dishes to count. To give some idea and direction the menu is sectioned so forth: entrees (2.95 to 4.95), tandoor oven cuisine (5.00 to 13.50), chicken and lamb dishes (6.95 to 8.25), vegetable plates (3.95 to 5.50), the all inclusive two person meal (approx 32 euros) and a large selection of breads (3.50 each).
Notable entries include the traditional meat somosas and the spicy lentil soup, the latter goes well with some naan bread, which is offered in its traditional form but also with garlic, meat and cheese. You can also order the peshwar naan which comes doused with almonds, coconut and sugar—though that hardly classifies as a side dish anymore! Chicken and lamb options are ample, with dishes such as mango chicken, and the explosive paneer tikka which comes as a mix of meat, cheese, yogurt and spices. For 13.50 euros there is a mix grill plate that combines chicken tikka and tandoori, lamb kebab and fried king prawns.
For those who can only think of innocent animals being slaughtered when reading this list of recipes, don’t worry—there’s stuff for you cow huggers as well. The malai kofta is a cheap dish of potato balls with almond cream, while the mitar paneer has fried cheese, onions, tomatoes and peppers. If you’re a curry lover (you know, the kind who can’t help always getting curry despite having other dishes to choose from) there are plenty of curry options when it comes to the type of meat, rice and spice level. These are usually 8.00 euros each except the mixed curry that comes at 12.50 and the vegetarian at 5.00 euros. Well, there you go—next time you are walking in Lavapies on a sunny day or are itching for Indian food, drop by Anarkoli.
Anarkoli
Lavapies 46
91 467 60 00
Metro: Lavapies or Tirso de Molina
Open daily from 12:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m.
By Daniel Sznajderman
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Standing inconspicuously somewhere along the narrow Calle de Infantas, Zara is not the kind of place you’d expect to have a good reputation and widespread popularity. Yet this small restaurant has been known to locals as the place to go to eat Cuban food for nearly thirty years. Its cozy, simple ambience and nonchalant staff makes costumers feel at home and the food, as today’s lingo so rightly expresses, is the bomb. Lodged between bigger buildings, the sliding door leads to a small space that looks a bit like a cabin with rough walls and a bent wooden ceiling. The decoration is intentionally plain, with just a couple of maps of Cuba and a small olden time sign of La Habana. The place, however, is not dirty or crookedly built: on the contrary, the floor and tables, covered in traditional red and white checkered tablecloths, are impeccably clean. This must be so because of the tight shift run by the restaurant’s owners, an elderly couple, he a Spaniard and she a Cuban, who first opened the place in 1978 as a café and then expanded it into what it is today.
The restaurant offers virtually all the traditional Cuban dishes—as well as some Spanish and infused ones—that will make those that are used to the food happy to eat it again and those that are new to it happy to have discovered it. The menu’s backbone is rice, black beans, meat and chicken, ingredients that although common, are seasoned here to produce a distinct flavor. Common not only in Cuba but in large parts of South America is the “ropa vieja” dish. “Old clothing” refers to seasoned and juicy meat cut into little strips, which comes accompanied by rice and beans—here in Zara, they offer their own black rice as an alternative to the customary white that is delicious. Just as commonly well known are the chicken and rice dishes and the “arroz a la cubana”, rice with fried eggs and tomato sauce.
What makes this restaurant authentic and worthwhile is that it also makes food using ingredients that, opposed to rice and chicken, aren’t very common on this side of the Atlantic. Yuca (cassava in English), a root vegetable and common side dish in Latin America that can be served fried or boiled, is tasty and should not be passed up. Another celebrated sidekick are tostones: fried plantains that are as eagerly eaten by little children as toothless old timers wherever they form part of the daily diet. Heading towards sweeter things, the place offers a variety of fresh juices, and by that I mean thick, colorful, tasty juices. Such fruits are also used in desserts, notably the guayaba paste, fresh pineapple and coconut in sugar based syrup.
Drinking enthusiasts and dependants need not worry: although not a bar, Zara offers plenty of alcohol, from standard beer and wine to more tropically inspired drinks like pina coladas, daiquiris, and of course Cuban rum. Also available is ice cold sangria (we are in Madrid after all) and a variety of cream liqueurs like Cointreau and Baileys. As far as prices go, Zara is neither cheap nor expensive—a big meal for 3 would for instance cost around 60 euros. The general price breakdown would be: soups and entrees cost between 3 and 5 euros, meats and seafood between 8 and 15, and desserts and drinks are around 6 or 7 euros.
