MINI GUIDE
Eating in Madrid
COMPILED BY LORNA PARKES, WITH CONTRIBUTIONS FROM ANTHONY HAM. PHOTOGRAPHS: LUCAS VALLECILLOS/AGEFOTOSTOCK, NEWSCAST ONLINE/ALAMY, DAVID HERNANZ RAMOS/GETTY, PROFORMABOOKS/GETTYMadrid essentials The know-how
FURTHER READING
Lonely Planet’s
Madrid
(US$22.99) is a
comprehensive
guide to the city;
Pocket Madrid
(US$13.99) is a compact
version for weekend trips.
Find Madrid in Lonely
Planet’s free Guides app on
iTunes. For a glimpse into the
world of post-Spanish Civil
War Madrid, read the
gripping spy thriller Winter in
Madrid by CJ Sansom
(US$9.90; Pan). Also check
out Madrid Chow – a light-
hearted food and drink blog
run by the English co-
'founder of Devour Spain
food tours
(madridchow.
com).ORDERING TAPAS
Unless you speak Spanish, the art
of ordering tapas can seem one of
the dark arts of Spanish etiquette.
Fear not – it’s not as difficult as it
first appears.
OMany tapas will be lined up
along the bar. Either take a small
plate and help yourself or point to
the morsel you want and a barman
will put it on a plate for you. Keep
track of what you eat and then
tell the bar staff how many
you’ve had when it’s time to pay.
OAlternatively, many places
have a list of tapas on a menu or
above the bar. If you can’t
choose, ask for ‘la especialidad
de la casa’ (house speciality)
and it’s hard to go wrong.
OAnother way of eating tapas is
to order more filling raciones
(large tapas servings) or medias
raciones (half of a racion serving).
OIn some bars you’ll
also be given a free
bite-sized tapa when you
order a drink.com; 7th fl, Plaza de las Cortes,
4; from US$68).
Posada del León de Oro is a
renovated inn on one of Madrid’s
best-loved streets at the heart of
La Latina’s tapas scene; the bar
downstairs is terrific. Rooms are
modern and in muted colours
(posadadelleondeoro.com; Calle
de la Cava Baja, 12; from US$161).
For a five-star splurge, head to
Old-World Hotel Orfila. The
personal service is outstanding;
guests can expect bathrobes
embroidered with their initials. It’s
in a quiet location with a sheltered
garden (hotelorfila.com; Calle de
Orfila, 6; from US$248).WHERE TO STAY
A short step off the Paseo del
Prado, Lapepa Chic b&b is a
well-placed budget find.
Modern art and bedheads lined
with flamenco shoes give this
place personality. Pricier rooms
come with a view (lapepa-bnb.TRANSPORT
Take Qatar Airways from
Singapore or Kuala Lumpur via
Doha for the most direct flights
to Madrid (from US$867;
qatarairways.com). Madrid’s
metro is a quick and easy way
to get around the city
(metromadrid.es). Trains run
from the airport into town until
1.30am, and an Airport Express
bus plies the route 24/7 (tickets
for either cost US$5). A taxi will
cost about US$31. Ten-trip
Metrobús tickets cost US$12
and are valid for journeys on
the metro and buses; the city
centre is quite compact and
walkable, and taxis are cheap
by European standards.A row of flamenco shoes adds a
fun focus to a bedroom at LapepaEating Sleeping