What (and Where!) to Eat in Madrid

Bocata de jamon - often a bit of olive oil is added, and the taste is incredible.

Jamón. That is the best thing to start this post with.
A good jamon is tough, yet easy to bite, has lots of white, fatty parts, and the most amazingly intense, salty meat. Sliced finely, it's delicious on its own or slipped into bread, and don't limit yourself to the regular crisp bread seen above! If you're in Madrid, you should definitely try the jamon in a sweet croissant - the combination of textures and tastes is something you won't find anywhere else.
If you're looking for jamon, there are a bunch of jamon stores around Plaza del Sol that can offer you a huge variety of different types, the most popular being Jamon Iberico. Most of these stores will sell ready-made bocatas - I had one just today, picked up from a shop on Calle Tetuán, just across from the Bijou Brigitte.

Pan con tomate!

Also popular on bread is tomato - finely chopped and mixed with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper, it's something typically enjoyed in the morning with your coffee. It's tangy, sweet, mild enough to eat first thing in the morning, and tastes sublime. Typically served on crunchy, toasted bread, it's a very satisfying dish to bite into. Go for any small cafe or tavern and you're likely to find it!

Gambas al ajillo have to look like this - arrive in a brown, piping hot bowl, covered in garlic and spices and with plenty of flavorful oil to soak your bread in.

Gambas al ajillo have to be one of my favorite things to eat in Madrid, and you have to be sure to go to the right kind of place to get these. Taverns that all the locals flock to (easily recognized by the huge throng of people filling them around 11PM) tend to do this dish right. Personally, if I want perfect gambas al ajillo, I go to a tavern in San Bernardo that doesn't even show up on Google - just off the metro station on the corner of Calle San Bernardo and Calle Sandoval is a traditional tavern that does everything right. Get yourself a glass of wine or beer and order gambas al ajillo, huevos rotos con jamon, croquetas and whatever else your heart desires. The waiters are tons of fun, you don't have to wait for service, and the food is spot-on! If you want proper gazpacho, go here for that, too.

Tortilla de patatas - hot or cold, this is a delicious dish!

Tortilla. What would a visit to Spain be without it? Strangely, I'd advise you to go to the cheapest place possible for good tortilla: The kind of place that sells you a bottle of coke and a slice of tortilla for a euro or so, the tortilla already ready-made next to other cheap dishes in a central bar area. There's a suitable place off Tirso de Molina, on the corner of Calle de Mesón de Paredes and Calle Encomienda. Again, a place you can't find on Google maps!

It's hard to find natillas in a restaurant, but easy in a supermarket!

All the photos so far have distinct red and yellow notes - the colors of Spain! This dish, too, has those colors, and is just as delicious as the above dishes, albeit a lot sweeter. Vaguely reminiscent of eggnog and vanilla pudding, natillas are creamy and dusted with cinnamon, then topped with a cookie. The cookie gets quite soft, turning into crumbly, mushy deliciousness, and it's definitely something to try if you're in the area! More well-known and easy to find is flan de huevo, which almost all restaurants have. I still prefer the cheap supermarket versions!

Aceitunas surtido - a mix of olives, mini pickles, and tiny onions, all pickled in the same sauce. Delicious, and so tangy!

Olives and other sour bites are wonderful, and flavored differently here than anywhere else in the world. If you go somewhere to have a beer, they're likely to bring you either a plate of chips or olives, but that's not the only place you can get them! I recommend going to the El Corte Ingles off Plaza del Sol, head to the bottom floor, and pick out a bunch of different pickled goods from the big island. Olives, pickles, onions, eggplant, even fish - all for quite cheap prices, and often so tangy that you'll pull a face when you take the first bite. Enjoy them with beer, Aquarius, or Martini - a bocata de jamon is the perfect companion to these sour morsels.

A jug of sangria is perfect with company - otherwise, you may want to stick to a glass!

Then, there's Sangría. I have only one piece of advice for you when it comes to this drink: Do not get it in the Retiro. Oh, it's lovely to drink a nice, cold jug of fruity wine in the park, but unfortunately, they probably just use the cheap supermarket stuff. It's just not worth it. Instead, wander along the side streets of Madrid (try the area just south of Sol) until you find a tavern that's sufficiently busy and settle down for a proper jug of the chilled drink, a plate of chips and the bustling noise of Madrid. There's no place quite like it.

What are your favorite things to eat in Madrid? There are so many delicious options to choose from, but those are some of my top dishes.