Zara
Calle Infantas 5
91 532 20 74
Metro: Gran Via
Open Monday through Friday from 13:00 p.m. to 17:00 p.m. and 20:00 p.m. to 23:30 p.m.
By Daniel Sznajderman
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When it comes to food, Madrid is known to be especially cosmopolitan. It seems that every type of culinary experiment and tendency can be found in and around the city’s streets and boulevards, and Las Noches de Moscú is a perfect example. Set up a few blocks from the tribunal metro—on one of those streets that get downtrodden by partiers on weekends—this genuine Russian restaurant will transport you to good food and a warm atmosphere as soon as you walk in the door.
The place is small and colorful, not more than eight tables surrounded by walls decorated with a sense of folklore that you’d imagine exists more in this restaurant than in Moscow itself: part of the ceiling is built in the shape of a dome that Russian architecture has made famous, the walls are filled with reproductions of 19th century traditional Russian portraits and the indispensable babushka dolls, and the food is served in traditional porcelain dishes. Of course, such decorations are of backburner importance compared to the quality of the food—happily, all that eye candy isn’t there to distract customers from the meals. In fact, the courses are mostly succulent and satisfying pieces of Russian cuisine that, with the exception of a few rather luxurious dishes and drinks, are priced at amounts not seen since the Iron Curtain days.
The menu offers different sections of food with soups and salads starting at 3.50 euros, fish and meat from 6.50 euros, blini-blinchinki’s (traditional crepes) at 6.00 euros, and desserts ranging from 2.00 to 5.00 euros. Among the essentials are well known Russian dishes: the beef stroganoff (12.40) is just right while the “borsch moskovita” is the traditional warmer upper, a delicious soup with onions, beetroot and other vegetables and a hint of white cheese (5.40). Dishes with herring are a specialty of the house, a particularly good combination being the “salat ish padshuby” (5.80 Euros) which comes with potatoes and is marinated with onions and carrots. If you’re feeling particularly oligarchic, there’s always the good old blini with black caviar (22.00 euros for 100gr worth). The black bread and salmon crackers included in the meal aren’t bad either. Finally, desserts are meant to be refreshing and aren’t as heavy as the main courses. Among the recommended are the Kamchatka yogurt (3.50 euros) and the lemon sorbet with vodka (5.00 euros).
There is variety when it comes to drinks as well: juice combinations are mostly 3.00 euros (the beetroot, apple and orange juice mix is good); white, red, and pink wines range from 9.00 to 28.50 euros and vodka choices are not limited. A well worth it drink is the white Russian sangria. Whether it’s a drink that has been altered to fit Spanish culture or one that is totally made up, its mix of wine, cucumber, fruits and vodka is perfectly balanced. A big jug will cost you 9.80 euros and can be shared by three people—two if you plan to not drive back home. The relaxed ambiance and food attracts all kinds of clientele, from family to groups of young people, whom are well attended by the young staff.
Las Noches de Moscú
Calle del Marqués de Santa Ana, 37
91 531 04 11
Metro: Tribunal
Open everyday from 13:30 p.m. – 16:30 p.m. and 20:30 p.m. – 1:00 a.m.
By Daniel Sznajderman
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If you’re looking to have a quiet cocktail with a friend, impress a date, or get together with a group of former colleagues, head to the heart of Madrid’s Malasaña neighborhood and check out La Mucca.
The modern, urban, style of the establishment resembles what you’d find in Soho, New York. It blends perfectly with the traditional Spanish mom-and-pop shops, graffiti-ridden façades, highly fashionable boutiques, and rock’n’roll bars in the neighborhood.
The seating arrangements include an outdoor terrace (open all year round, thanks to outdoor heaters), and a huge interior that is cozy and open. Besides the usual tables for small to large groups, there is a semi-isolated area with a sofa and armchairs giving the space a “living room” feel.
But of course, the main attraction is the food. Served by a young, dynamic, and friendly staff, the restaurant offers a variety of reasonably priced dishes from all over the world: Spanish and Mexican tapas, fresh Mediterranean salads, Asian dishes, American hamburgers, Curry chicken, Italian pizza, and more. Try the popular “Boletus Pizza” or the brand-new “Kill Bill Pizza,” made with tuna, ginger and wasabi. For dessert, have a bite of their yummy cakes.
The restaurant offers a wide selection of Spanish wines and if you’re a gin lover there’s no better place for a glass of Hendrick’s (7.50 euros) than right here. Their most popular drinks include: the Cucumber on Flames (ginger, rum, sugar, orange juice, and rose petals), and Hendrick’s Hot Punch (ginger, port, clove, nutmeg, lemon juice and water).
In case you need another reason to check out La Mucca, we have one! Go ahead and take the furniture home with you. That’s right – it’s for sale. All of it!
Quick Tips:
- La Mucca’s kitchen is open all day.
- There’s a lunch menu for 10.90 euros on weekdays and a special priced menu for groups.
La Mucca
Plaza de Carlos Cambronero 4
Neighborhood: Malasaña
Metro: Noviciado or Callao
Telephone: 91 521 0000
Types: bar, restaurant, tapas
Opening hours: Mon-Fri: 1:30 p.m.; Sat and Sun: 12 p.m.
Closing hours: Sun-Thurs: 2 a.m.; Fri and Sat: 2:30 a.m.
By Trini Goyanes
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If you’re seeking an evening of comedy, dancing, shows, and gloriously gaudy entertainment, there is no restaurant more energetic and extravagant than the Bourbon Café. The name says it all: El loco restaurante de Rose Bourbon (Rose Bourbon’s Crazy Restaurant). Located next to the Puerta del Sol, this lavishly and theatrically decorated site offers international cuisine, theatric sketches and shows, and an undeniably lively ambience.
Entering the swank, urban-chic restaurant is akin to stepping into a theatre. Black wood floors and ceilings contrast with vibrant tangerine walls; flashing lights cast a rainbow of hues across the scene; and black and white tables are adorned with orange square plates for a contemporary touch. For added extravagance, white-vintage chandeliers hang from the ceiling, ornate mirrors are draped with fuchsia feather boas, and the full bar is set to a backsplash of black and white cowhide print. Yet more dramatic than the ambience are the performers. All of the waiters are actors, singers, and dancers, decked out in elaborate costumes and full makeup. These entertainers serve tables, but also strike elaborate poses and later hit the stage for a round songs and energetic dancing.
Shows at the Bourbon Café begin around 10:30 in the evening, and while the dining ambience may seem sophisticated and posh initially, the performances instantly transform the scene into a clapping, animated, madhouse. Shows include sketches, singing, dancing, drag, and comedy. The lead actress—playing Rose Bourbon herself—draws energy from the crowd with jokes and musical numbers. Diners can purchase special menus that include the price of the show. On Crazy Thursdays, for example, a menu for two includes appetizers, entrees, drinks, dessert and the show for a 39 euros per pair. Beyond these deals, the extensive menu features entrees between 10-20 euros from nationalities around the world, including Spanish, Greek, Italian, German, Brazilian, North American, English, Mexican, and Thai. Savor a spicy Brazilian meet dish on Brazilian Night (Sunday evening). Or enjoy a margarita pizza, chicken fajitas, Iberic ham, or Greek salad any day of the week—the variety, color, and flavor of this restaurant extends to the menu as well. Around 2 a.m., carry on the partying with 10 euro specialty cocktails, when the restaurant converts into a stylish, yet uniquely raucous, nightclub.
PRICES:
Specialty Menus (show included)- 30-38 euros per person
Crazy Thursday Menu for Two (show included)- 39 euros per pair
Entrees- 10-18 euros
Bourbon Cafe
Carrera de San Jerónimo, 5
Neighborhood: Sol
Metro: Sol, Sevilla
Telephone: 91 532 58 57
International cuisine, live music, shows
Hours: 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. Wednesday-Sunday
(Dinner served 10:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., nightclub 2 to 6 a.m.)
By Jane Caffrey
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Salads, hamburgers and Argentinian beef are only some of the tasty dishes you’ll find on the menu at Con Dos Fogones. For a while now this restaurant has been popular with the locals. The atmosphere is classy, and bursting with colors and stylish decor. They offer a menu del Mediodia for 10 euros, Monday – Friday, and a Menu Nocturno for 17,50 Euro where you get an appetizer, main course, and dessert. And their prix fix menus don’t stop there – they also have a group menu for 35 euros.
Con Dos Fogones
Calle de San Bernardino, 9
1-5 p.m. & 8 p.m.-1 a.m.
Telephone: 91 559 63 26
Metro: Plaza de Espana
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Creative dishes with a fusion flare is what you’ll find at A Dos Velas. The selection is varied and there are many different flavors from Indian to Argentinian and Mediterranean. The service here is quite good and the dining area is a wonderful place to relax with dark tiles and exposed brick. Like Con Dos Fogones, A Dos Velas offers three prix fix menus: lunch, dinner and group dining. The friendly feel of the place will have you coming back again and again.
A Dos Velas
Calle de San Vicente Ferrer, 16
1-5 p.m. & 8 p.m. – 12 a.m. Mon – Sat
Telephone: 91 446 18 63
Metro: Tribunal
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As long as you can enjoy (or poke fun at) the faux-chic décor and the cutesy quips on the menu (the appetizers fall under “Starters, Preambles, and First Kisses”), this fusion restaurant is at least worth one try. Besides, after a strong bottle of Rioja or the first few rounds of Warsteiner – the German beer they serve on tap from the tiny bar – the menu will make anyone’s mouth water.
The combinations can grab anybody’s attention. Take the rúcula and oak leaf lettuce salad for example, which is served with thin slices of duck, pear, and cherry tomatoes…then topped with a scoop of mango ice cream and drizzled with raspberry vinaigrette. This Ensalada Passionata (Passionate Salad) is just one of many that renders the salad list enticing. However, you’ll soon realize that at Comomelocomo (How I Eat It), inventiveness takes priority over taste and consistency.
While the fusion cuisine ideas are new and exciting, and the presentation is eloquently executed, either the food tastes run-o-the-mill or the flavors don’t mesh well. In my case, with the Passionate Salad, the freezing cold ice cream overpowered the taste of the temperate, crisp lettuce and tomatoes. In the case of the admittedly palatable Lasaña casera (the homemade lasagna – an apparent house specialty), which uses wild mushrooms instead of pasta, there was too much carroty sauce and not enough pesto even though the menu avows it’s one of the main ingredients.
The meat options tend to disappoint; the Carne argentina (Argentine beef) is mildly tasty but a bit tough, although the Roquefort and strawberry sauce that accompanies the dish is sweet, slightly sour, and simply divine. The “Noyestoydedieta,” or “I’m not on a diet,” proves frustrating because the beef is nowhere near par, even though it’s about a euro more or less than the other plates from the same category. I’d say grab a fish plate for the main course; my dining partners and I didn’t venture over to the fish side, but the merluza, or hake hamburger, which comes with homemade tomato sauce, pumpkin tempura and a honey-soy fix sounded like it might make a stomach happy.
If anything you shouldn’t pass up an opportunity to try something that’s not ham, Manchego cheese, and Mahou. Also, the desserts – while inconsistent in richness and flavor – can be delicious. The Fondant templado, or warm melt, is my personal recommendation; it’s chocolaty, not overly sweet, and practically melts in your mouth.
Last but not least, let the clout of large and animated crowds, as well as an attentive staff, convince you to check the place out;you’ll find both here…even smack-dab in the middle of the week.
Comomelocomo
Calle Andrés Borrego, 16
Telephone: 91 523 13 23
Metro Noviciado
Menú del día (lunch menu): 10 euros/person
Group menu: 35 euros for 3 people
Night-time menu: 17,50 euros/person (Monday – Thursday)
By Michelle Campagna
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Fusion food in Madrid has made its way into the hearts and tastebuds of Madrilenos. La Gloria de Montera is one of many fusion restaurants in the city, and if you’ve been to Bazaar, Ginger, or Public you’ll note that the food here is similar because they are all under the same management. The idea behind these restaurants is to serve tasty food in a chic environment for a reasonable price. Pretty much they are the Ikea of restaurants. If you are looking for a nice, hip, dining space coupled with good food that won’t break the bank, this is the place for you.
La Gloria de Montera
Calle del Caballero de Gracia 10
1- 3:45 p.m. – & 8:30 – 11:45 p.m.
Telephone: 91 523 44 07
Metro: Gran Via
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